Towards Lessening Learners’Aversive Emotions and Promoting Their Mental Health:Developing and Validating a Measurement of English Speaking Demotivation in the Chinese EFL Context

While a plethora of studies has been conducted to explore demotivation and its impact on mental health in second language(L2)education,scanty research focuses on demotivation in L2 speaking learning.Particularly,little research explores the measures to quantify L2 speaking demotivation.The present two-phase study attempts to develop and validate an English Speaking Demotivation Scale(ESDS).To this end,an independent sample of 207 Chinese tertiary learners of English as a Foreign Language(EFL)participated in the development phase,and another group of 188 Chinese EFL learners was recruited for the validation of the scale.Exploratory Factor Analysis(EFA)and Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)were employed to determine the factor structure of the scale.The EFA results revealed a six-factor solution with Teacher-related Factors in Learning Spoken English(TFLSE),Interest and Valence in Learning Spoken English(IVLSE),Self-efficacy in Learning Spoken English(SELSE),Negative Peer Influence in Learning Spoken English(NPILSE),Undesirable Environment for Learning Spoken English(UELSE),and Negative Influence of Assessment and Learning Materials in speaking class(NIALM).In the validation phase,Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)was performed to validate the internal structure of the scale.The CFA results showed that the model fits the data well.Overall,the ESDS is a robust and trustworthy psychometric tool that could be utilized to examine L2 speaking demotivation.Implications for diminishing EFL learners’demotivation,lessening their aversive emotions and promoting their mental health are also discussed.

Development of a frailty scale for elderly people in China

Objective：The aim of this study was to develop a frailty scale for the elderly in China and to examine its reliability and validity.Methods：The method of convenient sampling was used to select 375 elderly individuals in different communities of Tianjin,China.EuroQpl-5D was used to evaluate the criterion validity.Cronbach＇s αcoefficients,correlation analysis,exploratory factor analysis,criterion-related validity,and internal consistency were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale.To evaluate the test—retest reliability,30 old people were re-evaluated after 2 weeks.Results：The final version of the frailty scale（FI-35） consisted of 35 items.Eleven factors were extracted by a principal factor analysis and varimax rotation,with a cumulative contribution of 86.00%.Eleven dimensions were positively correlated（r = 0.130-0.541,P 〈 0.01）.Cronbach＇s α coefficient was 0.952,and the alpha coefficients of 11 dimensions ranged from 0.730 to 0.992.The test-retest reliability was0.874 for the total scale.The split-half reliability of the scale was 0.808.Structural equation modeling was used to perform a confirmatory factor analysis,and various parameters were all acceptable.Conclusions：FI-35 met the requirement of scale development and showed good reliability and validity;thus,it can be used as an efficient frailty measurement tool for Chinese elderly.

Validation of the Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 Questionnaire in Serbian language

AIM：To translate the Glaucoma Quality of Life-15（GQL-15）to Serbian language and asses its validity and reliability in the population of Serbian patients.METHODS：The study included 177 glaucoma patients.Clinical parameters（visual acuity,mean defect and square root of loss variance of visual field）and socio-demographic data were collected.Patients were stratified according to the Nelson’s glaucoma staging system as mild,moderate and advanced glaucoma.All patients filled out the GQL-15 and National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire（NEI-VFQ 25）.The GQL-15 was translated following the internationally-accepted methodology,and its psychometric properties were assessed by using classical test theory and Rasch analysis.RESULTS：The mean total score for the GQL-15 was 20.68±7.31.The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the whole scale was 0.89（central and near vision,α=0.24;peripheral vision,α=0.85;glare and dark adaptation,α=0.83）.Factor analysis established 4 factors（70.3% of variance）：two corresponding to the original factors and two new factors specific for the Serbian population.The GQL-15 score correlated positively with almost all clinical parameters and NEI-VFQ 25 proving good criterion validity.Correlation of the GQL-15 total score on test-retest confirmed appropriate scale reproducibility（ρ=0.96,P〈0.001）.The GQL-15 discriminated well advanced from mild and moderate glaucoma.In Rasch analysis we obtained adequate item（0.95）reliability index.Almost all items had infit and outfit mean squares in the accepted range.CONCLUSION：Serbian version of the GQL-15 demonstrates adequate reliability and validity.This version of the GQL-15is a valid instrument for evaluation of quality of life among Serbian speaking patients with glaucoma and can be applied in daily clinical work.

Development, Reliability and Validity of Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Self-Evaluation Scale(TCM-50)

Objective： To develop a health-evaluating scale from a Chinese medicine（CM） perspective and reflecting CM conception of health. Methods： The Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Self-Evaluation Scale（TCM-50） was developed by verification of dimensions, formation of item pool, verification of scoring methodology, and pilot test of scale and item analysis. Results： TCM-50 composed of 50 items that could be classified into 4 dimensions including physiology and health, psychology and health, nature and health, and society and health. An examination of reliability and validity of TCM-50 yielded Cronbach＇s α coefficient of 0.927, and half coefficient of r was 0.876. The intraclass correlation coefficient of total score was 0.912. After using SF-36 questionnaire to evaluate the criterion validity, the Pearson r of the score of the two scales from the same participant was 0.740. Conclusions： TCM-50 has good reliability and validity, and can yield similar levels of efficacy as SF-36 in terms of evaluating people＇s overall health level. As a scale based on CM theory, TCM-50 is suitable for self-measuring the general health of Chinese patients.

Dynamics of Female Sexuality;Hidden Emotional Issues

Sexual satisfaction following Laser or RF vaginal rejuvenation is usually assessed by straightforward self-report questionnaires that may not offer a deeper insight into female dynamics. Our randomized double-blind longitudinal clinical trial on 14 menopausal women with high FSFI satisfaction scores following laser or RF vaginal interventions, demonstrated a high positive correlation between the subjects’ FSFI scores and the Hy (hysteria), D (Depression) and L (Lie) validity scales of the MMPI-2. Such high positive correlation between the FSFI and the L-scale negates the reported increase in female sexual satisfaction following laser or RF vaginal rejuvenations. The high positive correlations of the FSFI with the Hy and D scales indicate that despite reports of increased sexual satisfaction, the vaginal procedures did not improve psychological wellbeing or quality of life. Results on the Differential Emotions Scale (DES) reveal that 98% of the subjects were organized around the emotions of shame, sadness and joy. Such results indicated a multilayered emotional organization that possibly reflects joy on the outside and shame and sadness on the inside. Results of Laser or RF vaginal rejuvenation procedures should be evaluated by a battery of tests that take into account females’ often prominent tendency to focus on satisfying their partners rather than themselves. Going down the path that starts with a dismissal of self-fulfillment to focus on their partners’ satisfaction, may bring several women to the endpoint of disingenuous interpersonal relationships tainted by repressed disillusionment.

Evaluation of criterion validity of CHF-quality of life scale of integrative medicine

Objective To evaluate the criterion validity of Chronic Heart Failure(CHF)-Quality of Life(QOL)Scale of Integrative Medicine(abbreviated as Scale).Methods Clinical data of 249 CHF in-patients were collected.