The number of studies addressing the latent structure of specific screening and diagnostic tools for autism spectrum conditions is still limited. The current study explored the latent structure of the Bulgarian CAST (Childhood Autism Spectrum Test) in screening for autism in the Bulgarian population. The data were analysed using factor analyses. A hierarchical model with two primary factors yielded best data fit. This structure is consistent with the two main categories adopted in the DSM-5 and current accounts of the range of conditions broadly falling into two main clusters of symptoms. These results confirm the validity of CAST as a tool for screening for autism spectrum conditions in other cultures and support the construct validity of the model and criteria included in the DSM-5. Furthermore, our results demonstrate how factor analysis can be exploited to reveal the underlying structure of screening tools aimed at capturing the behavioural traits of deficit phenotypes.
We first summarize the history, extent, and characteristics of institutionalization of non-orphan children in Bulgaria. Then we describe a study of certain psychological characteristics of mothers who use institutionalization compared with mothers similar in ethnicity and close-to-poverty circumstances, those using state daycare programs, and those using weekly care programs for their children. Institutionalizing mothers had been institutionalized themselves far more often than had the other mothers. On two attachment measures, as expected, institutionalizing mothers were less secure and more insecure than daycare mothers, with weekly care mothers intermediate. On a parental representation task, results were somewhat more equivocal. Results suggest that psychological characteristics, especially attachment style, are important in decisions to use institutionalization as a means of child care.
The purpose of the study is to examine the pedagogical usability of interactive e-learning materials for foreign language practice. It is based upon two studies of the expected between-group and within-group differences among participants in the educational process. The sample consists of two groups – lecturers and students, a total of 100 participants, each evaluating four materials specifically prepared for this study. Two consecutive repeated measures ANOVA were conducted in which the gender/age, the position of the participants in the educational process, and usability dimensions were the independent variables. Results indicated that all independent variables and their interactions have a significant effects on the evaluations of the pedagogical usability. Women tend to assign higher values than men. Аge groups generally differ in their evaluations, although there is a tendency to give similar ratings for the individual dimensions of pedagogical usability. The 31-40 years age group evaluates the materials higher while the lowest evaluations are given by the groups of 21-30 and 50+ year old participants. Students tend to rate the pedagogical usability systemically higher than the lecturers. Usability dimensions also have a significant effect on evaluations. The most prominent feature of the materials, by a great margin, is their Applicability. The findings corroborate previous research which show age and gender differences in web usability do exist. We conclude that these differences exist as much in pedagogical usability as in technical usability. Further investigations are suggested to explore more deeply the differences in the perceived pedagogical value of e-learning materials as this has implications for instructional designers, teachers and learners alike.
The study aimed to make an adaptation of the long form of the Eating attitudes test for the Bulgarian population of adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age. This includes examination of the scale structure of the adaptation, the reliability of the scales and their predictive potential to identify individuals with eating disorders. The participants were 441 secondary school students from 8th to 12th grade. The factor structure of the data was examined using hierarchical factor analysis, reliability was investigated by analysing the internal consistency of the items and the threshold values were selected by ROC curve analysis. A hierarchical threefactor model of the data was accepted. In the reliability study, the scales and the overall test showed good internal consistency, with alpha coefficients 0.83, 0.79, 0.72 and 0.86 respectively. With the exception of the third scale, they proved to be good predictors, which, through the selected threshold values, showed satisfactory diagnostic accuracy. The Bulgarian version of the EAT-40 is a reliable tool for assessing the relevant symptoms and psycho physiological features of adolescents with eating disorders. It can also be successfully used to discriminate diseased from normal cases in non-clinical samples.
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