People have the basic need to experiment control over the most important aspects of their environment. Even though the Sense of Control Scale is one of the most used instruments to measure sense of control, its psychometric properties have not been thoroughly assessed in a Spanish-speaking context. This preregistered study adapts the Sense of Control Scale into Spanish. To achieve this, 605 adults (Mage = 33.09, SD = 14.18) filled out an online questionnaire containing the relevant measurements. Evidence of the structure of two first-order dimensions and a second-order dimension was obtained (CFI = .960; TLI = .949; RMSEA = .044; RMSR = .039). The measure showed measurement invariance across gender at the configural, metric, and scalar levels. The perceived constraints and personal mastery dimensions, as well as the overall score of the Spanish Sense of Control Scale (SP-SCS) showed good reliability. Moreover, lower levels of sense of control, whether considering scores on its two dimensions (i.e., perceived constraints and personal mastery) or the overall score, were indicative of worse subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction and happiness), greater psychological distress (i.e., anxiety, depression, and stress), and higher perceived financial threat. The findings of this study reveal that the SP-SCS is a promising instrument to assess sense of control in the Spanish-speaking population.

The Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS), developed by Clayton and Karazsia (2020), assesses the negative emotional impact of climate change on well-being. However, its psychometric properties have not yet been sufficiently explored for Spanish spoken in Spain and Spanish culture. This research introduces the Spanish version of the CCAS (CCAS–S), examines its psychometric properties, and provides validity evidence supporting its intended purpose. Two studies were conducted: first, the original version of the CCAS was translated into Spanish using a committee approach to translation design; second, 806 participants completed the CCAS–S along with additional assessment instruments to gather validity evidence. The 13-item Spanish version showed adequate reliability and internal structure validity evidence for the two-dimensional model, aligning with theoretical expectations. Nevertheless, a refined 10-item version distinguishing metacognitive impairment, emotional distress, and functional interference dimensions optimized the scale’s intended purpose. The study discusses the conditions for using the CCAS–S measures and its practical implications.

We investigated the validity of the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) (H53.2) diagnostic code for diplopia in the National Ambulatory Care Reporting Systems (NACRS) using a single-centre retrospective chart review study. The “gold-standard” definition was a blinded review of the abstracted chart by a neurology resident physician. Of the included 783 patients, 79 (10.1%) had diplopia as per the gold standard, while 51 (6.5%) had diplopia listed in NACRS. The specificity of the ICD-10 code was 96.9% (95% confidence interval 95.6–98.2), and sensitivity was 36.7% (26.1–47.3). The ICD-10 code for diplopia can reliably identify patients with true diplopia seen in the emergency departments.

Food habits vary across ethnic groups and geographical regions. However, validated dietary assessment tools accounting for such diversity remain limited. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed and validated to assess the habitual food intake of adolescents and adults across Malaysia. The 147-item FFQ was constructed using commonly consumed foods from five main ethnicities (Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Sabah and Sarawak indigenous groups) identified from national surveys. A cross-sectional validation study was conducted among purposively sampled healthy individuals aged 10–59 years from 16 administrative regions. Trained community nutritionists administered the FFQ to assess monthly intake, alongside a three-day dietary record and recall (3DRR) covering two weekdays and one weekend. Spearman’s correlation, Bland–Altman plots, and quartile cross-classification evaluated the agreement between the FFQ and 3DRR for energy, macronutrients, and selected micronutrients (Vitamin C, thiamine, calcium, and iron). Respondents (n = 361; 50.3% adults, 49.7% adolescents) were 50.4% female and represented five main ethnicities (range: 15.8–25.2%), with 60.4% from Peninsular Malaysia. Energy intake estimated by the FFQ (median: 2285 kcal) was significantly higher than by the 3DRR (median: 1785 kcal; Wilcoxon p < 0.001). Spearman’s correlation coefficients observed for energy (crude r = 0.31), and selected nutrients (energy-adjusted r range: 0.19–0.38), along with <10% of extreme quartile misclassification indicated acceptable ranking ability and agreement for most nutrients. Bland–Altman plots indicated no proportional bias for energy and macronutrients. In conclusion, the FFQ is a valid tool for assessing dietary intake within the multi-ethnic Malaysian population nationwide.

Black African women face disproportionately high rates of obesity, with prevalence reaching 37 % in the UK. These elevated rates significantly contribute to chronic non-communicable disease burdens, yet comprehensive dietary data for this group in the UK remain limited. Accurate dietary assessment is essential for identifying nutritional risks and guiding interventions, especially in ethnically diverse populations. Standard tools, including the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) FFQ, often lack cultural specificity and have not been adapted or validated for Black African populations in the UK. This study aimed to modify and validate a culturally tailored EPIC FFQ for dietary assessment among Black African adults in the UK. A cross-sectional study with 112 Black African women (BMI > 25 kg/m2) was conducted. The EPIC FFQ was adapted by including culturally relevant African foods, identified via literature review and three non-consecutive 24-h recalls using Intake24. Participants completed the modified FFQ, and nutrient intakes from both methods were compared using correlation analyses, adjusted for within-person variation. Bland–Altman plots and energy-adjusted correlations assessed agreement. The modified FFQ expanded to 141 food items and showed significant correlations with 24-h recalls for various nutrients. Crude correlation coefficients ranged from 0·21 (fibre) to 0·87 (protein); energy-adjusted values ranged from 0·19 to 0·86. De-attenuated correlations improved further. Bland–Altman plots showed systematic overestimation of intake, particularly protein and fibre, but good overall agreement. The adapted EPIC FFQ is a valid tool for dietary assessment in Black African adults, though overestimation occurred. Further validation using dietary biomarkers is recommended.

While rapid four-compartment (4C) models have demonstrated cross-sectional validity in diverse populations, including athletes, their longitudinal validity remains unverified. This study aims to evaluate the longitudinal validity of utilising dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived estimates of body volume (BV) and bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS)-derived total body water (TBW) in rapid 4C models in athletes. Criterion 4C used DXA for bone mineral content, air displacement plethysmography for BV and 2H dilution for TBW. Analyses of longitudinal changes in fat mass (FM), in both kilograms and percentage, were performed in participants who experienced changes greater than 1 % (n 60) and in a subgroup exceeding the least significant change (1·97 kg, n 25). All alternative estimates underestimated changes relative to criterion 4C, with 4C TBWBIS providing the smaller mean difference (MD) (0·41 kg) and DXA the larger (0·94 kg). The MD for 4C BVSilvaTBWBIS and 4C BVHeymsfieldTBWBIS were 0·48 kg and 0·50 kg, respectively. Bland–Altman analyses showed wide limits of agreement (LOA) for all methods. Even the alternative with the smaller 95 % LOA had a wide LOA (4C TBWBIS: −2·9 %, 4·0 %, n 60). This investigation demonstrates that these rapid 4C models exhibit precision superior to or equivalent to DXA alone while offering reduced assessment times and broader accessibility than the criterion 4C. Regarding accuracy for evaluating changes over time, despite acceptable results at the group level, interpretation should be careful at the individual level.

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Comprehensive Emotional Eating Scale (CEES) and examined its associations with emotion regulation, cognitive control, cognitive flexibility and perceived stress in adults. A cross-sectional design was conducted with 1521 adults aged 18–74 years (68 % female). The CEES was adapted following standard cross-cultural guidelines, including translation, back-translation and approval by the original scale developer. Participants also completed the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Cognitive Control and Flexibility Questionnaire and Perceived Stress Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) assessed construct validity, while internal consistency, convergent validity and multiple linear regression analyses explored predictors of emotional eating. CFA supported a four-factor structure representing Undereating – Positive Emotions, Undereating – Negative Emotions, Overeating – Positive Emotions and Overeating – Negative Emotions, with item loadings of 0·48–0·77; one item was removed due to low loading. Internal consistency was high (α = 0·88–0·91), and convergent validity was confirmed via EMAQ correlations. Multiple regression analyses indicated that greater difficulties in emotion regulation, higher perceived stress, lower cognitive control and flexibility, smoking, higher BMI and chronic disease significantly increased emotional eating. Women showed higher Undereating – Negative Emotion and total emotional eating scores, while smoking, higher BMI and chronic disease elevated scores on specific subscales. The Turkish CEES demonstrates robust psychometric properties and reliably captures multidimensional emotional eating in adults. Psychological and demographic factors increase emotional eating subscales and total scores, supporting the scale’s use in research and clinical settings in Türkiye.

This study provides evidence supporting the validity of the Psychologically Rich Life Questionnaire (PRLQ) in a large Spanish sample, comparing its 17-item and 12-item versions and various measures of well-being and distress. Both versions show high internal consistency and adequate fit, although some elements could be interpreted as favoring the 12-item version. Analyses revealed significant associations between PRLQ scores and sociodemographic factors, with higher scores observed among older individuals, those with higher levels of education, and those with higher incomes, although effect sizes were small. We found a consistent pattern of positive correlations with well-being variables (e.g., resilience and meaning in life) and negative correlations with distress measures (e.g., depression, anxiety, and loneliness). This study, for the first time in Spanish, presents information on a questionnaire that addresses a novel concept complementary to traditional views of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Limitations, including digital literacy disparities and potential cultural or age-related biases, are discussed. Future research should explore the cross-cultural equivalence of the PRLQ and its utility in longitudinal and predictive contexts.

Second language (L2) pronunciation research has measured speech comprehensibility by asking listeners to assess L2 learners’ speaking performance with rating scales. While some studies have provided validity evidence for these rating scales, few studies have examined the extent to which those scales effectively distinguish among L2 speakers. To fill this gap, the present study examines the 9-point scale used in Saito et al. (2020: Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 40, 9–25.) and the 100-point scale in Huensch and Nagle (2023: Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 45(2), 571–585.) from a Rasch measurement perspective and showcases post hoc score category collapsing as a potential countermeasure against suboptimal rating scale functioning. Findings suggested that different score categories represented the same ability level and were therefore interchangeable. Collapsing these score categories yielded shorter but more functional scales without compromising the psychometric qualities of the original scales. These findings suggest that researchers need to empirically refine their scale lengths rather than uncritically following their conventional measurement practices.

Al-Hoorie, Hiver, and In’nami (2024) challenged the validity and corresponding validation processes of L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) research. A component of this challenge included claims of weak discriminant validity due to high correlations among L2MSS constructs. Papi and Teimouri (2024) countered by using semi-partial correlations to control for other L2MSS constructs, finding weak-to-moderate associations, which they claimed mollified potential discriminant validity concerns. In this methods-oriented response paper, we present a historical case that semi-partial correlations should be viewed within the context of multiple regression analysis, not as a standalone bivariate metric. Challenging Papi and Teimouri’s approach, we suggest that their method does not adequately address discriminant validity issues. Furthermore, when their semi-partial correlations are treated as multiple regression models, Al-Hoorie et al.’s concerns remain valid. Finally, we demonstrate that L2MSS literature does not support the assignment of outcome and predictor variables in Papi and Teimouri’s semi-partial correlations when correctly considered as multiple regression models.

Citizens’ opinions about politicians are shaped by their perceptions of politicians’ personalities, characters, and traits. While prior research has investigated the traits voters value in politicians, less attention has been given to the traits politicians project in their public communication. This may stem from challenges in defining politicians’ public personality traits and measuring them at scale using computational text analysis. To address this challenge, we propose a computational approach that builds on public statements (personality cues) to infer politicians’ personalities from textual data. To do so, we operationalize two key political traits—agency and communion—using a theory-driven, domain-specific framework. We then compare various computational text analysis methods for extracting these traits from a large corpus of politicians’ parliamentary speeches, social media posts, and interviews. We validate our approach using a comprehensive set of human-labeled data, functional tests, and analyses of how prominently personality traits appear in the statements of German politicians and in the 2024 U.S. presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Our findings indicate that prompting based techniques, particularly those leveraging advanced models such as DeepSeek-V3, outperform supervised and semisupervised methods. These results point to promising directions for advancing political psychology.