Dale M. Hilty
Mount Carmel College of Nursing, USA
Title: Preliminary Investigation of the Psychometric Measurement of Hunger & Pleasure
Biography
Biography: Dale M. Hilty
Abstract
Fernandez's (2001) Anger Parameters Scale (APS) conceptualizes anger activity according to frequency, duration, intensity, latency, and threshold. The first three of the five parameters are based on the Multidimensional Anger Inventory (MAI) subscales while latency and threshold measures are related to pain and other perceptual responses (Fernandez, 2010). "Thus, we have five parameters measuring (i) how often one gets angry, (ii) how long the anger lasts, (iii) how strong the anger is, (iv) how quick to anger, and (v) how sensitive to provocation" (Fernandez, Day, & Boyle, 2015, p. 92). Cronbach reliability estimates for an adult community sample (Fernandez, Vargas, & Day, 2010) were .85 (Frequency), .90 (Duration), .62 (Intensity), .88 (Latency), and .74 (Threshold). Five anger parameters were extracted with a principal components analysis (PCA). "A separate PCA analysis based on the subscale inter-correlations led to a one-component solution ... termed the Degree of maladaptiveness of anger ... The parameters are internally consistent and supported by preliminary factor analytic investigation." Fernandez and colleagues (2014) report significant differences on the frequency, intensity, and duration scales with the forensic sample (N=125) having high scores on these three parameters than a non-forensic (N=182) samples.
The purpose of the educational intervention was to apply the Fernandez five parameters model (frequency, duration, intensity, latency, threshold) to the constructs of hunger and pleasure. Participants were 130 traditional undergraduate nursing students. Principal-axis factor analysis and Cronbach reliability estimates found two common factors were extracted for the hunger and pleasure constructs with reliability coefficients above .80.