Psychometric evaluation of the Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale in patients with social anxiety disorder

The Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale (FPES; J. W. Weeks, R. G. Heimberg, & T. L. Rodebaugh, 2008) was designed to assess fear of positive evaluation, a proposed cognitive component of social anxiety. Although previous findings on the psychometric properties of the FPES have been highly encouraging, only 1 previous study has examined the psychometric profile of the FPES in a sample of patients with social anxiety disorder (T. A. Fergus et al., 2009). The primary purpose of the present study was to conduct a large multisite examination of the psychometric profile of the FPES among patients with a principal diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (n = 226; generalized subtype = 97.8%). Responses of nonanxious control participants (n = 42) were also examined. The factorial validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and treatment sensitivity of the FPES were strongly supported by our findings. Furthermore, an FPES cutoff score was identified for distinguishing levels of fear of positive evaluation characteristic of patients with social anxiety disorder from those characteristic of the control group. Results provide additional support for the psychometric properties of the FPES in clinical samples.     

Dyscontrol Experiences Questionnaire: Development, Reliability and Validity

This paper describes development of a retrospective measure of childhood exposure to parental dyscontrol related to specific conditions such as a parent's drinking, anger, or other negative emotional states (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression). A 45-item questionnaire, the Dyscontrol Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), was designed to assess individuals' childhood experiences with parental loss of control. Two student samples (n = 465 and n = 536) completed a battery of self-report measures. Responses were used to examine the psychometric properties of the DEQ. Factor analysis revealed three lower-order factors accounting for 54.4% of the variance in DEQ item scores. Cronbach's coefficient alphas indicated acceptable internal consistency. Moderate intercorrelations with two other retrospective measures of childhood experiences suggested construct validity. Moderate intercorrelations with two measures of psychological distress suggested predictive validity. In summary, initial psychometric testing of the DEQ suggests it is a reliable and valid tool for investigating an important developmental antecedent of adult psychological distress.     

Robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: development and initial validation of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3

Accumulating evidence suggests that anxiety sensitivity (fear of arousal-related sensations) plays an important role in many clinical conditions, particularly anxiety disorders. Research has increasingly focused on how the basic dimensions of anxiety sensitivity are related to various forms of psychopathology. Such work has been hampered because the original measure--the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI)--was not designed to be multidimensional. Subsequently developed multidimensional measures have unstable factor structures or measure only a subset of the most widely replicated factors. Therefore, the authors developed, via factor analysis of responses from U.S. and Canadian nonclinical participants (n=2,361), an 18-item measure, the ASI-3, which assesses the 3 factors best replicated in previous research: Physical, Cognitive, and Social Concerns. Factorial validity of the ASI-3 was supported by confirmatory factor analyses of 6 replication samples, including nonclinical samples from the United States and Canada, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Spain (n=4,494) and a clinical sample from the United States and Canada (n=390). The ASI-3 displayed generally good performance on other indices of reliability and validity, along with evidence of improved psychometric properties over the original ASI.     

The Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS): construction,validity, and reliability

Psychometric properties of mathematics anxiety measures have not adequately been studied. Using a large sample size (N = 1,239), the authors developed an abbreviated math anxiety measure, examined its psychometric properties, and assessed the generalizability of the model across samples. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a nine-item measure and strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and good convergent/divergent validity was demonstrated with an independent sample. When administered to a replication sample, indexes suggested an excellent model fit. TheAbbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) may represent a more parsimonious and valid approach to assess mathematics anxiety.     

Psychometric Properties of the Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale: Convergent,Discriminant, and Factorial Validity

Fear and avoidance of gaze are two features thought to be associated with problematic social anxiety. Avoidance of eye contact has been linked with such undesirable traits as deceptiveness, insincerity, and lower self-esteem. The Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale (GARS) is a self-report measure designed to assess gaze anxiety and avoidance, but its psychometric properties have only been assessed in one preliminary study. We further investigated psychometric properties of the GARS by assessing convergent and factorial validity. We obtained a two-factor solution: gaze anxiety and avoidance across situations (1) in general (GARS-General) and (2) related to dominance communication (GARS-Dominance). The GARS-General factor related more strongly to social anxiety than the GARS-Dominance, and convergent validity of the factors was supported by expected relationships with personality and social anxiety variables. Our results indicate that the GARS subscales are psychometrically valid measures of gaze aversion, supporting their use in future study of the relationship between social anxiety and eye contact behavior.     

Turkish validation of the Emotional Approach Coping Scale

The Emotional Approach Coping Scale is frequently used to assess coping, which consists of emotional processing and emotional expression. The present aim was to examine the psychometric properties of this scale by utilizing two independent samples: university students (n = 481) and community members (n = 284). Based on goodness-of-fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis, a two-factor model yielded significant findings in these samples. The results of multi-group analysis revealed that the theoretical structure of the dispositional Emotional Approach Coping Scale was the same for men and women. In addition to sufficient internal consistency and test-retest reliability, the relationships between the Emotional Approach Coping Scale and five conceptually related measures (coping styles, positive affect, negative affect, depression, and trait anxiety) demonstrated concurrent validity. Furthermore, the present study provides a map of emotional approach coping styles in a non-Western culture.     

Psychometric evaluation of the depressive personality disorder inventory

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Depressive Personality Disorder Inventory (DPDI; Huprich, Margrett, Barthelemy, & Fine, 1996). The DPDI was found to have strong internal consistency in both an undergraduate and a veteran, psychiatric outpatient population. The DPDI had significant, positive correlations with other measures of depressive personality, supporting its convergent validity. These relationships remained even after controlling for state-like depression, suggesting that the DPDI has incremental validity. The DPDI also significantly predicted scores on measures of interpersonal loss, even after controlling for state-like depression, suggesting that the DPDI has good construct validity. In support of discriminant validity, the DPDI was more correlated with another measure of depressive personality than it was with measures of other personality disorders. Finally, the DPDI had strong diagnostic efficiency statistics: (a) Sensitivity = .82, (b) Specificity = .80, (c) Positive Predictive Power = .75, (d) Negative Predictive Power = .86, and (e) Overall Diagnostic Power = .81. It appears that the DPDI has good psychometric properties.     

Self report assessment of anxiety: a cross validation of the Lehrer Woolfolk Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire in three populations.

This study was meant to investigate the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Lehrer Woolfolk Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (LWASQ), an instrument for assessment of somatic, behavioral and cognitive aspects of anxiety. Confirmatory factor analysis on data from social phobics (n = 108), normal adults (n = 103) and normal adolescents (n = 650) showed that the three original factors were strongly replicated in each sample. The three subscales appeared to have high internal consistency, while data on convergent and divergent validity were satisfactory. In addition, the subscales did very well in discriminating between phobic patients and normals, and were able to detect treatment effects. In the discussion the instrument is compared with other self report measures of anxiety dimensions, like the Cognitive Somatic Anxiety Questionnaire (CSAQ) and the Worry-Emotionality Scale (WES). It is suggested that similar questionnaires, adjusted to the separate anxiety disorders, should be developed.     

The Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale in a clinical sample: psychometric properties and clinical utility

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale (CATS; Schniering, C. A., & Rapee, R. M. (2002). Development and validation of a measure of children's automatic thoughts: The Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 1091-1109) in a large sample of anxious youth. The participants were 891 referred children and adolescents. Participants completed the CATS and a wide range of symptom measures, and were assessed via a structured diagnostic interview. Previous community-based psychometric properties were confirmed. The scale was highly sensitive to treatment change, and showed evidence of cognitive specificity with reductions in threat and failure beliefs, but not in hostility beliefs following treatment. The CATS demonstrated good convergent validity with related anxiety and depression scales, and moderate discriminant validity was found across anxious, anxious-depressed and anxious-oppositional groups. Implications for the assessment of child anxiety, and difficulties around children "faking good" on anxiety measures are discussed.     

PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF SUBORDINATE RATINGS OF MANAGERIAL PERFORMANCE

The purpose of the present study was to compare the psychometric properties of subordinate ratings of managerial performance to those of supervisor and self ratings. Subordinate ratings (n = 365), self-ratings (n = 80) and supervisor ratings ( n = 80) were obtained on eight performance dimensions for middle level managers in a multinational corporation. Multitrait-multimethod analysis of variance indicated significant effects for convergent validity, halo error, and discriminant validity. Comparisons between rating sources indicated that subordinate ratings are more similar to supervisor ratings than to self ratings in terms of convergent validity and leniency effect. A comparison of the present results to other studies indicated less convergent validity, more discriminant validity, and less halo error than found by others.     

Negative problem orientation (Part I): psychometric properties of a new measure

Negative problem orientation, a set of dysfunctional attitudes toward social problem-solving, has increasingly become an important construct in our understanding of deficits in problem-solving ability in daily life. Until recently, no measure was specifically constructed to assess negative problem orientation directly, other than as a subscale in a more global measure of problem-solving ability. The goal of the present study was to translate the French version of the Negative Problem Orientation Questionnaire (NPOQ), and to examine its psychometric properties. The sample consisted of 201 university students who completed five questionnaires assessing psychological distress, pessimism, components of problem-solving ability, and the NPOQ. A unitary factor structure was revealed, accounting for 54.8% of the variance. The NPOQ had excellent internal consistency, good test-retest reliability at 5 weeks, and demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity when measured against self-reported pessimism, depression, anxiety, and problem-solving ability. The findings suggest that the NPOQ is a measure with sound psychometric properties that will be a valuable tool in future research on problem orientation.     

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Flow State Scale

The purpose of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of a Spanish translation of the Flow State Scale (FSS; Jackson & Marsh, 1996). This instrument is used to assess the Flow State in participants of physical activity, although it can be adapted to other contexts (such as work, educational contexts, etc.). This construct can be considered the optimal psychological state to carry out an activity, being closely related to motivation and personal enjoyment (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). A sample of 2036 athletes was recruited from diverse sports activities. The results revealed satisfactory validity and internal consistency of the instrument, obtaining a factor model made up of a main factor and nine subscales. The correlations between motivational orientations and the flow state are highlighted. The Spanish translation of this instrument is found to be acceptable, with similar psychometric properties as the original scale, although future research in other contexts is needed to support these outcomes.     

A comparison of the psychometric properties of the psychopathic personality inventory full-length and short-form versions

The Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) has shown promising construct validity as a measure of psychopathy. Because of its relative efficiency, a short-form version of the PPI (PPI-SF) was developed and has proven useful in many psychopathy studies. The validity of the PPI-SF, however, has not been thoroughly examined, and no studies have directly compared the validity of the short form with that of the full-length version. The current study was designed to compare the psychometric properties of both PPI versions, with an emphasis on convergent and discriminant validity in predicting external criteria conceptually relevant to psychopathy. We used both prison (n = 558) and college samples (n = 322) for this investigation. PPI scale scores were more reliable and more strongly correlated with the conceptually relevant criterion measures compared with the PPI-SF, particularly in the prison sample. There were no differences in relative discriminant validity. Thus, overall, the PPI full-length version showed more evidence of construct validity than did the short form, and the consequences of this psychometric difference should be considered when evaluating the clinical utility of each measure.     

A psychometric reanalysis of the Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire

The psychometric properties of the 27-item Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire (APPQ) were evaluated in 1930 outpatients with DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders. Although prior findings of a 3-factor latent structure were upheld in several replications (Social Phobia, Agoraphobia, Interoceptive), three items failed to load on their predicted factor (Interoceptive). Multiple-groups CFAs indicated that the measurement properties of the APPQ were invariant in male and female patients, with the exception of an intercept of one item from the Agoraphobia scale which evidenced bias against females. The three APPQ dimensions were consistently associated with high levels of scale reliability and factor determinacy. Strong evidence of concurrent validity of the Social Phobia and Agoraphobia factors was obtained in relation to interview and questionnaire measures. Although the Interoceptive factor was more strongly related to criterion measures of anxiety sensitivity and fear of panic than Social Phobia, the Agoraphobia factor had the strongest relationships with these validity indices. The results are discussed in regard to psychometric implications for the APPQ and conceptual issues pertaining to the discriminant validity of fear of agoraphobic situations and fear of sensation-producing activities.     

Psychometric analyses of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS)--Bosnian translation

Methods for assessing psychological distress in culturally diverse populations are not firmly established. This study was designed to examine the psychometric properties of the Bosnian translation of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; D. D. Blake, F. W. Weathers, L. M. Nagy, D. Kaloupek, G. Klauminzer, D. Charney, et al., 1995) in a Bosnian refugee sample. The authors interviewed 115 help-seeking Bosnian refugees with the CAPS-Bosnian translation to examine its internal consistency and convergent validity, and to provide an assessment of its factor structure. This study demonstrated optimal fit with a 2-factor model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); the authors also found high reliability with a coefficient alpha of 0.92 and strong convergent validity with instruments measuring depression, anxiety, and levels of psychosocial functioning. Future directions for the assessment of PTSD in cross-cultural populations are discussed.     

Psychometric Properties of a Spanish Translation of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale – Parent Version

The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale – Parent Version (RCADS-P) is a parent-report questionnaire that assesses dimensions of DSM anxiety and depressive disorders in youths. Previous studies have found that the RCADS-P possesses clinical utility and strong psychometric properties in both clinic- and school-based populations. To increase applicability of the measure to a greater proportion of the individuals accessing mental health services, the present study sought to develop and examine the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the RCADS-P. As completed by parents of 85 publicly referred children and adolescents, the RCADS-P demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent, discriminant, and divergent validity. Confirmatory factor analysis also supported a six-factor model consistent with the measure’s six subscales: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and major depressive disorder. A secondary aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a shortened, 25-item version of the Spanish translation of the RCADS-P, which also evidenced favorable psychometric properties. Findings provide support for the Spanish version of the RCADS-P as an efficient and informative parent-report measure of youths' internalizing behaviors.     

Psychometric Properties and Factorial Structure of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Version (STAI-T) in Caribbean University Students

The study investigated the psychometric properties of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory—Trait Scale (STAI-T: Spielberger, 1983) in a Caribbean university student sample. Participants were 415 undergraduate students (75% female) who completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Version (STAI-T; Spielberger, 1983), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS; Zung, 1965), the Ego Resiliecy-89 (ER-89; Block, 1989), and the Perceived Stress Scale-Ten Item Version (PSS-10; Cohen et al., 1983). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine the construct validity of the trait anxiety scale in terms of factor structure, convergent, discriminant, and nomological validities. CFA results revealed that a two-factor solution (trait anxiety absent and trait anxiety present) provided significantly better fit than the one-factor model of trait anxiety. There was clear evidence of convergent validity, discriminant validity, and nomological validity of the scale. Results support the psychometric adequacy of the STAI-T for use with Caribbean university students.     

Psychometric Properties and Factorial Structure of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in Spanish Adolescents

The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale is an instrument widely applied in the assessment of the most common anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. This study examines its psychometric properties and the factorial structure in a large community sample of Spanish-speaking adolescents (N = 1,374) aged 13 to 17 years. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency and good convergent and discriminant validity. Factor analysis confirmed the 6-factor original model, providing a good fit of the data for the Spanish sample. The good psychometric properties support its use by clinicians and researchers, adding evidence to the international empirical support for this measure.     

Assessment of anxiety in older adults: a community-based survey and comparison with younger adults

The reliability and validity of existing anxiety self-report scales in elderly adults has not been adequately established, and the phenomenology of anxiety in older adults is largely unknown. In the present study, three anxiety scales and measures of depression and somatization were used to compare symptoms between older (n = 84, mean age = 75.3) and younger (n = 48, mean age = 40.3) community-dwelling adults. Results showed that the anxiety scales demonstrated good internal consistency in both age groups, although the reliabilities of the Fear Questionnaire subscales ranged from poor to good. Convergent and divergent validity were found to be variable in the older group, but this may reflect differences in anxiety as it occurs in older persons rather than psychometric problems. Anxiety symptoms did not vary with age, and levels of anxiety also remained constant. However, gender differences were found only within the older age group, with women reporting more anxiety than men. Findings are discussed with respect to current conceptualizations of anxiety in older people, as well as implications for future research.