The Adolescent Activities Checklist: Reliability,standardization data,and factorial validity

This study was conducted to provide standardization data and information on the reliability and factorial validity of the recently developed Adolescent Activities Checklist (AAC). A total of 563 adolescents in grades 7 through 12 served as subjects. Significant main effects for gender, race, and grade were obtained in a multivariate analysis of variance. On the basis of this information, standardization data were established for these three variables. Further investigation indicated that the internal consistency of the AAC was high. In addition, results of a principal components analysis conducted on the frequencies of the Unpleasant and Pleasant Activities subscales revealed four and three factors, respectively. For unpleasant activities, the major dimensions were found to occur in three situations-namely, social interactions, family situations, and school situations. Stressful events also occurred as one of the four unpleasant activities dimensions. For pleasant activities, three dimensions appeared: heterosocial behavior, reinforcing interpersonal situations, and social reinforcement.     

The primary personality factors of younger adolescent Hawaiians

A factor-analytic investigation was conducted to determine whether the primary personality factors of young adolescent Hawaiians were the same as the primary personality factors postulated by Cattell for adolescents on the United States mainland and in Germany. Responses of 584 Hawaiian adolescents (M age = 12.13 years) to a questionnaire that included items based on the High School Personality Questionnaire (IPAT, 1973) were analyzed by a procedure that adhered closely to Cattell's recommendations. The seven factors that were derived have been encountered in previous factor-analytic investigations, but, as a set, they correspond neither to the primary personality factors postulated by Cattell nor to factors postulated by other theorists who have also adopted a factorial approach to personality. They are, however, especially relevant to some psychoanalytic theories of personality.     

Adolescent stress: Evaluation of the factor structure of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N)

Moksnes, U. K., Byrne, D. G., Mazanov, J. & Espnes, G. A. (2010). Adolescent stress: Evaluation of the factor structure of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 203–209. The present study reports an evaluation of the factor structure of the Norwegian version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N) among 723 students. Principal components analysis (PCA) revealed nine internally consistent dimensions of adolescent stress. Scales constructed from this PCA correlated positively with measures of depression and anxiety and negatively with self‐esteem. Girls reported higher stress levels than boys in seven of the nine scales and age was also positively correlated with the scale scores of adolescent stress. The results revealed that the instrument has potential for measuring adolescent stress. The stability of the ASQ‐N needs to be tested repeatedly, across cohorts and over time, to establish the adequacy for use in Norwegian adolescent studies.     

Dimensions of Normal and Abnormal Personality: Elucidating DSM‐IV Personality Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to elucidate dimensions of normal and abnormal personality underlying DSM‐IV personality disorder (PD) symptoms in 168 adolescents referred to mental health services. Dimensions derived from the Big Five of normal personality and from Livesley's (2006) conceptualization of personality pathology were regressed on interview‐based DSM‐IV PD symptom counts. When examined independently, both models demonstrated significant levels of predictive power at the higher order level. However, when added to the higher order Big Five dimensions, Livesley's higher and lower order dimensions afforded a supplementary contribution to the understanding of dysfunctional characteristics of adolescent PDs. In addition, they contributed to a better differentiation between adolescent PDs. The present findings suggest that adolescent PDs are more than extreme, maladaptive variants of higher order normal personality traits. Adolescent PDs seem to encompass characteristics that may be more completely covered by dimensions of abnormal personality. Developmental issues and implications of the findings are discussed.     

The Adolescent Behavior Checklist: Validation Using Structured Diagnostic Interviews

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the discriminant validity of scores from the Adolescent Behavior Checklist (ABC), a self-report measure of ADHD symptomatology for adolescents ages 11–17 years. Validity was assessed through correlational, univariate, and discriminant function analyses using three groups: (1) adolescents diagnosed with ADHD, (2) adolescents currently experiencing a mood and/or anxiety disorder, and (3) adolescents with no major psychological disorder. Convergent and divergent validity of the ABC factor scores was demonstrated through correlational results with (1) parent and adolescent report of ADHD symptoms during structured psychiatric interviews and (2) scores on questionnaires measuring related and nonrelated constructs. Univariate analyses indicated that the ADHD group obtained significantly higher scores than did the nonclinical adolescents across all ABC factors. Additionally, the ADHD group scored significantly higher than did the psychiatric controls on the following ABC factors: Conduct Problems, Impulsivity/Hyperactivity, and Social Problems. Results from discriminant analyses supported the reliability of ABC scores in correctly classifying participants into groups. Compared to the Youth Self-Report, the ABC was found to be somewhat better at classifying when used in a multiinformant discriminant analysis. Therefore, overall results from the current study suggest that the ABC is a valid and useful self-report screening measure for ADHD symptoms and related difficulties.     

Assessment of symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety and depression in children: a revised child anxiety and depression scale

The practical significance of assessing disorders of emotion in children is well documented, yet few scales exist that possess conceptual if not empirical relevance to dimensions of DSM anxiety or depressive disorders. The current study evaluated an adaptation of a recently developed anxiety measure (Spence Children's Anxiety Scale; [Spence, S. H. (1997). Structure of anxiety symptoms among children: a confirmatory factor-analytic study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 280-297; Spence, S. H. (1998). A measure of anxiety symptoms among children. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 545-566]), revised to correspond to dimensions of several DSM-IV anxiety disorders as well as major depression. This investigation involved initial evaluation of the factorial validity of the revised measure in a school sample of 1641 children and adolescents and reliability and validity in an independent sample of 246 children and adolescents. Results yielded an item set and factor definitions that demonstrated structure consistent with DSM-IV anxiety disorders and depression. The revised factor structure and definitions were further supported by the reliability and validity analyses. Some implications for assessment of childhood anxiety and depressive disorders are discussed.     

中国青少年人格量表(QZPS-Q)的编制

本研究旨在探索中国青少年的人格结构并编制适合青少年使用的人格量表.以词汇学研究建立的中国人人格七因素模型以及用于成年人的中国人人格量表(QZPS)为基础,经过青少年被试按照其理解能力和表述习惯重新修订QZPS的项目后,2827名初一~高三的学生完成了包括215个项目的中国青少年人格量表(QZPS-Q)初版,经因素分析确定了中国青少年的人格由七个维度、19个二级因素及三个综合性维度构成,QZPS-Q最终由111个项目构成.研究结果支持了中国人的人格结构模型,同时也体现了青少年注重成就和才干及侧重外在表现的人格特点.     

Ecological Contexts in Adolescent Pregnancy: The Role of Individual,Sociodemographic, Familial and Relational Variables in Understanding Risk of Occurrence and Adjustment Patterns

Adolescent pregnancy appears today as an intricate tapestry where different dimensions interact. In our study we examined the associations between individual, sociodemographic, familial, and relational variables and their impact on the occurrence of pregnancy and adolescents’ adjustment to it. Participants were Portuguese pregnant and non-pregnant adolescents (N = 833). Ecological contexts were characterized, and individual and relational adjustment (depressive symptoms and quality of life; perceived quality of relationship with significant others—parents, romantic partner and friends) were evaluated. Differences between the ecologies of adolescents in both groups were identified. Familial and relational variables were significantly associated with both the risk of pregnancy and more difficulties in adjustment. Implications for preventive intervention are discussed.     

The factor structure of ADHD items in DSM-III-R: Internal consistency and external validation

Previous research employing factor-analytic procedures to study the underlying dimensions of DSM-III attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH) symptoms have consistently supported a two-factor model. Revision of the structure of the ADHD diagnosis in DSM-HI-R, as well as inclusion of new items, has raised the question of comparability of the two diagnoses. To explore the significance of these changes, teacher ratings of DSM-III ADDH items and DSM-III-R ADHD items of 85 nonreferred school children were factor-analyzed to determine their underlying factor structures. A similar two-factor solution was obtained for each diagnostic scale. The factors consisted of items believed to reflect inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity constructs. These factors were further evaluated against results of a cognitive test battery to ascertain whether objective, external validation could be demonstrated. The hyperactivity-impulsivity factor scores were related to continuous performance test measures of response inhibition, while inattention-disorganization factor scores were related to measures of attention and visual search. Implications for assessment and diagnosis of ADHD are discussed.The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Sister Hildegarde Koger, the St. Francis de Sales School, and the parents and children who participated in this study.     

The Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory profiles of depressed adolescents

The evidence indicates that adolescent depression may be more difficult to recognize than its adult counterpart, although the reasons for this difficulty remain unclear. The research in this area is in part impeded by the lack of adolescent-specific measures of personality functioning. In this study the personality styles, expressed concerns, and behavioral tendencies of depressed adolescents were investigated by means of the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI), a relatively new personality inventory designed specifically for this age group. Three hundred sixty-six high school students completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the MAPI, resulting in 332 valid and reliable MAPI profiles. The data were reduced to two factors, accounting for 65.1% of the total variance, by means of a principal components analysis. The two factors were interpreted as two dimensions of personality functioning associated with depression in adolescents. The first dimension suggested a socially withdrawn, overtly recognizable depression, whereas the second presents acting-out tendencies that may overshadow depressive symptomatology. The findings are integrated with the theoretical positions represented in the literature. Theoretical and practical implications for the use of the MAPI with depressed adolescents are discussed.     

The relationship between religion and the on-road behaviour of adolescents in Iran

Iran has a high traffic fatality rate and a substantial proportion of those killed on the road are adolescents. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between dimensions of religiosity and the on-road behaviour of adolescents as pedestrians, cyclists and other non-driving activities. A total of 1111 students attending secondary schools in Tehran (Iran) completed the Adolescent Road User Behaviour Questionnaire (ARBQ) and the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL). This study found that adolescents who participated less often in private religious activities were more likely to be: male, have relatives or friends who had been killed in a road collision, previously involved in a road crash themselves and engaged more often in dangerous playing on the road. Adolescents reporting higher levels of religious attendance and intrinsic religiosity were more likely to be: male, without a traffic accident history, younger, from public schools, studying at schools in large urban areas and more frequently engaged in planned protective behaviours. Adolescents with higher involvement in intrinsic religiosity tended to be those: without an accident history, who did not have relatives or friends that had been killed in a crash and who engaged less frequently in unsafe road crossing behaviour. The findings of this study indicate that the different dimensions of religiousness are related to adolescents’ behaviour on the road. Thus, it appears that religion may have a role to play in improving the road safety of adolescents in Iran.     

The adolescent friendship structure inventory (AFSI): A review and empirical consolidation of existing measures

Abstract

The aim of this study was to empirically consolidate previous friendship measures in order to identify a set of items to include in a tool for assessing positive and negative qualities of adolescents’ friendships. Existing self-report measures were identified and 91 items were selected from the measures. Following a pilot study undertaken to reduce the number of items for use in a larger study, the primary study included 415 Australian adolescents (249 boys and 166 girls, aged 12–17 years) who completed a questionnaire at school. The questionnaire included a reduced set of 47 of the 91 items. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted with 50% of the sample (n = 208). In the final factor analysis, 26 items loaded highly on one of four factors. The factors were labeled emotional support, positive interactions, coercive power, and conditional social regard. The factor structure was confirmed with the other 50% of the sample (n = 207). This confirmatory factor model had a good fit to the data and the four subscales on the new Adolescent Friendship Structure Inventory (AFSI) had sound inter-item correlations. In addition, the AFSI subscales were validated against a measure of friendship satisfaction, with all four subscales associated with satisfaction in the expected direction.     

Adolescent well‐being and supporting contexts: A comparison of adolescents in Ireland and Florida

The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which social support and wider community perceptions/engagements among adolescents are connected with well‐being. We compared adolescents in two different societal contexts, Florida in the United States and County Offaly, in Ireland, and posed the questions: What are the key predictors of subjective well‐being from the various sources of support, and to what extent does the impact of social support on well‐being vary across these two societies? Questionnaires were completed and returned for 607 respondents (322 in the Irish study and 285 in the Florida study). A variety of scales were adopted and designed to operationalize our key concepts of: Adolescent well‐being, social support, school satisfaction, neighbourhood quality of life and community/voluntary participation. Our results indicate that informal social support and school satisfaction were the strongest predictors of youth well‐being in both locations, despite some differences in terms of individual influencing variables. From informal sources, emotional support from friends and advice/concrete/esteem support from parents emerged as important predictive dimensions. Liking school, perceptions of doing well in school were the main predictors of school satisfaction in Ireland while, in Florida, student camaraderie and the experience of bullying emerged as significant. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Structure of Negative Self-Statements in Children and Adolescents: A Confirmatory Factor-Analytic Approach

The aim of this study was to examine the nature and organization of a range of negative self-statements in children and adolescents, using a structural equations/confirmatory factor-analytic approach. A community sample of 978 children aged 7-16 years completed a questionnaire about the frequency with which they experienced a broad range of negative automatic thoughts. The outcome of comparative modeling provided strongest support for a model in which 4 distinct cognitive factors were all related to a single higher order factor. The 4 lower order factors related to cognitions on social threat, physical threat, personal failure, and hostility. The pattern of results was consistent across age and gender. Results were consistent with assumptions of cognitive specificity models of psychopathology, on the latent structure of automatic thoughts in children and adolescents.     

Adolescent attachment in Nepal: Testing the factorial validity of two scales

Attachment theory is an important framework in the psychology of human development and has direct relevance to the study of adolescence. The cross-cultural validity of attachment constructs and measures has been the subject of lively debate among experts. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the present study tested the factor structure of the Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire and the Adolescent Unresolved Attachment Questionnaire in a sample of 279 Nepali adolescents. The hypothesised models had a good fit and further tests established the measurement invariance of the two instruments. The cross-cultural validity of the measures was supported but areas of cultural variation were also highlighted.     

青少年压力:两个华人社区之比较研究

研制适合当代我国青少年的生活压力事件问卷,并对广州和澳门两地中学生的压力状况进行比较。研究一在参考前人问卷及预试的基础上编制初步问卷,用之对广州1652名初一到高三6个年级的中学生进行问卷调查,通过因素分析形成一份六维度的正式问卷,这六个维度分别是学业压力、社会人际压力、父母压力、自我发展压力、环境压力和学校-老师压力。研究二用问卷对广州和澳门两地初一到高三6个年级的中学生进行比较,结果发现,两地学生在这所有维度上均差异显著,只有环境维度广州学生感受到的压力高于澳门,其他五个维度均是澳门学生高于广州学生。     

Coparenting Profiles in the Context of Mexican‐Origin Teen Pregnancy: Links to Mother–Daughter Relationship Quality and Adjustment

The current study explored the multifaceted nature of the mother–adolescent coparental relationship with data from 167 Mexican‐origin adolescent mothers and their own mothers at 10 months post childbirth. Profiles of mother–adolescent coparenting were created with latent profile analysis using adolescents’ reports of three dimensions of coparenting (communication, involvement, and conflict). Four profiles were identified: (a) Harmonious Coparents (equal involvement, high communication, low conflict); (b) Harmonious‐Adolescent Primary (adolescent is more involved than mother, high communication, low conflict); (c) Conflictual Coparents (equal involvement, high communication, high conflict); and (d) Conflictual‐Adolescent Primary (adolescent is more involved than mother, moderate communication, high conflict). Families characterized by high mother–daughter conflict and psychological control prior to childbirth were more likely to belong in the Conflictual Coparents profile. In addition, adolescents’ and mothers’ depressive symptoms and parenting efficacy after childbirth were linked to profile membership, such that the Harmonious‐Adolescent Primary profile reported the most positive adjustment patterns, whereas profiles with high coparental conflict (i.e., Conflictual Coparenting and Conflictual‐Adolescent Primary profiles) showed the least positive adjustment patterns. Discussion considers the applied implications of identifying precursors to healthy and problematic mother–daughter coparenting for families of adolescent mothers in the early years of parenting.     

Psychometric properties of the Adolescent Sexism Detection (ASD) scale

In this article, it is assumed that gender violence, or violence against women, has mainly a sociocultural basis. A scale (Adolescent Sexism Detection; ASD) to detect sexism in adolescents was developed and its psychometric properties were analysed. 245 adolescents between 14 and 17 years of age participated in the study. As a result of the factor analyses carried out, the hostile and benevolent dimensions of sexism were clearly differentiated. Convergent validity of the scale was confirmed by its high correlations with the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI). Participants scored higher in benevolent than in hostile sexism, an effect even stronger in female participants. These findings suggest that the ASD scale is a valid instrument to measure sexism among adolescents. The main findings of this study are compared to those obtained in other studies using the ASI. The potential of this scale to appropriately detect sexism among adolescents is discussed.     

Ecstasy use and suicidal behavior among adolescents: findings from a national survey

The relationship between ecstasy use and suicidal behavior among adolescents in the United States was examined. Data from the adolescent subsample (ages 12-17, N = 19,301) of the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse were used in the analyses. Information on adolescent substance use, suicidal behaviors, and related sociodemographic, family, and individual factors was obtained in the survey. The rate of past year suicide attempt among adolescents with lifetime ecstasy use was almost double that of adolescents who had used other drugs only, and nine times that of adolescents with no history of illicit drug use. In multinomial logistic regression analyses controlling for related factors, the effect of ecstasy use remained significant. Adolescent ecstasy users may require enhanced suicide prevention and intervention efforts.