Joint factor analysis of the K-ABC and WISC-R with normal children

This study investigated the factor structure of the WISC-R and K-ABC for a group of 212 normal children who were tested on both instruments in counterbalanced fashion. Separate factor analyses and a joint analysis consistently produced three factors. The various analyses led to the conclusion that there is a clear-cut correspondence between the WISC-R and K-ABC factors. WISC-R Verbal Comprehension corresponded closely to K-ABC Achievement; WISC-R Perceptual Organization resembled K-ABC Simultaneous Processing; and WISC-R Freedom From Distractibility was similar to K-ABC Sequential Processing. The g factors from both instruments also correlated substantially.     

Separate factor analyses of the McCarthy Scales for groups of black and white children

Factor analyses of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) were performed on separate groups of black (N = 124) and white (N = 688) children, aged 3.0 to 7.6 years, to assess the comparability of the underlying structures and to evaluate the construct validity of the MSCA for each racial group. Little Jiffy I (principal components) solutions produced four factors for the blacks and three for the whites. Each “white” factor had a coefficient of congruence of .85–.93 with one “black” factor, indicating the close similarity of the solutions. In addition, the factors which emerged for the blacks and whites corresponded to several of the scales constituting the MSCA, offering evidence of the instrument's construct validity for each racial group. The results of the study should enhance the use of the McCarthy Scales for assessing young children of all races.     

Assessment of cognitive deficiency with the McCarthy Scales and Stanford-Binet: a correlational analysis.

The present study tested matched samples of 15 retarded and 15 normal children on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities. Pearson correlations between Stanford-Binet IQs and the six McCarthy Scale Indexes for retarded subjects were lower than coefficients obtained from the normal subjects and from previous research. While the General Cognitive Index may be interchangeable with IQ in the Normal range of intellectual functioning, this relationship was not found for the retarded subjects in the present study. The "venerable" Stanford-Binet retains its position as the most broadly applicable measure of intellectual functioning. Implications of the study as well as an outline for future research were included.     

Higher-order exploratory factor analysis of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales with a referred sample

The factor structure of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS; [Reynolds, C.R., & Kamphaus, R.W. (2003). Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.]) was investigated with a large (N = 1163) independent sample of referred students (ages 6-18). More rigorous factor extraction criteria (viz., Horn's parallel analysis (HPA); [Horn, J.L. (1965). A rationale and test for the number of factors in factor analysis. Psychometrika, 30, 179-185.], and Minimum Average Partial (MAP) analysis; [Velicer, W.F. (1976). Determining the number of components from the matrix of partial correlations. Psychometrika, 41, 321-327.]), in addition to those used in RIAS development, were investigated. Exploratory factor analyses using both orthogonal and oblique rotations and higher-order exploratory factor analyses using the Schmid and Leiman [Schmid, J., and Leiman, J.M. (1957). The development of hierarchical factor solutions. Psychometrika, 22, 53-61.] procedure were conducted. All factor extraction criteria indicated extraction of only one factor. Oblique rotations resulted in different results than orthogonal rotations, and higher-order factor analysis indicated the largest amount of variance was accounted for by the general intelligence factor. The proposed three-factor solution was not supported. Implications for the use of the RIAS with similarly referred students are discussed.     

Factor analysis of the McCarthy scales for groups of white and Mexican-American children

Factor analyses of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (McCarthy Scales) were performed on separate groups of Anglo (N = 186) and Mexican-American (N = 126) children to determine the comparability of underlying structures and to examine the construct validity of the McCarthy Scales for each ethnic group. The subjects, ranging in age from 5.6 to 7.6 years, were randomly selected from school enrollment rosters and stratified by age, sex, and ethnicity. A principal component analysis produced three factors for the Anglo as well as the Mexican-American groups. Examination of the coefficients of congruence indicated a close similarity among the matching factors. Additionally, the factors which emerged for the Anglos and Mexican-Americans corresponded to the scales constituting the McCarthy Scales. The results of the study provide evidence for the construct validity of the McCarthy Scales for children of two ethnic groups.     

Joint factor analysis of the Children's Depression Inventory and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale.

Used a joint factor analysis with the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1980/81, 1992) and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS; C. R. Reynolds & Richmond, 1978, 1985) to identify items that uniquely measured depression and anxiety. Data from 750 youngsters in Grades 4 through 7 were analyzed using principal-axis factoring with an oblique rotation. Salient factors were identified using guidelines provide by Gorsuch (1997). Item overlap and the large negative affectivity component across instruments were evident. Items that overlapped or had nonsalient loadings were eliminated. The sample was randomly split into 2 groups of 375 and analyses were repeated. Results indicated that a unique 9-item depression factor composed largely of items representing a negative view of oneself existed. In addition, a unique 7-item anxiety factor emerged that consisted of items reflecting worry. The validity of these abbreviated scales was explored using a separate sample of 131 students in Grades 4 through 9. The abbreviated scales were correlated with scales of positive and negative affect consistent with predictions. Findings suggest exploring alternative scoring strategies for the CDI and RCMAS to eliminate problems associated with overlapping items.     

Performance of a referred sample on the Stanford-Binet IV and the K-ABC

The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition (SBIV) and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) were administered to a sample of 40 referred children. Since both scales were purportedly designed to measure the theoretical view of intelligence proposed by Horn and Cattell (i.e., fluid and crystallized ability) it was deemed appropriate to evaluate the degree to which the subscales of the instruments were related. Correlation coefficients computed between the two tests were strong, suggesting consistency in the underlying global construct being measured; however, no compelling evidence supporting the theoretical structure of the two scales was apparent, raising questions as to the feasibility of using the fluid-crystallized model to describe subscale differences.     

Comparison of K-ABC performance between at-risk and normal preschool children

This study examined differences in K-ABC performance between at-risk (n = 44) and normal (n = 49) preschool children. For the group at-risk, all of the mean global scores on the K-ABC clustered around a standard score of approximately 90. The normal group's mean scores were 15 to 21 standard-score points higher and clustered near 110. The results of t tests for independent samples indicated that the normal group's scores on both the global scales and K-ABC subtests were significantly higher than the at-risk group's scores in nearly every instance. Correlations among scores were consistent with previous findings for preschoolers on the K-ABC. For the normal group, correlations obtained among the global scales were nearly identical to those reported for the standardization sample. For the at-risk group, however, the correlation of .75 between Sequential processing and Achievement was higher than that (.58) between Simultaneous processing and Achievement.     

Comparison of black-white differences on the WISC-R and the K-ABC: Spearman's hypothesis

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revise (WISC-R) are compared with respect to the magnitudes of the average white-black differences in standardized scaled scores and in raw scores. The two test batteries were administered to a sample of 172 fourth- and fifth-grade children comprising 86 black-white pairs matched on age, sex, school, and socioeconomic status. The K-ABC and WISC-R are highly correlated, and the general factor, or g, of one battery is virtually identical to the g of the other. The high positive correlation between the size of the white-black difference on the various subtests of both batteries and the subtests' loadings on the g factor bears out Spearman's hypothesis that a test's white-black dicriminability is a direct function of the test's g loading. The lesser white-black discriminability of the K-ABC relative to the WISC-R is attributable to (1) the smaller g loadings of the K-ABC subsets and (2) the presence of other factors, particularly sequential short-term memory which, to some degree, offsets the white-black difference in g.     

Factor analysis of the McCarthy scales of children's abilities on preschool children

The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was administered to 200 children, 100 males and 100 females, with a mean chronological age of 3–9. The results were subjected to factor analysis to determine the validity of MSCA alignment into six distinct indexes, or factors, and to determine if there were sex differences in factors produced by the MSCA. A general (“g”) factor was derived for both females and males. Specific factors (Abstract Verbal Reasoning and Remote Verbal Memory) were derived for the female sample. Two specific factors (Sequential Memory and Nonverbal Cognition) were derived for the male sample. Only the “g” factors derived for male, female, and total samples corresponded to the General Cognitive Index (GCI) used in the MSCA. The results suggested that clinical interpretation of the MSCA should be made cautiously for both normal and exceptional children until further exploration of the construct validity and sex differences in the MSCA can be conducted.     

Multidimensionality of state and trait anxiety: factor structure of the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales

The Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales (EMAS) are derived from an interactional model of personality that proposes that anxiety is a function of the interaction of person and situation variables. The EMAS distinguish between state and trait anxiety and assume that both are multidimensional constructs. The EMAS were administered to 2,009 students in a neutral situation. Three factor analyses were performed to clarify the empirical relation between state and trait anxiety and the variables within the 2 domains. Results support the distinction between state and trait anxiety. Factor analysis of the state items provided support for the separate dimensions of cognitive and autonomic state anxiety. Factor analysis of the trait items provided support for trait anxiety multidimensionality. Four congruent factors were associated with increases in state anxiety in 4 general situations: Social Evaluation, Physical Danger, Ambiguous, and Daily Routines.     

WISC-R and K-ABC comparison for matched samples of black and white children

The present study examined the performance of matched pairs of black and white fourth and fifth grade males and females on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). A total of 86 whites (40 males and 46 females) and 86 blacks (40 males and 46 females) were individually matched on age, gender, school, and socioeconomic status. The scores are as follows: the mean WISC-R Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) for blacks was 92.3 (SD=11.6) and for whites was 101.3 (SD=11.6) and the mean K-ABC Mental Processing Composite score (MPC) for blacks was 91.5 (SD=10.1) and for whites was 97.5 (SD=10.6). These findings suggest that black children will likely earn very similar WISC-R FSIQ and K-ABC MPC mean scores. Additionally, Kaufman and Kaufman's conclusion that use of the K-ABC reduces the difference between black and white levels of intelligence by one half in comparison with values found using the WISC-R was not supported.     

A validity study of the K-ABC, the WISC-R, and the Stanford-Binet with nonreferred children

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) is an attempt at improving assessment procedures related to the construct of intelligence. This study reports findings about the relationship between the K-ABC, the WISC-R, and the Stanford-Binet for 40 children with no known impairments serving as subjects. The intercorrelations of the K-ABC Mental Processing Composite with the WISC-R and with the Binet were .79 and .61, respectively. The overall results suggested some support for the use of the K-ABC as a measure of intelligence.     

Effects of Instructions and Rating Scales on Item Selection for the BSRI Scales

Walkup and Abbott (1978) stated that Edwards and Ashworth's (1977) failure to replicate Bem's (1974) selection of items for the Masculinity and Femininity Scales of the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) may be attributed to differences in the instructions and anchored rating scales used in the two studies. The present study tested the hypothesis that presence of various interaction effects involving instructions and rating scales would influence the acceptability of items for the BSRI Masculinity and Femininity Scales. Results based on the evaluation of individual items by Bem's item selection criteria in each of the four experimental conditions obtained by systematically manipulating two instructions (Bem's and Edwards' instructions) and two rating scales (Bem's and Edwards' rating scales) and also those based on the analysis of variance of item mean desirability ratings from the four experimental conditions supported the hypothesis.     

Composite and preferences Scales of Morningness: reliability and factor invariance in adult and university samples

The creation and adaptation of scales or inventories assessing specific circadian typologies has been a predominant focus within the field of chronopsychology. The present study addressed the psychometric properties of two scales of morningness-eveningness: the Morningness Composite Scale (CS; Smith, Reilly, & Midkiff, 1989) and the Early/Late Preferences Scale (PS; Smith, Folkard, Schmieder, Parra, Spelten, & Almirall, 1993). Internal consistency and factor invariance of the CS and PS were analyzed in two samples: a group of 203 university students (age range = 19-30) and a group of 125 working adults (age range = 31-65). Results indicated satisfactory internal consistency for both full scales with each age group and confirmed the factor invariance across age for the two CS factors and one of the PS factors. A higher tendency in morningness on both scales was noted in the adult sample.     

A Comparison of the SVIB Basic Interest Scales with the Regular Occupational Scales

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the recently developed Basic Scales for the SVIB would provide more generalizable and psychologically meaningful information than the regular SVIB Occupational Scales. Four groups of students were used, two entering contrasting four-year curricula (Science, N-282, vs Non-Science, N = 142) and two entering contrasting two-year curricula (Art, N = 45 vs Technical, N = 62). Basic and regular SVIB scale means were calculated for each group. Those scales with large (approximately one-half a standard deviation or more) and statistically significant differences were identified for both the four-year and the two-year group comparisons.     

Exploring the factor structure of the Francis Psychological Type Scales among a sample of Anglican clergy in England

ABSTRACT

The Francis Psychological Type Scales (FPTS) were designed to provide a fresh conceptualisation and operationalisation of psychological type theory suitable for application within self-report quantitative studies in the individual differences tradition. The present study tests the factor structure of this instrument among a sample of 722 Anglican clergy. The Varimax Rotated Solution with Kaiser Normalisation recovered the hypothesised location of 74 of the 80 items across four factors with factor weightings of or above .38. The FPTS are commended for use.     

An IRT analysis of motive questionnaires: The Unified Motive Scales

Multiple inventories claiming to assess the same explicit motive (achievement, power, or affiliation) show only mediocre convergent validity. In three studies (N = 1685) the structure, nomological net, and content coverage of multiple existing motive scales was investigated with exploratory factor analyses. The analyses revealed four approach factors (achievement, power, affiliation, and intimacy) and a general avoidance factor with a facet structure. New scales (the Unified Motive Scales; UMS) were developed using IRT, reflecting these underlying dimensions. In comparison to existing questionnaires, the UMS have the highest measurement precision and provide short (six-item) and ultra-short (three-item) scales. In a fourth study (N = 96), the UMS demonstrated incremental validity over existing motive scales with respect to several outcome criteria.