Institutionally Based ImPACT Test® Normative Values May Differ from Manufacturer-Provided Normative Values.

OBJECTIVE: The necessity for pre-injury baseline computerized neurocognitive assessments versus comparing post-concussion outcomes to manufacturer-provided normative data is unclear. Manufacturer-provided norms may not be equivalent to institution-specific norms, which poses risks for misclassifying the presence of impairment when comparing individual post-concussion performance to manufacturer-provided norms. The objective of this cohort study was to compare institutionally derived normative data to manufacturer-provided normative values provided by ImPACT® Applications, Incorporated. METHOD: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 university student athletes (n = 952; aged 19.2 ± 1.4 years, 42.5% female) from one university participated in this study by completing pre-injury baseline Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) assessments. Participants were separated into 4 groups based on ImPACT's age and gender norms: males <18 years old (n = 186), females <18 years old (n = 165), males >19 years old (n = 361) or females >19 years old (n = 240). Comparisons were made between manufacturer-provided norms and institutionally derived normative data for each of ImPACT's clinical composite scores: Verbal (VEM) and Visual (VIM) Memory, Visual Motor Speed (VMS), and Reaction Time (RT). Outcome scores were compared for all groups using a Chi-squared goodness of fit analysis. RESULTS: Institutionally derived normative data indicated above average performance for VEM, VIM, and VMS, and slightly below average performance for RT compared to the manufacturer-provided data (χ2 ≥ 20.867; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Differences between manufacturer- and institution-based normative value distributions were observed. This has implications for an increased risk of misclassifying impairment following a concussion in lieu of comparison to baseline assessment and therefore supports the need to utilize baseline testing when feasible, or otherwise compare to institutionally derived norms rather than manufacturer-provided norms.

Promoting Educational Resiliency in Youth with Incarcerated Parents: The Impact of Parental Incarceration, School Characteristics, and Connectedness on School Outcomes.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and as a result, one of the largest populations of incarcerated parents. Growing evidence suggests that the incarceration of a parent may be associated with a number of risk factors in adolescence, including school drop out. Taking a developmental ecological approach, this study used multilevel modeling to examine the association of parental incarceration on truancy, academic achievement, and lifetime educational attainment using the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (48.3 % female; 46 % minority status). Individual characteristics, such as school and family connectedness, and school characteristics, such as school size and mental health services, were examined to determine whether they significantly reduced the risk associated with parental incarceration. Our results revealed small but significant risks associated with parental incarceration for all outcomes, above and beyond individual and school level characteristics. Family and school connectedness were identified as potential compensatory factors, regardless of parental incarceration history, for academic achievement and truancy. School connectedness did not reduce the risk associated with parental incarceration when examining highest level of education. This study describes the school related risks associated with parental incarceration, while revealing potential areas for school-based prevention and intervention for adolescents.

Model invariance across genders of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire.

ASD is one of the most heritable neuropsychiatric disorders, though comprehensive genetic liability remains elusive. To facilitate genetic research, researchers employ the concept of the broad autism phenotype (BAP), a milder presentation of traits in undiagnosed relatives. Research suggests that the BAP Questionnaire (BAPQ) demonstrates psychometric properties superior to other self-report measures. To examine evidence regarding validity of the BAPQ, the current study used confirmatory factor analysis to test the assumption of model invariance across genders. Results of the current study upheld model invariance at each level of parameter constraint; however, model fit indices suggested limited goodness-of-fit between the proposed model and the sample. Exploratory analyses investigated alternate factor structure models but ultimately supported the proposed three-factor structure model.

A Study of Rasch, partial credit, and rating scale model parameter recovery in WINSTEPS and jMetrik.

jMetrik and WINSTEPS are two Rasch measurement software applications that implement joint maximum likelihood estimation of Rasch, partial credit, and rating scale model parameters via a proportional curve fitting algorithm. We describe this algorithm in this paper and explain the handling of missing data and extreme cases. Results from a simulation study that manipulated sample size and the number of test items indicate that both programs produce similar bias and root mean squared error values. In addition, root mean squared difference values indicate that estimates from each program are within 0.001 and 0.004 logits of each other depending on the model in question.

Maximum information approach to scale description for affective measures based on the Rasch model.

Using the Rasch model for ordered categories, this paper provides a method for qualitative interpretations of data from an affective measure such as an attitude scale or survey instrument. The Bock procedure is first used to partition the total item information to each response category. The location of each response category is determined by maximizing the information associated with this category. The response categories that cluster around a given point on the latent trait are then used to provide a qualitative description of this point. The description is explicit in terms of the behaviors or activities that are likely to be displayed by a respondent at this point. An illustration is provided using an alumni survey used at a large university in the southeast.