142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Online Program

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

310890
Empathy and Social Dominance as Predictors of Rater's Scoring Severity of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Performing a Gross Motor Skills Test

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014

M D Ayers, MS , Department of Health and Exercise Science: Health Promotion, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
E. Laurette Taylor, PhD , Dept. of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Paul Wesley Branscum, PhD, RD , Department of Health and Exercise Science, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
H. Mike Crowson, PhD , Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Joyce Brandes, PhD
Background:  Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are frequently assessed according to rater’s observation.  For this reason, it is important to explore phenomena that could influence rater’s tendency to score more or less severely. This study assessed if empathy and social dominance scales were significant predictors of the rater’s severity in scores given to children with ASD completing the TGMD-2.

Methods: Participants were aged 19 to 24, 70% females (n=35) and were undergraduates recruited locally.  Empathy was measured using the Multi-Dimensional Emotional Empathy Scale (MDEES). Social dominance was measured using a Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) 16-item scale. All scales were completed prior to training. Training consisted of a 45-minute session and included prerecorded videos of neurotypical children, handouts, and a presentation.

Results:  A multiple regression was used to explore empathy and social dominance scale scores as predictors of scoring severity.  Severity was assessed as total raw-scores given to children based on skill performance of the TGMD-2. The MDEES (t= -.201, p=.42, β=-.030), and SDO (t=1.049, p=.15, β=-.071) scale scores were not significant predictors of how severely raters scored.

Conclusion: Although these two variables were not significant predictors, this study is exciting to researchers and clinicians seeking to reduce rater error. One possible confounding factor was the disproportionate number of females to males. Females have been documented as having less social dominance and greater rates of empathy.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Discuss application of psychological phenomena and how it may impact test administers scoring behaviors. Evaluate current testing methods and ways to improve accuracy of testing implementation. Assess psychological phenomena that may present biases in testing procedures, specifically when the measurements are subjective.

Keyword(s): Children With Special Needs, Performance Measurement

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a second year doctoral student and have completed a master's thesis. I have obtained the necessary education and training to represent my research in a public forum. Additionally, I have worked with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) as a paraprofessional, an ABA therapist, health educator, and research advocate. Previous research includes a study of children with ASD in which data was approved for retention and is the backbone to the current study.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5021.0: Behavioral Science/Health Education & International/Global Health Student Posters