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Reliability and validity of an interval measure of vocal stress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

B. F. Fuller*
Affiliation:
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor B. F. Fuller University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East Ninth Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA.

Synopsis

The reliability and validity of Psychological Stress Evaluator (PSE) output and frequency modulation suppression as an inaudible vocal measure of stress-arousal was further explored, using a new interval scoring method. ‘Yes’ answers to 6 neutral questions were obtained from 106 volunteers 2 weeks before, the day before and one week after a stress-provoking event (oral comprehensive examinations for an MS degree). The data show excellent construct validity and good but not high internal consistency (0·77–0·81) and test-retest (0·72–0·74) reliability. Interrater reliability ranged from 0·94 to 0·98. Correlations of PSE output with other psychological and physiological measures (criterion-related validity) was very poor.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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