Translation and Validation of the French Version of the Revised Green et al., Paranoid Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS) in Two Samples: Non-Clinical and Clinical Adults

Paranoia consists of unfounded beliefs that harm will be caused with intent to hurt the subject. Paranoid thoughts exist on a continuum of severity from severe forms in several psychological pathologies to milder forms in a significant minority of individuals of the general population (Freeman, 2007). It can be measured using several types of questionnaires. One recent questionnaire that measures paranoia in both clinical and non-clinical populations is the revised Green et al., Paranoid Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS) (Freeman et al., 2019). This questionnaire is an improved version of the Green et al., Paranoid Thoughts Scale (GPTS) (Green et al., 2008) and has excellent psychometric properties. In the present study, the R-GPTS was translated into French and the psychometric properties of the new French version were evaluated in a sample of the general population (N = 600) and in a clinical sample (N = 22). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original two-factor structure (social reference and persecution subscales) of the R-GPTS. Evidence of excellent internal consistency of the R-GPTS was found. Furthermore, good convergent and discriminant validity was also found. Test-retest reliability showed significant positive correlations over a 1-month period. The findings discussed above were found in the non-clinical sample. Lastly, the R-GPTS revealed good preliminary criterion validity established from the comparison between the clinical and the non-clinical groups. In conclusion, the French version of the R-GPTS is a valid and reliable tool to measure paranoia in the general population. Due to the small sample size of the clinical sample, further studies are needed in order to confirm good psychometric properties in clinical populations, even though our preliminary findings are promising.     

The Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Community Version1

This paper describes 2 studies that evaluated a new instrument, the Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire‐Community Version (PEDQ‐CV). The PEDQ‐CV can be used across ethnic groups to assess perceived racism or ethnic discrimination. The scales measure several subdimensions of racism, permitting the examination of different forms of this race‐related stressor. The first study evaluated the psychometric properties of the PEDQ‐CV in a large sample of community‐dwelling adults. The second evaluated psychometric properties of a brief version of the PEDQ‐CV, developed for research protocols requiring a shorter administration time. Tests were made of reliability and several forms of construct validity. Both versions of the PEDQ‐CV have good reliability and construct validity. The PEDQ‐CV can facilitate the development of an integrative body of knowledge across different ethnic groups regarding the existence, determinants, and consequences of discrimination.     

Development and Validation of an Expanded Version of the Three-Factor Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale

The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP; Levenson, Kiehl, &; Fitzpatrick, 1995 Levenson, M. R., Kiehl, K. A., &; Fitzpatrick, C. M. (1995). Assessing psychopathic attributes in a noninstitutionalized population. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(1), 151–158. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.68.1.151[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) is a brief self-report questionnaire frequently used in psychopathy research. Although the scale has many desirable properties such as brevity and being available in the public domain, there are also several psychometric concerns associated with it, including low internal consistency, problematic construct validity, and incomplete conceptual coverage of several components of psychopathy. In 2 studies, we provide evidence that additional items can augment the LSRP to address the aforementioned concerns. In the first study, using a large sample of students and members of the general Australian community (n = 729), we found that an expanded 36-item, 3-factor version of the LSRP was associated with improvements in internal consistency and construct coverage with little degradation in model fit. In the second study, using another Australian community sample (n = 300), we replicated the results of Study 1 and demonstrated improvements in construct validity for the expanded 36-item, 3-factor scale compared to the 19-item, 3-factor scale. Our results indicate that, although slightly longer, the expanded version of the 3-factor LSRP ameliorates many of the concerns associated with its original counterpart.     

Validation of a Chinese Version of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire

Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) assign a central role to maladaptive beliefs. Evaluation of these OCD beliefs in Western countries is commonly accomplished using the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ) and is important for conceptualizing and treating OCD. It remains unclear if Western models of OCD beliefs are appropriate for sufferers in some non-Western regions, such as China, which represents nearly 20 % of the world population. Thus, the aim of present study is to examine the psychometric properties of a Chinese translation of the OBQ in three samples: 1,322 undergraduates, 139 patients with OCD, and 79 patients with other anxiety disorders. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed poor fit for multiple English-based models of the OBQ. However, an exploratory factor analysis supported an OBQ model that differs slightly from the English version: (1) Perfectionism/Certainty (P/C), (2) Over-Estimation of Threat (T), (3) Importance of Thoughts/Responsibility for Harm (I/R). This Chinese version of the OBQ (C-OBQ) contains 30 items and shows adequate internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and criterion-related validity. In China, the C-OBQ may be a useful instrument for delineating cognitive patterns associated with OCD to inform research and treatment.     

The Spanish Version of the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire: A Precautionary Note

The Spanish version of the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ) was examined and found to have numerous grammatical and syntactical errors that seriously limit its usefulness for the psychological evaluation of Spanish-speaking clients. At least 36% of the items were found to be poorly translated from the original English version.     

The Development and Validation of the Health Proneness Questionnaire

This series of studies describes the development, validation and potential use of the Health Proneness Questionnaire (HPQ). Recent health, wellness and illness studies focus upon the dynamic interaction between psychological and physical well-being. This newly developed scale allows practitioners to quickly screen psychological characteristics related to health and a patient's perception of their quality of life. Participants were patients in university research clinics for vision problems. Through exploratory factor analysis three factors evolved related to the hypothesized psychological characteristics involved in health related quality of life: adaptability, self-efficacy and subjective well-being. In a confirmatory factor analysis, the best fit model yielded a higher-order health-proneness factor with the original three categories as sub-factors. Further criterion-related validity comparisons and discriminant and convergent validity studies indicated a psychometrically sound short survey for examining psychological characteristics of patients with mild chronic health conditions.     

Confirmatory Validation and Measurement Equivalence of the Eating Loss of Control Scale in Binge Eating and Non-Clinical Samples

Although Loss of Control (LOC) is a transdiagnostic factor in eating pathology, there are few standalone assessments of LOC. The objective of this study was to evaluate the uni-dimensionality and measurement equivalence of the Eating Loss of Control Scale (ELOCS). Confirmatory factor analyses were used to achieve a well-fitting uni-dimensional model in clinical (N?=?226) and non-clinical (N?=?476) samples. Measurement equivalence was tested in a factor analytic framework, and effect sizes were computed to evaluate the impact of non-equivalence. A well-fitting model was achieved in both samples after the removal of 4 items. The instrument showed configural equivalence but not metric equivalence. Results suggest that the ELOCS is a reliable and valid measure of LOC in clinical and non-clinical samples. However, while the nature of the LOC construct is similar across binge eating and non-clinical participants, comparisons of ELOCS across these groups are affected by measurement non-equivalence. This research also revealed novel insights into the relative sensitivity of model fitting and effect size approaches to investigating measurement equivalence.     

The Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire: Development and Validation

Although the term psychopathy is embedded with negativity, evidence points to the existence of another form of psychopathy, which involves adaptive traits such as stress and anxiety immunity, remarkable social skills, noteworthy leadership ability, and an absence of fear. The newly developed Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire (DAPTQ) aims to assess adaptive traits known to correlate with the psychopathic personality. Validation of the questionnaire among 765 individuals from the community gave support to a 9-factor solution: Leadership, Logical Thinking, Composure, Creativity, Fearlessness, Money Smart, Focus, Extroversion, and Management. The DAPTQ and its 9 subscales demonstrated good internal consistency reliability in a community sample (.68–.88). Convergent validity and divergent validity were supported by administering the DAPTQ alongside established measures of the psychopathic personality. Overall, these findings support the potential of the DAPTQ as an instrument for measuring psychopathy-associated adaptive traits. Limitations of this study and potential directions for future research are also discussed. Further studies are needed to validate the DAPTQ and its subscales against a wider range of personality traits and behaviors.     

The Turkish Version of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Assessing the Measurement Invariance Across Turkish and American Adult Samples

The purpose of this study was to adapt the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Steger, Frazier, Oishi, and Kaler (2006) into Turkish and examine the measurement and structural invariance of this scale across Turkish (N = 815) and U.S. (N = 207) samples. Our findings indicated that the hypothesized 2-factor model of the MLQ fit the data well for both Turkish and U.S. samples. Results also provided support for the full metric invariance, partial scalar invariance, and partial invariance of residual variances of the MLQ across the 2 samples (i.e., Turkish and U.S.). Supporting the structural invariance, we found that factor variances and covariances were equivalent across the 2 groups. Internal consistency reliability analyses revealed a Cronbach's alpha value of .88 for the MLQ Presence scale and .90 for the Search scale. Our findings also provided preliminary support for the convergent validity of the Turkish version of the MLQ (MLQ–TR). Contrary to findings in other collectivist cultures, the relationship between Search and Presence was negative in Turkish culture. These results support the psychometric properties of the MLQ–TR and its partial equivalence to the original U.S. version.     

The Development and Initial Validation of the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes the relationship a person has with their thoughts and beliefs as potentially more relevant than belief content in predicting the emotional and behavioral consequences of cognition. In ACT, “defusion” interventions aim to “unhook” thoughts from actions and to create psychological distance between a person and their thoughts, beliefs, memories, and self-stories. A number of similar concepts have been described in the psychology literature (e.g., decentering, metacognition, mentalization, and mindfulness) suggesting converging evidence that how we relate to mental events may be of critical importance. While there are some good measures of these related processes, none of them provides an adequate operationalization of cognitive fusion. Despite the centrality of cognitive fusion in the ACT model, there is as yet no agreed-upon measure of cognitive fusion. This paper presents the construction and development of a brief, self-report measure of cognitive fusion: The Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ). The results of a series of studies involving over 1,800 people across diverse samples show good preliminary evidence of the CFQ’s factor structure, reliability, temporal stability, validity, discriminant validity, and sensitivity to treatment effects. The potential uses of the CFQ in research and clinical practice are outlined.     

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire: Validity and Psychological Correlates in a Clinical Samples

This study sought to compare the original and revised scoring systems of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) and to assess the construct validity of the Dependent and Self-critical subscales of the DEQ in a clinically depressed sample. Subjects were 103 depressed inpatients who completed the DEQ the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Hopelessness Scale, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ), the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS), and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The original and revised scoring systems of the DEQ evidenced good concurrent validity for each factor scale, but the revised system did not sufficiently discriminate dependent and self-critical dimensions. Using the original scoring system, self-criticism was significantly and positively related to severity of depression, whereas dependency was not, particularly for males. Factor analysis of the DEQ scales and the other scales used in this study supported the dependent and self-critical dimensions. For men, the correlation of the DEQ with the MMPI scales indicated that self-criticism was associated with psychotic symptoms, hostility/conflict, and a distress/exaggerated response set, whereas dependency did not correlate significantly with any MMPI scales. Females, however, did not exhibit a differential pattern of correlations between either the Dependency or the Self-criticism scales and the MMPI. These findings suggest possible gender differences in the clinical characteristics of male and female dependent and self-critical depressive subtypes.     

Further Validation for the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire

This study further investigates the validity of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith (SCSORF) questionnaire. Building and expanding upon prior research, the SCSORF, existing religiosity measures, mood, and personality adjustment scales were administered to three samples. Subjects included 290 university students and 232 recovering substance abusers. The results further validate the SCSORF as being a valid measure of strength of religious faith.     

The Perceived Leadership Communication Questionnaire (PLCQ): Development and Validation

The Perceived Leadership Communication Questionnaire (PLCQ) is a short, reliable, and valid instrument for measuring leadership communication from both perspectives of the leader and the follower. Drawing on a communication-based approach to leadership and following a theoretical framework of interpersonal communication processes in organizations, this article describes the development and validation of a one-dimensional 6-item scale in four studies (total N = 604). Results from Study 1 and 2 provide evidence for the internal consistency and factorial validity of the PLCQ's self-rating version (PLCQ-SR)—a version for measuring how leaders perceive their own communication with their followers. Results from Study 3 and 4 show internal consistency, construct validity, and criterion validity of the PLCQ's other-rating version (PLCQ-OR)—a version for measuring how followers perceive the communication of their leaders. Cronbach's α had an average of.80 over the four studies. All confirmatory factor analyses yielded good to excellent model fit indices. Convergent validity was established by average positive correlations of.69 with subdimensions of transformational leadership and leader–member exchange scales. Furthermore, nonsignificant correlations with socially desirable responding indicated discriminant validity. Last, criterion validity was supported by a moderately positive correlation with job satisfaction (r =.31).     

The Comprehensive Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire: Confirmatory Factor Analysis,Scale Refinement,and Further Validation

The Comprehensive Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (CAEQ; Demmel & Hagen, 2003a, 2003b) is a self-report measure designed to assess an individual’s alcohol expectancies. In this study, we examined the CAEQ in a student sample (N= 932) and in a clinical sample of alcohol-dependent inpatients (N= 744). The Five-factor structure was confirmed by means of confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity of the revised CAEQ was supported by showing significant relationships to quantity and frequency of drinking. The results of this study suggest that the revised CAEQ appears to be a psychometrically sound tool for the assessment of alcohol expectancies among both students and alcohol-dependent inpatients.     

Development and Validation of the Performance Management Behavior Questionnaire

This study integrates literature on performance management and organizational behavior with input from managers to develop a 27‐item measure of performance management behavior. We used 8 samples, including multisource data, to develop a reliable multidimensional scale that replicated across samples. The scale demonstrated content validity, both convergent and discriminant validity, and incremental validity, and criterion‐related validity was established through the scale's relation with measures of management effectiveness and job attitudes. Overall, this study suggests that the Performance Management Behavior Questionnaire (PMBQ) is a reliable and valid measure and that performance management behaviors have important implications for both employees and organizations.     

The Inventory of Children's Individual Differences: Development and Validation of a Short Version

The development of programmed, actuarial interpretation of personality tests, especially the MMPI, is discussed. The presentation seeks to present a synoptic overview of the topic, including its more important trends, apparent present status, and possible consequences. Several commercially available systems are described, and an example of the output of each of three of them, in interpreting the same MMPI protocol, is presented for comparative illustration.     

Five-Dimensional Personality Test: Development and Validation of a Persian Version

Dimensional approach to personality disorders conceptualizes personality disorders quantitatively different from normal personality. Five-Dimensional Personality Test (5DPT; Coolidge et al. in Pers Individ Differ 44(6):1326–1334, 2008) provides an assessment based on this approach. The 5DPT holds considerable usefulness and potential for investigating personality, and this potential may be much better utilized through availability of abbreviated versions and culture-specific forms. This paper describes efforts to develop and validate a Persian form of 5DPT. Findings of the study showed that some items of the original form were not able to represent the theoretical factors. However, discarding these items did not affect the factor structure of the new measure. It was demonstrated that the Persian version is composed of five saturated factors (neuroticism, absorption, orderliness, extraversion, and insensitivity) fitted to the data. Also, the structural equivalence of the two forms was discussed. Since the final scale turned out to be more concise, consisting of 75 of the original 100 items, application of this measure in research and clinical settings is facilitated.