Psychometric Properties of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire

  We examined the psychometric properties of a German translation of the Child Global Report version of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ). A total of 1219 German school-children (644 boys and 575 girls), ages 10–14 years participated in the study. The APQ was subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis produced five factors that were largely consistent with the a priori scale structure. These factors included dimensions of parental involvement, positive parenting, poor monitoring/supervision, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment. Fit indexes from confirmatory factor analyses suggested that the five factor model represented a satisfactory solution for the data, with some minor modifications in scale content. These findings provide initial support for the factorial validity of the child report version of the APQ in German families.     

The Affective Style Questionnaire: Development and Psychometric Properties

Affective style is an individual difference variable that refers to tendencies for regulating emotions. The emotion research literature has consistently identified three general strategies to handle emotional reactions: some strategies are aimed at re-adjusting affect to adapt successfully to situational demands; other strategies are intended to conceal or suppress affect; and a third approach is to tolerate and accept emotions, including unwanted and aversive reactions. We conducted two studies to develop a self-report measure to assess these affective styles. In the first study (n = 434), a list of 127 items related to this construct was administered. A factor analysis supported three factors: habitual attempts to conceal or suppress affect (Concealing subscale; 8 items), a general ability to manage, adjust, and work with emotions as needed (Adjusting subscale; 7 items), and an accepting and tolerant attitude toward emotions (Tolerating subscale; 5 items). The scale showed satisfactory internal consistency. Furthermore, the respective subscales showed different patterns of relations with existing instruments measuring similar constructs. Findings were cross-validated in an independent sample (n = 495). The factor structure and results of psychometric analyses were replicated. The final 20-item Affective Style Questionnaire is a brief instrument to measure individual differences in emotion regulation.     

Psychometric Properties of the Response to Anxiety Questionnaire

Recent research highlights the importance of transdiagnostic factors of psychopathology, particularly in understanding comorbidity. Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is one such factor, which may elucidate anxiety-depression comorbidity. The Response to Anxiety Questionnaire (RAQ) aims to evaluate repetitive negative thinking (RNT) related to anxiety-depression comorbidity, specifically hopelessness and rumination about anxiety symptoms. Anxious hopelessness is negative thoughts about the future due to anxiety symptoms, and anxious rumination includes negative evaluations of the meaning of anxiety symptoms, therefore the current study assessed the RAQ in three studies. We used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methodologies to examine the factor structure of the RAQ. In addition, we tested indirect effects of the two factors of RAQ (Rumination and Hopelessness) between anxiety and depression, and tested measure convergent validity. Results of the current study provide additional support for the psychometric properties of the RAQ, suggesting a two factor makeup (hopelessness, rumination), as well as its use in predicting anxiety and depressive symptoms.     

Psychometric Properties of the Anticipatory Social Behaviours Questionnaire

Relative to other components of Clark and Wells’ (1995) model, anticipatory processing has been understudied, despite research that suggests that anticipatory processing may maintain social anxiety through mechanisms such as increased anxiety, negative memory biases, and other negative consequences. Anticipatory processing has only been examined as a unitary process, with no efforts examining the underlying structure of this process. The purpose of the current study was to examine the factor structure of the Anticipatory Social Behaviours Questionnaire (ASBQ, Hinrichsen and Clark Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 34, 205–218, 2003) and identify relationships between the measure’s factors and other constructs of social anxiety. Study 1 (N?=?861) used exploratory factor analysis and concluded that a two-factor model (Avoidance and Preparation) was the best conceptualization of anticipatory processing. Study 2 confirmed the two factor model in a separate sample (N?=?485) and demonstrated the superiority of the two-factor model over a unitary model. Results of Study 3 suggested that, with a sample of high-socially-anxious undergraduates (N?=?59), the Avoidance factor was more maladaptive than the Preparation factor. Results are discussed in the context of the anticipatory processing literature and future directions are proposed.     

Assessing Ego Defense Mechanisms by Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Psychopathological Correlates of the Greek Version of the Plutchik's Life Style Index

As is true for those who face death, the trauma of arrest and conviction for a crime and subsequent imprisonment takes the individual through a series of psychological stages, In the offender, these defenses are to some extent prescribed by the culture. The nature of and the person's adaptation to this process has not been previously recognized and argues for an assessment approach that emphasizes developmental rather than static formulations. Examination and treatment implications are discussed.     

French Validation of the Overexcitability Questionnaire 2: Psychometric Properties and Factorial Structure

Overexcitability corresponds to an overall response to stimulations in 5 domains: psychomotor, sensual, intellectual, imaginational, and emotional. The aim of this study was to develop a French version of the Overexcitability Questionnaire 2 (OEQ2) and to expand its psychometric properties. Two studies were conducted: one with a sample of 474 adolescents and another with a sample of 436 adults. Internal consistency, factorial structure, and validity (correlations with intelligence, personality, and alexithymia) were examined. The French OEQ2 showed satisfactory psychometric properties, thus advocating for its use in further research on overexcitability and in clinical practice.     

Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Teamwork KSA Test

The Teamwork KSA Test has been a welcome addition to the practitioner's selection toolkit as well as a useful measure for teamwork researchers. We analyzed the psychometric properties of the Teamwork KSA Test and recognized correlates of the construct using three samples of working individuals recruited through a university (N = 241, N = 230, N = 332) and found slim evidence for a factor structure of the underlying constructs. Furthermore, classical reliability estimates did not meet traditional psychometric standards. Total TKSA scores predicted self‐ratings and instructor ratings of teamwork in two of the samples; effect sizes were small.     

The Positive Personality Traits Questionnaire: Construction and Estimation of Psychometric Properties

The purpose of this study was to develop and determine the psychometric properties of a scale to assess perceived positive personality traits that are relevant in an Indian setting. New items were developed adopting items from other scales, writing new items and also on the basis of experience from the field through semi structured interviews undertaken in related research carried out earlier. The new scale is called the Positive Personality Traits Questionnaire (PPTQ) and includes 43 items on four factors: Positive Self Image, Commitment, Outward/ people orientation and Culture Identification. Data from two samples comprising of 395 and 198 participants, were analyzed. Results indicated that both the reliability (internal consistency) and validity (convergent and discriminant) of the PPTQ were adequate.     

Psychometric Properties of the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire (GCQ)

Cognitive behavioral conceptualizations of complicated grief propose that negative cognitions play a core role in the development and persistence of emotional problems after bereavement, because they generate negative emotions and cause mourners to engage in counterproductive attempts to avoid the implications and the pain of the loss. To facilitate the assessment of potentially problematic cognitions after bereavement, the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire (GCQ) has been developed—a 38-item questionnaire representing 9 categories of cognitions. Building on a previous study that supported the reliability and validity of the GCQ, the current study further examined its psychometric properties, with data of 531 bereaved individuals who completed research questionnaires online through the Internet. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the nine-factor structure with 9 interrelated factors. The reliability and convergent and discriminative validity were found to be adequate. Altogether the GCQ seems to be a useful tool for the assessment of negative thinking after bereavement in research and clinical practice.     

Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire

Two studies were conducted in order to investigate the psychometric properties of Italian version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ). Results from Study 1 (N = 401) provided support of the factorial validity of its four facets (self‐efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience), as well as of its composite factor measure. Results from Study 2 (N = 465) attested the measurement invariance of the PCQ across one year. Study 2 also explored the relationship between psychological capital, job satisfaction, work engagement, and job performance. Limitations and practical implications are discussed in the article.     

Executive Dysfunctions Across Adulthood: Measurement Properties and Correlates of the DEX Self-Report Questionnaire

ABSTRACT

Difficulties in executive processes can disturb daily life functioning. Using data obtained from two independent community-dwelling samples (n ₁?=?468, n ₂?=?669, 18–97 years), we examined the factor structure of the Dysexecutive Functioning Questionnaire (DEX) and explored the frequencies and potential correlates of self-reported executive difficulties. Our results revealed that executive problems are parsimoniously described with one underlying factor. Everyday executive dysfunctions were moderately frequent throughout adulthood. Reports of executive problems were associated with individual difference characteristics including age, subjective health, personality, affect, and cognition. We also found that, although executive functions are known to decline with advancing adult age, younger age groups reported more problems than older groups, an effect that was partially mediated by a negative affect factor. We discuss implications for the validity of the instrument as well as directions for future research on executive functioning difficulties in everyday life.     

Psychometric Properties of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire in a College Population

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976) was developed to permit the study of the continuities between normal and pathological forms of depression. Since its publication over 10 years ago, the DEQ has been increasingly used in a wide range of investigations of depression in clinical and nonclinical samples and as a measure of two major personality dimensions in a number of studies of differential responsiveness to various life stressors. This study provides an analysis of the DEQ responses in a large sample of undergraduate subjects in an attempt to articulate more clearly the psychometric properties of the DEQ. The DEQ consists of 66 items describing experiences frequently reported by depressed individuals. In the original development of the DEQ, factor analyses using male and female undergraduate samples yielded three orthogonal factors, Dependency, Self-Criticism, and Efficacy (Blatt et al., 1976). Most subsequent studies have used the factor scoring coefficients from the female sample to score men and women's DEQs. The factor loadings in the new male and female samples were very similar to one another and to the original female factor loadings. Thus, the continued use of the scoring parameters from the original female sample is recommended. Factor scores for Dependency and Self-Criticism continue to be uncorrelated in both men and women. Normative data are presented from the new samples, with men scoring higher on Self-Criticism and women scoring higher on Dependency.     

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire: Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ; Garnefski et al., Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 1311–1327, 2001) is a multidimensional questionnaire that was developed to assess cognitive emotion regulation strategies people use after experiencing negative life events or situations. The purpose of the present study was to develop a Turkish version of the CERQ and to examine its psychometric properties in a sample of Turkish university students. The English version of the CERQ was translated and back-translated prior to its administration to 396 participants recruited from several universities in Turkey. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, inter-scale reliability, construct and criterion-related validity of the Turkish version were analyzed. The results indicated that the data collected with the Turkish version do also support the original nine-factor model; with reliability and validity measures comparable to the original one.     

Development and Psychometric Properties of the Self-Representation Questionnaire for Adolescents (SRQA)

Given the lack of validated measures of adolescents’ self-representation, in this paper we present the development process and psychometric properties of a new self-representation questionnaire for adolescents (SRQA), aged 12–16 year old. We examined SRQA factor structure through two studies. In the first study, 32 attributes (16 positive and 16 negative), previously validated in three studies, were administered to 239 adolescents (M = 13.8; SD = 1.28). An exploratory factor analysis showed that 21 attributes (13 positive and 8 negative) were organized in five factors: instrumental, social, emotional, intelligence, and physical appearance. In the second study, these 21 attributes were administered to 232 adolescents (M = 13.8; SD = 1.23). A confirmatory factor analysis supported the SRQA five factor model (Model fit: χ ²/df ratio = 2.392; CFI = .90; RMSEA = .08). Internal consistency was acceptable, ranging between .60 and .85. Girls displayed higher scores in the instrumental and social factors, whereas boys presented higher scores on the physical appearance factor. In line with previous research, results regarding age differences were inconsistent: while in Study 1 results suggested that as, age increases, adolescents’ intelligence self-representation becomes more negative, in Study 2 no age differences were found. Concurrent validity of the SRQA was explored through correlations with the Teacher Report Form, filled out by the adolescents’ homeroom teachers. Results revealed significant negative correlations between two dimensions of self-representation (i.e., instrumental and intelligence) and several dimensions of adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems, providing evidence of concurrent validity for the SRQA.     

Psychometric Properties of the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire for Children (GCQ-C)

Negative thinking is seen as an important mediating factor in the development of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a syndrome encompassing debilitating symptoms of grief. No measure of specific grief related cognitions is available yet. Based on an adult measure of negative thinking in adults we developed a questionnaire for children, the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire for Children (GCQ-C). This study investigated several psychometric properties of the GCQ-C. Both reliability and validity were investigated in this study, in which hundred fifty-one children and adolescents (aged 8–18 years) participated. Findings showed that items of the GCQ-C represented one underlying dimension. Furthermore, the internal consistency and temporal stability were found to be adequate. Third, the findings supported the concurrent validity (e.g., significant positive correlations with self-report indices of PGD, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder), convergent and divergent validity of the GCQ-C. This study provides further evidence for the importance of negative thinking in PGD in children and adolescents.     

Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CEQ): Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the German Translation

A central component of Beck et al.’s (1979) cognitive theory of depression is faulty information processing reflected by so-called cognitive errors. These cognitive errors are the reason why depressed individuals systematically misinterpret the significance of events in a negative way. They are usually assessed with the application of the Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CEQ). This study examines the psychometric properties and factor structure of the German version of the CEQ in a sample of 796 volunteers at a German university. Results confirmed that the German CEQ has satisfactory to very good psychometric properties, like the American original. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that a hierarchical four-factor model with four subscales and 1 s order factor fits the data best. Therefore, besides using the German CEQ in studies with German-speaking samples, the similarities in psychometric properties of the American and German CEQ allow for cross-cultural studies.     

Evaluating Attitudes toward Clergy Restoration: The Psychometric Properties of Two Scales

Restoring clergy to leadership following a transgression is a pastoral psychology topic of international concern. Few empirical studies have examined factors weighed by offended congregants challenged with considerations of forgiveness and restoration. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of two attitudinal measures of restoration used in previous research (Sutton, McLeland, Weaks, Cogswell and Miphouvieng. Pastoral Psychology, 55, 643–663, 2007; Sutton and Thomas 2004; Sutton and Thomas. Pastoral Psychology, 53, 583–599, 2005a). Analysis (sample n?=?210) of the Clergy Situational Restoration Inventory (CSRI) suggested two levels of offense severity account for most of the variance. Reliability and concurrent validity values for the CSRI and the two Leadership Restoration Scales (LRS) were adequate. We included the scales for future research and reference.     

An Examination of the Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the Feelings of Stigmatization Questionnaire

As the experience of stigma and its psychological dimensions require careful measurement, the purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Feelings of Stigmatization Questionnaire (FSQ). A total of 170 participants with psoriasis and 124 with atopic dermatitis (AD) completed the FSQ. AD participants self-rated AD severity, while psoriasis severity was determined by a clinician. Confirmatory (CFA) and exploratory factor analytic (EFA) techniques were used to examine the factor structure of the FSQ. The FSQ total score was not related to age, age at onset, illness duration or psoriasis severity but it was negatively associated with AD severity (r = −.25, p < .01). The original six-factor structure of the FSQ was not replicated in our sample. Using EFA, a fixed three-factor solution proved the most stable, with the dimensions of feeling flawed, anticipation of rejection and secrecy, and positive attitudes towards skin disease being identified.