A revised orthogonal rotational solution for Thurstone's original primary mental abilities test battery

By extension of the rotational process, meaningful orthogonally related positions were found for all of the thirteen centroid factors which Thurstone extracted from his original PMA intercorrelations. Most of the original primary ability factors were more sharply delineated and corresponded more closely to the Army Air Force factors that bear similar names (demonstrating greater invariance from analysis to analysis). While such different results obtained by two investigators applying the same methods on the same data may initiate some concern, the results strengthen rather than weaken the idea that more psychological meaningfulness and greater invariance will result if centroid axes are rotated, using the concepts of a simple structure and positive manifold.Thurstone considered loadings between ±.20 as negligible and considered only loadings of at least .40 in naming factors.     

A note on item analysis and the criterion of internal consistency

The implications contained in Richardson's article on item analysis in March 1936 issue ofPsychometrika are examined in the light of multiple factor theory. It is shown that item analysis is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for the construction of a test which shall measure a single trait. The intercorrelations of certain items selected by a method of item analysis are examined, found to contain many zero and some negative correlations. Multiple factor analysis showed that eight traits were measured by the items which had been asserted to measure only one.     

Internal consistency reliability and construct validity of an Arabic translation of the shortened form of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales

A sample of 480 (246 boys and 234 girls) students in Grade 11 in the United Arab Emirates completed an Arabic version of the shortened form of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales. A factor analysis of the intercorrelations of responses to 51 items indicated the same general factors as in the original study. Internal consistency estimates of the reliability of scores on the total scale and on each scale for the short form were acceptable, with coefficients alpha ranging from .72 to .89.     

A validation study of a transferred group intelligence test(1)

The purpose of the research was to conduct a validation study of a transferred group intelligence test. The Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test, Level A, Form 1 was translated to Hebrew and administered to an Israeli sample comparable to the original norming group. The results obtained were concerned with variability, reliability, validity, item analysis, intercorrelations among subtests, and factor analysis. While few comparisons of the Israeli sample with the original data were made, the validation of the transferred test was examined in the light of other criteria for evaluating a new test. The suitability of the transferred test for Israeli high achievers from high-status families was supported by the results. The major conclusions were: (1) the total mean IQ scores of Israeli students were approximately the same as the American mean; (2) mean raw scores increased with age; (3) relative difficulty of individual items remained stable through translation and administration in Israeli culture, in three out of five subtests; (4) it appears reasonable to suggest that the factor structure of the translated test is consistent with the intent of the original.     

A Factor Analysis Of Individual Social Desirability Scale Values

The factorial structure of individual judgments of social desirability scale value (SDSV) was studied by factor analyzing a 112 (college students) by 100 (MMPI items) data matrix of individual judgments of SDSV in two ways. One analysis was factoring by item (R technique) while the second analysis was factoring by subject (Q technique). A large general SD factor appeared when subject intercorrelations were factored, but no such general factor was identified when item intercorrelations were factored. Evidence was also presented that the large general SD factor was highly correlated with mean or normative SDSVs.     

The factorial interpretation of test difficulty

This paper discusses the influence of test difficulty on the correlation between test items and between tests. The greater the difference in difficulty between two test items or between two tests the smaller the maximum correlation between them. In general, the greater the number of degrees of difficulty among the items in a test or among the tests in a battery, the higher the rank of the matrix of intercorrelations; that is, differences in difficulty are represented in the factorial configuration as additional factors. The suggestion is made that if all tests included in a battery are roughly homogeneous with respect to difficulty existing hierarchies will be more clearly defined and meaningful psychological interpretation of factors more readily attained.     

Anxiety: The cognitive perspective,by Michael W. Eysenck Hove,UK: Lawrence erlbaum; 1992; 195 pp.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was twofold: To investigate the structure of the test anxiety construct. and to compare the psychometric properties of rating scales versus questionnaire scales of test anxiety.

The intercorrelations among fourteen test anxiety measures, representing the one-, two-and four-dimensional models were examined as well as the correlations between those scales and eight measures of test-related perceptions.

The sample consisted of 172 undergraduate and graduate students of education. The results indicated that the underlying structure of the test anxiety construct consists of four primary factors. It was noted that the pattern of the relationships among the test anxiety measures remained intact when the broader context, which included also test-related perceptions, was studied. Based on the intra- and intercorrelations among the test anxiety and the test-related perceptions, a speculative causal model for explaining the effect of test anxiety on performance was suggested.

The findings regarding the format issue seemed to support the contention that rating scales are at least as valid measures of a simple single trait as questionnaire scales. However, it was stressed that further research is needed in order to find out whether or not rating scales are robust enough to be considered valid measures in situations that elicit social desirability distortion.     

National differences in personality; Brazil and England

The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (E.P.Q.) was used to compare the structure of personality in Brazilian and English men and women, and to compare the mean scores of these population on the test. Six hundred and thirty six male and 760 female Brazilian adults were compared with 500 English males and 500 English females. It was found that identical factors appeared in the Brazilian as had been discovered in the English populations, and that intercorrelations of scales, reliabilities, etc. were similar for the two populations. Some items from the original study were found inapplicable in Brazil, and new items were substituted. A comparison of the mean scores of the two populations on a reduced scale, embodying only those items which were valid for both populations, showed that there were very few differences between the populations.     

THE ADAPTATION OF THE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT SCALE TO CHINESE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN HONG KONG

Moos and Moos' (1986) Family Environment Scale (FES) was adapted to the Chinese children and adolescents in Hong Kong. The major sample included 1,174 subjects from three elementary schools and seven high schools. Two subscales, Expressiveness and Independence and a few items were deleted based on the psychometric analysis. The FES scale intercorrelations were consistent, and the factor pattern of the remaining eight scales was explicable in terms of the characteristics of the Chinese culture. Results also showed that middle class families in general had a more positive family social environment than the working class families.     

A Rigorous Test of the Fit of the Circumplex Model to Big Five Personality Data: Theoretical and Methodological Issues and Two Large Sample Empirical Tests

Our objective was to apply the rigorous test developed by Browne (1992) to determine whether the circumplex model fits Big Five personality data. This test has yet to be applied to personality data. Another objective was to determine whether blended items explained correlations among the Big Five traits. We used two working adult samples, the Eugene-Springfield Community Sample and the Professional Worker Career Experience Survey. Fit to the circumplex was tested via Browne's (1992) procedure. Circumplexes were graphed to identify items with loadings on multiple traits (blended items), and to determine whether removing these items changed five-factor model (FFM) trait intercorrelations. In both samples, the circumplex structure fit the FFM traits well. Each sample had items with dual-factor loadings (8 items in the first sample, 21 in the second). Removing blended items had little effect on construct-level intercorrelations among FFM traits. We conclude that rigorous tests show that the fit of personality data to the circumplex model is good. This finding means the circumplex model is competitive with the factor model in understanding the organization of personality traits. The circumplex structure also provides a theoretically and empirically sound rationale for evaluating intercorrelations among FFM traits. Even after eliminating blended items, FFM personality traits remained correlated.     

The relation of item difficulty and inter-item correlation to test variance and reliability

Under assumptions that will hold for the usual test situation, it is proved that test reliability and variance increase (a) as the average inter-item correlation increases, and (b) as the variance of the item difficulty distribution decreases. As the average item variance increases, the test variance will increase, but the test reliability will not be affected. (It is noted that as the average item variance increases, the average item difficulty approaches .50). In this development, no account is taken of the effect of chance success, or the possible effect on student attitude of different item difficulty distributions. In order to maximize the reliability and variance of a test, the items should have high intercorrelations, all items should be of the same difficulty level, and the level should be as near to 50% as possible.The desirability of determining this relationship has been indicated by previous writers. Work on the present paper arose out of some problems raised by Dr. Herbert S. Conrad in connection with an analysis of aptitude tests.On leave for Government war research from the Psychology Department, University of Chicago.     

中学生问题行为群体特征的多视角研究

以北京市中学生为被试,自编中学生问题行为自我评定、教师评定和家长评定三视角问卷,研究中学生问题行为的结构和群体特征,结果表明:(1)中学生问题行为评定存在跨评定者的六因子多质多法(multitrait—multimethod,MTMM)结构模型。(2)性别差异分析表明在学业不适、攻击行为和违纪行为上三视角均显示男生都显著高于女生,但是在内倾问题上自评问卷显示在神经质、退缩行为和考试焦虑上女生比男生高,教师评定只有在考试焦虑上女生高于男生,而家长评定内倾问题上性别差异基本不显著。(3)自评问卷在六因子和问题总分上还显示了年级差异,教师评定三个因子有年级差异,家长评定年级差异基本上不显著。(4)三视角对应因子间呈中低水平相关,在学业和破坏性较大的外倾问题上的相关高于在内倾问题上的相关。     

The common factors in fifty-two mental tests

An analysis by Thurstone's centroid method of the intercorrelations of fifty-two tests was carried to ten factors. Included were tests of social intelligence, Philip's attention tests, and Seashore's tests of musical ability. After rotation of axes, the most important factors appeared to pertain to operations conventionally alluded to by the following terms: verbal facility; spatial ability; numerical ability; attention; musical ability; and memory (or memory span). The social intelligence tests proved to be mainly tests of the verbal factor. A factorial sex difference was indicated by the superiority of men in tests of spatial ability.     

Adapting and Validating the BarOn EQ–i:YV in the Lebanese Context

The purpose of this study was to adapt and validate the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (BarOn EQ–i:YV), a measure of emotional intelligence, in the Lebanese context. The scale was translated and adapted into Arabic using a 3-step process involving judgmental, logical, and empirical methods. It was then administered to a representative sample of 433 students in the 10- to 18-year-old age group. Psychometric properties of the Arabic version in terms of internal consistency, test–retest reliabilities, factor structure, and scale intercorrelations was investigated. Gender and age differences were also studied. The reliability of the adapted test, both internal and over time, was satisfactory. Exploring scale factorial validity identified 2 major factors, whereas exploring it by items revealed findings particular to the Lebanese situation. Reported age and gender differences were similar to those on the original test except for gender differences on Intrapersonal and Adaptability scales. Explanations and propose recommendations for future research are provided.     

人格测验中题目正反向陈述的效应

研究中将EPQ和NEO-FFI中的一半题目进行语义反转（肯定陈述的改为否定陈述,否定陈述的改为肯定陈述）,而另一半的题目陈述方向不变,形成的量表用于初测。重测时则把初测问卷中的题目全部进行语义反转。测试后得到363名大学生的正反EPQ和412名大学生的正反NEO-FFI数据。对比发现两套量表在使用正向题时信度略高,而使用反向陈述题目时效度略好;验证性因素分析发现正反向题能测量同一特质。正向题可能更易受反应偏差影响     

A comparative study in multiple-factor analysis of neurotic tendency

The original aim of this investigation was to discover what relations exist between race attitudes and certain personality traits. For that purpose, a standard neurotic inventory and an attitude scale were applied to three dissimilar groups of subjects, and the results, obtained by multiple-factor analysis carried out independently for each of the three groups, compared with one another. The components of neurotic tendency, as displayed by each of the three groups, show a high measure of agreement and appear to be reconcilable with other interpretations of neurotic personality. So far as the original aim of the study is concerned, there appears to be a slight but significant tendency for the neurotic factor of hypersensitiveness to affect the race attitudes of Europeans towards the native in South Africa in a negative or unfavorable direction.     

Unit Morale: From a Theoretical Puzzle to an Empirical Illustration—An Israeli Example1

The concept of morale, within its military context, was explored in the present work from both its theoretical and practical aspects. Following a review of the concept's definitional and historical background, the data from a pre-war morale survey administered in May of 1981 to a large sample of Israeli combat troops were analyzed (by means of intercorrelations and factor analysis) as an illustration of the multifaceted structure of morale. While the intercorrelations revealed several major variables related strongly to morale, the factor analysis yielded eight factors, morale being just one of them. These eight factors were: (1) confidence in senior commanders; (2) confidence in one's self, team, and weapons; (3) unit cohesion and morale; (4) familiarity with missions and frontage; (5) confidence in immediate commanders; (6) enemy evaluation; (7) legitimacy of war; (8) worries and concerns. The present analysis may suggest the existence of a higher order concept—perhaps “unit climate”— of which all of the found factors, including morale, are the comprising components.     

选择作业中证伪思维的影响因素

研究了选择作业中证伪思维的影响因素。被试为星海音乐学院本科生592名。实验1、2研究了问题的诊断性对证伪思维的影响;实验3研究了提示证伪样例是否促进证伪;实验4研究了证真证伪相对难度改变是否影响证伪。结果表明：（1）证真和证伪都为诊断性问题,人们倾向于证真;证真为非诊断问题,证伪为诊断性问题,人们倾向于证伪。（2）提示证伪样例,可以促进证伪。（3）证真难度加大,可以促进证伪。结合正反信息转换系统的心理模型理论,可以很好地解释该研究结果。     

Superfactors P,E And N In A Comprehensive Factor Space

Browne and Howarth, in a recent study, selected 400 items from 1726 non-repeated items appearing in previous personality studies, representing twenty hypothetical factors, analysis, followed by rotation, resulted in a multiplicity of factors, many of them similar to those hypothesized. A table is given of the intercorrelations between factors, but no higher order factor analysis was carried out. The writer's system predicts that three such factors should be found in any comprehensive study of this kind, and this paper reports a factor analysis of the correlations among the Browne and Howarth factors. A very clear three-factor picture emerges, with the hypothetical psychcoticism, extraversion and neuroticism factors having very much the predicted loading pattern. It is concluded that primary factor analysis without extraction of higher order factors leaves the analysis incomplete and omits what may be the most important part of the whole procedur. The results are interpreted as supporting the writer's theoretical position.     

Neurosis and War: A Problem in Human Behavior

A factor analysis of 744 students' social desirability ratings for 95 questionnaire items yielded nine factors of behavioral values, eight of which were considered reliable. The questionnaire was comprised of the universe of responses given by an earlier sample of subjects to the incomplete sentence stems, “I would be ashamed of myself if …” and “I am proud of myself when ….” Thus, the items were not preselected on any theoretical basis, but were established empirically as the stated behavioral values of a group of college students. The resulting factors suggested an organization of values that distinguishes between competence and moral values, between personal and interpersonal values, and between subject and object values.