Bryant's Empathy Index for children and adolescents: psychometric properties in the Spanish language

The present study investigated the following issues: (1) the structure of Bryant's Empathy Index for children and adolescents in a Spanish sample of 408 boys and 424 girls (M age=14.4 yr.), and (2) sex differences, including effect sizes and internal consistency of the scale. A principal components factor analysis with oblimin rotation showed that 20 of the index's 22 items load on three robust factors, related to Feelings of Sadness, Understanding Feelings, and Tearful Reaction with regard to the emotions of others. The 3-factor structure obtained an adequate fit to the data in the confirmatory factor analysis. Coefficients alpha ranged between .72 and .78. The 3 factors accounted for 42% of variance. As expected, girls scored higher than boys. It was concluded that the Spanish version of Bryant's Empathy Index has an acceptable reliability and construct validity, making it useful for research.     

Psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index in Spanish child and adolescent population

This article analyses the dimensions of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI; Davis, 1980). The sample comprised 721 Spanish participants between 9 and 16 years old. Diverse exploratory factor analyses were conducted as the basis for the final confirmatory factor analysis, through self-report. The results supported a structure with 5 first-order main factors (Intellectual empathy, Positive emotional empathy, Disorganized emotional empathy, Virtual empathy, and Impassiveness), where the two first factors are nested in a second-order dimension: "Considerate Social Style". The psychometric characteristics of the instrument were adequate. The proposed model is a new alternative to conceptualize the factor structure of empathy.     

Exploring the structure of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V in a Spanish sample

The psychometric properties of the original version of the Sensation Seeking Scale (Form V) were analyzed in a sample of 1,006 Spanish university students. The total sample was randomly split into two halves. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on the calibration sample (n=504), whereas confirmatory factor analysis procedures were performed on the validation sample (n=502). As previous studies have suggested, exploratory factor structure indicated that several items load on a different factor or have loadings lower than .30. Those problems were surpassed when the best five items per factor were factor analyzed again. The confirmatory factor analyses showed that a 4-factor simple structure model gave a clearly imperfect fit. A model of 20 items (5 items per factor) gave a better fit, although with similar problems regarding the low reliabilities of the Experience Seeking and Boredom Susceptibility subscales. The need for improvement of the four-factor structure is discussed.     

Evaluation of a Parental Behavior Scale in a Peruvian Context

The purpose of this study was to investigate psychometric properties (factorial structure, reliability, and criterion validity) of a Spanish version of the Parental Behavior Scale (PBS), an instrument developed to assess observable parental behavior. The sample consisted of 591 Peruvian families in Metropolitan Lima. Parents, mostly mothers, completed the scale regarding one target child attending 6th grade of primary education. Two models were tested using confirmatory factor analysis: a nine-factor model based on the original PBS and a five-factor model (PBS short version). Both models fitted the data well. A multi-sample confirmatory factor analysis showed that the factor structure, factor loadings and correlations were invariant for groups of parents with children in public or in private schools. Four factors showed adequate reliability: Positive Parenting, Rules, Discipline and Harsh Punishment. Correlational analyses showed significant associations between harsh punishment and child behavioral problems, measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and with the family environment, measured with the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment.     

Dimensional structure of the Brief Symptom Inventory with Spanish college students

The Brief Symptom Inventory is designed to assess symptoms of psychological disorders in adolescents and adults. The dimensional structure of the inventory, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, was examined with a cross-sectional design in a Spanish sample of college students ( N = 1,033, aged between 18 and 30 years old). Two hypotheses were tested: the original distribution of the items in nine factors, and the unidimensionality of the inventory. According to the results, a nine-factor structure seemed to be confirmed, although the strong intercorrelations found among the subscales indicated that these were measuring closely related constructs. The importance of cultural influences when assessing psychological symptoms and the need to develop national and sex norms for instruments that assess psychopathology, are also discussed.     

The Greek Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: Testing the Factor Structure, Reliability and Validity in an Adult Community Sample

We examined the factor structure, reliability, convergent and criterion validity of the Greek version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) using data from a community lifespan sample. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a clear six-factor structure consistent with the factor structure evidenced in English-speaking samples. The results also demonstrated adequate classical psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The scale branches demonstrated convergent and concurrent validity with personality, emotion intelligence abilities and coping strategies. The importance of using culturally validated dimensional measures of emotion regulation is discussed.     

Factor structure of the Body Appreciation Scale among Malaysian women

The present study examined the factor structure of a Malay version of the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS), a recently developed scale for the assessment of positive body image that has been shown to have a unidimensional structure in Western settings. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses based on data from community sample of 591 women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, failed to support a unidimensional structure for the Malay BAS. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis suggested two stable factors, which were labelled 'General Body Appreciation' and 'Body Image Investment'. Multi-group analysis showed that the two-factor structure was invariant for both Malaysian Malay and Chinese women, and that there were no significant ethnic differences on either factor. Results also showed that General Body Appreciation was significant negatively correlated with participants' body mass index. These results are discussed in relation to possible cross-cultural differences in positive body image.     

Individual difference variables,affective differentiation,and the structures of affect

Methodological arguments are usually invoked to explain variations in the structure of affect. Using self-rated affect from Italian samples (N=600), we show that individual difference variables related to affective differentiation can moderate the observed structure. Indices of circumplexity and congruence coefficients to the hypothesized target were used to quantify the observed structures. Results did not support the circumplex model as a universal structure. A circular structure with axes of activation and valence was approximated only among more affectively differentiated groups: students and respondents with high scores on Openness to Feelings and measures of negative emotionality. A different structure, with unipolar Positive Affect and Negative Affect factors, was observed among adults and respondents with low Openness to Feelings and negative emotionality. The observed structure of affect will depend in part on the nature of the sample studied.     

Factor Structure of a Coping Scale Across Two Samples1

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to assess the structure of a coping with illness scale. Two HIV‐positive samples from different geographical areas were used to verify the underlying factor structure: a sample of 320 young adults (M age = 20.9 years; 72% males) and a second sample of 273 older adults (M= 38.1 years; 81% females). Exploratory results with the young adult sample assuming correlated factors showed 7 reliable factors; CFA results supported these findings in that sample. Confirmation of the 7 derived subscales using the adult sample was found using CFA, although 2 subscale reliabilities were just below .50. Correlations between the 7 sub‐scales and other scales used for construct validation were generally as predicted. Coping similarities and differences between HIV‐infected young adult and adult populations are discussed.     

高校辅导员胜任力结构模型研究

通过对38位高校辅导员进行行为事件访谈以及开放式问卷调查,初步筛选出47项高校辅导员胜任力特征项目,再以此为依据编制成高校辅导员胜任力评价问卷,对413位高校辅导员进行调查,经过探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析,构建出高校辅导员胜任力结构模型。结果显示,高校辅导员的胜任力结构主要包括工作能力、个性魅力、引导学生、职业态度、个人特质以及专业素养6个维度。该结构模型信效度良好,可以为高校辅导员选拔与培训等提供科学依据。     

An investigation of schizotypy in injecting amphetamine users

A fully dimensional view of psychiatric disorder conceptualises schizotypy as both a continuous personality trait and an underlying vulnerability to the development of psychotic illness. Such a model would predict that the structure of schizotypal traits would closely parallel the structure of schizophrenia or psychosis. This was investigated in injecting amphetamine users (N = 322), a clinical population who have high rates of acute psychotic episodes and subclinical schizotypal experiences. Schizotypy was assessed using the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE), and psychotic symptoms were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Using confirmatory factor analysis, O-LIFE subscale scores were mapped onto latent variables with their more clinical counterparts from the BPRS. A four-factor model comprising positive schizotypy, disorganisation, negative schizotypy, and disinhibition provided the best model fit, consistent with prior research into the structure of schizotypy. The model provided a good fit to the data, lending support to the theory that schizotypy and psychotic symptoms map onto common underlying dimensions.     

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the pervasive developmental disorders rating scale for young children with autistic disorder

In this study, the authors examined the construct validity of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder Rating Scale (PDDRS; R. C. Eaves, 1993), which is a screening instrument used to identify individuals with autistic disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders. The PDDRS is purported to measure 3 factors--arousal, affect, and cognition-that collectively make up the construct of autism. Using scores from 199 children (aged 1-6 years) diagnosed with autistic disorder, the authors submitted data to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. In the 1st series of analyses, the authors analyzed a user-specified 3-factor solution using principal axis factor analysis with a promax rotation to evaluate the assertion of a correlated 3-factor structure. Next, the authors analyzed 1-factor and 2-factor solutions to determine if they provided a better factor structure for the data. In the 2nd series, the authors conducted confirmatory factor analyses, which compared the theorized hierarchical 2nd-order factor model with 5 plausible competing models. The results of the exploratory analyses supported the 3-factor solution. With the confirmatory analyses, the 2nd-order factor model provided the best fit for the data. The exploratory and confirmatory analyses supported the theoretical assumptions undergirding the development of the PDDRS. The authors discuss theoretical implications, practical implications, and areas for further research.     

The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Revised Child version: Reliability and structural validity of the Polish adaptation

The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Revised Child version (ECR-RC) is a self-report questionnaire measuring attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. The aim of this study was to validate a Polish version of the ECR-RC, assess its reliability and factorial structure based on the results obtained from a community sample of 277 children aged between 10 and 13. The results of confirmatory factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure of the Polish ECR-RC that showed an adequate internal structure and consistency. Moreover, a model fit of an abbreviated, 12-item version and a three-factor structure were tested. Overall, the results of this study offer a valid and reliable tool for assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance in Polish-speaking children.     

The structure of the State Hope Scale

The present research aimed to examine the factorial structure of the State Hope Scale (SHS). In Study 1, using confirmatory factorial analyses, two factorial structures were contrasted: a single-factor mode (representing a general hope construct) and a second-order factor model (with general hope characterized by agency and pathways). Results revealed that the two-factor model was more likely to be replicated. Furthermore, invariance analyses revealed that the two-factor structure applied equally across age groups and gender. In Study 2, the factorial structure of the SHS was evaluated again. Once more, results confirmed the superiority of the two-factor model. In addition, hope was positively linked to mental health.     

Examining the multidimensionality of approaches to learning through the development of a revised version of the Learning Process Questionnaire

Aim: This study aimed to produce a revised two‐factor version of the Learning Process Questionnaire (R‐LPQ‐2F) with deep and surface approach scales, measured by a reasonably small number of items, suitable for use by teachers in secondary schools to evaluate the learning approaches of their students. Method: A set of 41 items was derived, with modification, from the original version of the LPQ and from items used to develop the revised version of the SPQ. These items were tested using reliability procedures and confirmatory factor analysis and items were deleted until scales were of a suitable length and confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit to the intended two‐factor structure. Sample: The sample consisted of 841 students from 20 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Results: The final two‐factor version of the questionnaire had good Cronbach alpha values and reasonable goodness‐of‐fit values for the confirmatory analysis. There was a much better fit, though, to a hierarchical structure with motive and strategy subscales for each approach, each of which, in turn, had two subcomponents. Conclusion: Approaches to learning have a hierarchical dimensionality with motive and strategy elements. Each motive and strategy element is itself multidimensional. The results are used to question the conventional approach to the testing and acceptance of instruments, which place sole reliance upon reliability tests. The use of confirmatory factor analysis is recommended as a routine procedure in the development and testing of instruments.     

Dimensionality of the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire: a validation study in Belgium

This study examined the underlying dimensions of the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire to test whether the robust 4-factor structure (Pay Level, Benefits, Raises, and Structure or Administration) often established in the United States can be generalized to other countries and cultures as well. Data of 4 samples (for-profit employees, nonprofit nurses, cultural centre employees, and nonprofit teachers) were analysed with confirmatory factor analyses. The results for the first 3 samples yielded support for the original 4-factor structure of the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire. In the teachers' sample, the irrelevant Benefits items were excluded from the analysis, resulting in a 3-factor structure of pay satisfaction.     

Factor Structure of the PTSD Checklist in a Sample of OEF/OIF Veterans Presenting to Primary Care: Specific and Nonspecific Aspects of Dysphoria

Although DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include three primary symptom clusters, recent evidence from confirmatory factor analyses suggest that the latent structure of PTSD is better represented by four factors, which will likely be reflected in the upcoming DSM-5. Given this likely transition from three to four clusters, the present study sought to examine specific and non-specific aspects of dysphoria in the factor structure of PTSD symptoms in a sample of OEF/OIF combat veterans presenting to a Veterans Affairs primary care clinic. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the PCL-M (Weathers et al. 1993). Results from confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a dysphoria factor involving a number of non-specific distress symptoms may be an important part of the PTSD symptom profile. After controlling for variance due to general psychological distress, we further found that factor loadings on the dysphoria factor were attenuated but continued to significantly load onto the factor, suggesting that dysphoria may be a specific part of the PTSD symptom constellation.     

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test with young adolescents

This study examined the factor structure of the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT) in 375 11- to 14-year-olds (normative sample) and 60 sixth- and eighth-graders (cross-validation sample). Previous exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the KAIT have included optional subtests, which are often not administered in practice, and have not tested oblique versus orthogonal two-factor models. In this study, three factor models were tested via confirmatory factor analysis for the six core subtests of the KAIT: a one-factor general intelligence (g) model, an orthogonal fluid intelligence (Gf)-crystallized intelligence (Gc) model, and an oblique Gf-Gc model. The orthogonal Gf-Gc model fit poorly in both samples. The g model fit only the cross-validation sample. The oblique Gf-Gc model fit both samples and fit significantly better than the g model in both samples. Additional tests of factor structure, path coefficients, and covariance between Gf and Gc indicated that the data from both samples fit even the most restrictive oblique Gf-Gc model tested. KAIT users can be confident that the Fluid and Crystallized IQs from the KAIT are adequate representations of a robust and interpretable factor structure when only the core subtests are administered to young adolescents.     

Psychometric evaluation of the behavioral inhibition/behavioral activation scales in a large sample of outpatients with anxiety and mood disorders

The latent structure, reliability, and validity of the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scales (BIS/BAS; C. L. Carver and T. L. White, 1994) were examined in a large sample of outpatients (N = 1,825) with anxiety and mood disorders. Four subsamples were used for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. In addition to generally upholding a latent structure found previously in nonclinical samples, results indicated measurement invariance of the BIS/BAS between genders and a higher order structure of the BAS scales. Convergent and discriminant validity of the BIS/BAS were supported by findings that the subscales correlated most strongly with measures of neighboring personality constructs (e.g., BIS with neuroticism, BAS with positive affect) than with measures of current anxiety and depression symptoms. Overall, the results support the psychometric properties of the BIS/BAS in this clinical sample.     

Measuring adult attachment: a construct validation of two self-report instruments

This study reports the Swedish construct validation of two translated attachment style scales. The factor structure of the attachment construct was investigated via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of attachment scores from 515 students of a Swedish university. Results supported the expected two-factor solution, but found a three-factor solution to be a viable alternative. In addition, the attachment scales were compared with the Big Five personality inventory (NEO-PI), using a sample of 87 Swedish students, and found to have expected correlation to this scale.