The Revised Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R): Factor Structure, Reliability, and Criterion Validity

The Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) is a popular research and clinical tool for obtaining parental reports of childhood behavior problems. The present study introduces a revised CPRS (CPRS-R) which has norms derived from a large, representative sample of North American children, uses confirmatory factor analysis to develop a definitive factor structure, and has an updated item content to reflect recent knowledge and developments concerning childhood behavior problems. Exploratory and confirmatory factor-analytic results revealed a seven-factor model including the following factors: Cognitive Problems, Oppositional, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity, Anxious-Shy, Perfectionism, Social Problems, and Psychosomatic. The psychometric properties of the revised scale appear adequate as demonstrated by good internal reliability coefficients, high test-retest reliability, and effective discriminatory power. Advantages of the CPRS-R include a corresponding factor structure with the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale—Revised and comprehensive symptom coverage for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related disorders. Factor congruence with the original CPRS as well as similarities with other parent rating scales are discussed.     

Brief Report: Some Possible Uses Of Factor Analysis In Multivariate Studies

Factor analysis is used in item selection in the hopes of producing a small number of factors each of which will represent a unidimensional sub- scale. If item analysis has been successful in producing truly independent subscales, it might be hoped that the number of factors would equal the number of subscales and that each factor would be highly defined by a single subscale. Factor analysis when used in studies of organization, is not assumed to produce factors that represent unidimensional scales. Rather, factor analysis is used to reveal various substructures that exist within an organization. If several variables are loaded on a single factor, the variables can be regarded as nodes of interaction between measured dimensions of organization.     

Differential responding to positive and negative items: the case of a negative item in a questionnaire for course and faculty evaluation

Previous factor-analytic studies of self-rating scales have yielded a factor on which negatively worded items loaded separately. The present study investigated the existence for such a factor in a questionnaire for course and teacher evaluation which included one negative item. The questionnaire was administered in 1,095 university classes. Two factors emerged, an exclusively positive-item factor and another factor on which the single negative item and one positive item loaded. It was suggested that both items of Factor 2 were ambiguous and may identify tendencies such as acquiescence, random responding, and response sets.     

心理危机脆弱性量表的编制及信效度检验

在文献分析和专家评定的基础上,通过访谈和问卷调查,编制了初始的心理危机脆弱性问卷。通过项目分析、探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析对初始问卷进行修订,最终形成的正式量表包含四个维度：挑战力、应对力、支持力和恢复力。结果表明,心理危机脆弱性量表具有较高的内部一致性信度、重测信度以及较好的内容效度、结构效度和效标效度。该量表的心理测量学指标良好,可以作为我国成年人心理危机脆弱性的测量工具。     

Evaluating Exploratory Factor Analysis Which Initial-Extraction Techniques Provide the Best Factor Fidelity?

Attacks by communication scholars on exploratory factor analysis (EFA) have cast doubt on prior findings based on the technique. The present study is one in a series of studies performed to test the ability of EFA to produce results that replicate known dimensions in a data set. It was designed to determine which of 7 initial extraction techniques produce the highest factor fidelity across 5 item distribution shapes and 3 sample sizes. Monte-Carlo-created data sets with known factors, known item distribution shapes, and a 30% error rate were submitted to EFA. Results from an analysis of variance (ANOH) indicate that image analysis reaches perfect factor fidelity with a smaller number of cases regardless of item distribution shape. This and other results reported in this study suggest that3ndings based on EFA should be viewed with cautious optimism and be evaluated according to the findings from this and similar studies.     

A factor analysis and item response theory analysis of an employee honesty test

Although paper and pencil tests of employee honesty are becoming increasingly widespread in industry, a paucity of research exists regarding them. In a recent review of this literature, Sackett and Harris (1984) noted that scant psychometric evidence is available as to their merits or weaknesses. The aim of this paper is to report on the factor and item analysis of one such test. A principal axis solution and item response theory model (1-parameter) were used to examine the data. The factor analysis revealed four readily interpretable factors. With regard to the item analysis, the results indicated that on the whole most of the 40 items showed a reasonable fit to the model. The implications of this research are addressed.     

影响学生体育学习情境兴趣的主因素研究

本研究以上海市中学生为研究对象,修订了中文版体育情境兴趣量表的信效度资料,构建了体育情境兴趣的模型结构,通过对被试学习过程中情境兴趣的测试与分析,揭示了影响学生体育学习情境兴趣的主因素及其相关关系。研究结果表明： 中文版体育情境兴趣量表具有良好的信度和效度,能较好地解释总体变量;相关与回归分析表明：即时愉悦感是激发体育学习情境兴趣的主要因素,而体育学习内容本身过高的新颖性和挑战性不利于情境兴趣的激发。     

Exact person fit indexes for the rasch model for arbitrary alternatives

A new algorithm for obtaining exact person fit indexes for the Rasch model is introduced which realizes most powerful tests for a very general family of alternative hypotheses, including tests concerning DIF as well as model-deviating item correlations. The method is also used as a goodness-of-fit test for whole data sets where the item parameters are assumed to be known. For tests with 30 items at most, exact values are obtained, for longer tests a Monte Carlo-algorithm is proposed. Simulated examples and an empirical investigation demonstrate test power and applicability to item elimination.The author wishes to thank Elisabeth Ponocny-Seliger and the reviewers for many helpful comments. All exact goodness-of-fit tests proposed in this article are implemented in the menu-driven program T-Rasch 1.0 by Ponocny and Ponocny-Seliger (1999) which can be obtained from ProGAMMA (WWW: http://www.gamma.rug.nl) and also performs nonparametric tests.     

A successive approximation method of maximizing test validity

The ratio of item validity to item-total correlation can be used to select items which will tend to yield the maximum correlation with a criterion. Items to be retained are identified by comparing the ratio for each item with the validity of the original test. Further improvement of the validity in the experimental sample can be obtained by adding items to or removing items from the selected nucleus, according to recomputed ratios involving the correlations of the items with the nucleus and evaluated by means of a revised cut-off point. With slight variations, the method may be used for interest and personality tests as well as for aptitude material. The principal advantage over previous methods is that for any cycle of the analysis an exact cut-off point is provided.     

A test of the dimensionality assumptions of Rotter's Internal-External scale

Summary: Examined two assumptions about the dimensionality of Rotter's I-E scale: First, the bipolarity of the two statements within each item pair; second, the unidimensionality of the overall construct. A revised I-E scale was constructed in which each of the statements from the original I-E scale was presented separately and the 367 subjects could accept or reject them independently. Correlations between statements within item pairs were low anti negative with only seven exceeding a value of -.20. The responses to the statements were factor analyzed resulting in six interpretable factors when rotated. Of the 23 item pairs, there were 11 pairs which loaded on the same factor in opposite directions while the other 12 loaded on different factors or on the same factor but in the same direction. A subsample consisting of 152 subjects also took the original I-E scale. The correlations between factor scores on the 6 factors and the original I-E score varied from .15 to .52. Both assumptions regarding Rotter's I-E scale were found untenable. Instead, it is suggested that the forced choice format be abandoned and the construct be thought of as a second order factor.     

中文版正念教学量表的信效度检验

目的:修订中文版正念教学量表并检验其在中国教师群体中的信效度。方法:使用样本1(n1=302)进行项目分析、探索性因素分析; 样本2(n2=185)进行验证性因素分析; 使用样本1和2检验量表的跨组测量不变性,并考察效标效度; 样本3(n3=30)进行重测信度检验。结果:中文版正念教学量表为二因子结构,包括个体内正念和人际间正念两个分量表,具有良好的结构效度、效标效度及信度。且该量表在小学、初中及高中教师中达到部分测量强等值。结论:该量表适宜在我国中小学教师群体中使用。     

Effects of estimation methods on making trait-level inferences from ordered categorical items for assessing psychopathology

In assessments of attitudes, personality, and psychopathology, unidimensional scale scores are commonly obtained from Likert scale items to make inferences about individuals' trait levels. This study approached the issue of how best to combine Likert scale items to estimate test scores from the practitioner's perspective: Does it really matter which method is used to estimate a trait? Analyses of 3 data sets indicated that commonly used methods could be classified into 2 groups: methods that explicitly take account of the ordered categorical item distributions (i.e., partial credit and graded response models of item response theory, factor analysis using an asymptotically distribution-free estimator) and methods that do not distinguish Likert-type items from continuously distributed items (i.e., total score, principal component analysis, maximum-likelihood factor analysis). Differences in trait estimates were found to be trivial within each group. Yet the results suggested that inferences about individuals' trait levels differ considerably between the 2 groups. One should therefore choose a method that explicitly takes account of item distributions in estimating unidimensional traits from ordered categorical response formats. Consequences of violating distributional assumptions were discussed.     

Instrumental and expressive representations of aggression: One scale or two?

The Expagg questionnaire was developed to measure a subject's view of their own aggression as a relatively instrumental or relatively expressive act. Two issues have been raised pertaining to the dimensional structure of the questionnaire: the use of principal components analysis on dichotomous responses and the possibility that instrumental and expressive representations might be independent dimensions rather than opposite ends of a single continuum. In study 1, dichotomous Expagg data from 405 subjects were subjected to microfact, principal components, and factor analysis. Each produced a first general factor, and the correlations between the item loadings were in excess of r = .99. In study 2, a 40‐item Likert scale version of Expagg was given to 295 subjects. Principal components analysis, paired item correlations, and subscale correlations suggested partial independence of instrumental and expressive items. Two new 8‐item scales measuring instrumental and expressive representations were constructed that maximise their independence. Potential uses of these revised scales are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 25:435–444, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

An assessment of the dimensionality of moos' social climate scale

A revised form of the Social Climate Scale (SCS) containing nine of the 14 subscales was given to 145 staff and 143 boys at a state training school for delinquents. A first principal factor was extracted from the item-correlation matrices for staff and boys, respectively. This factor was named Value, because of its representation of an evaluative item dimension. A factor model was used to test whether this Value factor might account for the significant subscale intercorrelations found in these samples. Maximum likelihood factor analysis of the subscale correlation matrices for both groups provided the test for this model. Through a least-squares rotation procedure on the maximum likelihood factor loadings, the Value factor was identified as the source of most of the subscale dependence. Implications for validation of the SCS and other related questionnaires by Moos are discussed.     

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.     

Quantity judgments of auditory and visual stimuli by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Many species can choose between two visual sets of stimuli on the basis of quantity. This is true when sets are both visible, or are presented one set at a time or even one item at a time. However, we know comparatively little about how well nonhuman animals can compare auditory quantities. Here, three chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) chose between two sets of food items when they only heard each item fall into different containers rather than seeing those items. This method prevented the chimpanzees from summing the amount of visible food they saw because there were no visual cues. Chimpanzees performed well, and their performance matched that of previous experiments with regard to obeying Weber's law. They also performed well with comparisons between a sequentially presented auditory set and a fully visible set, demonstrating that duration of presentation was not being used as a cue. In addition, they accommodated empty sets into these judgments, although not perfectly. Thus, chimpanzees can judge auditory quantities in flexible ways that show many similarities to how they compare visual quantities.     

Validation of a Chinese achievement goal orientation questionnaire

Background . The mixed findings of previous studies on the nature and effects of performance goals have led to a call for re‐examination of the dichotomous framework of achievement goal orientation theory. While the call for a revised achievement goal orientation theory has received considerable discussion in Western studies, it is not clear whether the revised theory can also be applied in other ethnic and cultural contexts. Aims . Our aim was to validate the Chinese version of Elliot and Church's (1007) Goal Orientation Questionnaire and to initially test the revised goal orientation theory in the context of Chinese students in Hong Kong. Sample . A total of 270 Chinese students (137 boys and 133 girls) from a primary and secondary school in Hong Kong participated in Study 1. Study 2 involved a total of 9,440 students (5,420 boys and 4,020 girls) from 10 primary and 18 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Method . Participants in Study 1 completed a Chinese Goal Orientation Questionnaire (CGOQ) measuring three types of goal orientation. Exploratory factor analysis, item–total correlation, and reliability analyses were undertaken to assess the psychometric quality of the CGOQ. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was used to provide further validation for the revised questionnaire. The relationships among different goal orientations and that with students' perceived classroom environment and self‐efficacy were also explored using structural equation modelling. Results . Findings of exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 and confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 supported the proposed factor structure of the CGOQ. All the subscales in the questionnaire also showed good internal consistency reliabilities. The construct validity of the CGOQ was supported by its significant relationship with criterion measures. While most of the relationships between the three types of goal orientation and the learning‐related variables measured in our study were consistent with the revised goal orientation theory, the positive relationships between performance‐avoidance goals, mastery goals, and perceived classroom environment were different from previous studies. Conclusion . Our findings generally supported the trichotomous framework of the revised goal orientation theory with Chinese students in Hong Kong. Consistent with the revised goal orientation theory, our findings indicated that both mastery and performance‐approach goals had positive impacts on students' learning. However, the positive relationships between performance‐avoidance goals, mastery goals, and perceived classroom environment were contradictory to the conceptualization of performance‐avoidance goals in the revised theory. Cultural and social factors affecting Hong Kong students' goal orientations are discussed.     

Development and validation of a revised measure of codependency

This study assessed the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of a revised instrument, the Composite Codependency Scale (CCS), a 19‐item measure designed to assess codependent traits. Exploratory factor analysis of the CCS, using data from 301 adults from the general population and 49 attending members of Codependents Anonymous (CoDA), yielded three factors: self‐sacrifice, interpersonal control, and emotional suppression. The scale and its subscales exhibited good internal consistency. Consistent with the tenets of the codependency model, higher codependency scores were significantly associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and familial dysfunction and lower levels of narcissistic tendencies, self‐esteem, and emotional expressivity. Furthermore, the revised measure effectively discriminated members of CoDA from those in the general population.     

Simple imputation methods versus direct likelihood analysis for missing item scores in multilevel educational data

Missing data, such as item responses in multilevel data, are ubiquitous in educational research settings. Researchers in the item response theory (IRT) context have shown that ignoring such missing data can create problems in the estimation of the IRT model parameters. Consequently, several imputation methods for dealing with missing item data have been proposed and shown to be effective when applied with traditional IRT models. Additionally, a nonimputation direct likelihood analysis has been shown to be an effective tool for handling missing observations in clustered data settings. This study investigates the performance of six simple imputation methods, which have been found to be useful in other IRT contexts, versus a direct likelihood analysis, in multilevel data from educational settings. Multilevel item response data were simulated on the basis of two empirical data sets, and some of the item scores were deleted, such that they were missing either completely at random or simply at random. An explanatory IRT model was used for modeling the complete, incomplete, and imputed data sets. We showed that direct likelihood analysis of the incomplete data sets produced unbiased parameter estimates that were comparable to those from a complete data analysis. Multiple-imputation approaches of the two-way mean and corrected item mean substitution methods displayed varying degrees of effectiveness in imputing data that in turn could produce unbiased parameter estimates. The simple random imputation, adjusted random imputation, item means substitution, and regression imputation methods seemed to be less effective in imputing missing item scores in multilevel data settings.     

Comparison of factor structure models for the Beck Depression Inventory--II

Factor analyses of the Beck Depression Inventory--II (A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. K. Brown, 1996) have frequently produced 2 different 2-factor oblique structures. The author used confirmatory factor analyses to compare these structures with a general-factor model with 2 orthogonal group factors. The general-factor model fit as well as or better than the 2-factor models when applied to item data from previous studies (3 clinical and 2 college samples). Communalities associated with the General Depression factor ranged from 71% to 82%. Cognitive and Somatic group factors were indicative of intropunitiveness and fatigue. It was concluded that the general-factor model gives an acceptable empirical explanation of item covariance structure and offers a conceptual interpretation that is well suited to clinical practice and research.