Exploring the structure of a neuropsychological battery across healthy elders and those with questionable dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a series of confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on 17 variables designed to assess different cognitive abilities in a sample of healthy older adults. In the EFA, 4 factors emerged corresponding to language, memory, processing speed, and fluid ability constructs. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a 5-factor model with an additional Attention factor improved the fit. The invariance of the 5-factor model was examined across 3 groups: a group of cognitively healthy older adults, a group of patients diagnosed with questionable dementia (QD), and a group of patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). Results of the invariance analysis suggest that the model may have configural invariance across the 3 groups but not metric invariance. Specifically, preliminary analyses suggest that the memory construct may represent something different in the QD and AD groups as compared to the healthy older adult group, consistent with the underlying pathology in early AD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new look at the big five factor structure through exploratory structural equation modeling.

NEO instruments are widely used to assess Big Five personality factors, but confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) conducted at the item level do not support their a priori structure due, in part, to the overly restrictive CFA assumptions. We demonstrate that exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), an integration of CFA and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), overcomes these problems with responses (N = 3,390) to the 60-item NEO–Five-Factor Inventory: (a) ESEM fits the data better and results in substantially more differentiated (less correlated) factors than does CFA; (b) tests of gender invariance with the 13-model ESEM taxonomy of full measurement invariance of factor loadings, factor variances–covariances, item uniquenesses, correlated uniquenesses, item intercepts, differential item functioning, and latent means show that women score higher on all NEO Big Five factors; (c) longitudinal analyses support measurement invariance over time and the maturity principle (decreases in Neuroticism and increases in Agreeableness, Openness, and Conscientiousness). Using ESEM, we addressed substantively important questions with broad applicability to personality research that could not be appropriately addressed with the traditional approaches of either EFA or CFA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Confirmatory Analysis of the Factor Structure and Cross-Age Invariance of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition.

In the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III; D. Wechsler, 1997), the manual reports several confirmatory factor analyses in support of the instrument's latent factor structure. In practice, examiners frequently compare an examinee's score from a current administration of the WAIS-III with the results from a previous test administration. Implicit in test-retest score comparisons is evidence that scores retain similar interpretive meaning across time. Establishing an instrument's factorial invariance provides the foundation for this practice. This study investigated the factorial invariance of the WAIS-III across the instrument's 13 age groups. The overall results from this study generally support both configural and factorial invariance of the WAIS-III when the 11 primary tests are administered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adenoid cystic carcinomas of the maxillary sinus with intracranial invasion. Review of the literature, apropos of a case

The aims of this study were to analyze and assess dimensions of the Dental Fear Survey (DFS), which has been developed to measure dental fears and phobias. The present study of 313 dental-phobic individuals analyzed the DFS in a factor analysis using an exploratory (EFA) and a confirmatory (CFA) factor analysis to show dimensions and latent variables. The EFA showed a five-factor structure, with dimensions including items characterizing 'Avoidance of dental care', 'Physiologic arousal during dental treatment', 'Anticipatory anxiety while waiting for dental treatment', 'Fear of the injection needle', and 'Fear of the drill'. The total explained variance of the EFA was 63%. Although statistically significant, the CFA model showed a factor structure with 6 latent variables including a general dental fear factor loading on all 20 items together with the aforementioned 5 factors. In spite of the limitation in sample size and the significant test statistic for this 6-factor structure, the model was interpretable in its dimensionality. In conclusion, these factor analyses have shown a different factor structure of the DFS in this sample of dental-phobic individuals as compared with the dimensions reported from previous research in samples representing nonclinical populations.     

Factor structure of coping: Two studies of mothers with high levels of life stress.

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to investigate the factor structure of coping in mothers with high levels of life stress. In Study 1, EFA of the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (C. S. Carver, M. F. Scheier, & J. K. Weintraub, 1989) in a sample of mothers of full-term or very low birth weight 2-year-old children yielded 7 reliable coping factors. Each factor accounted for significant variance in at least 1 of 6 outcomes measuring maternal-child well-being. In Study 2, CFA was used to cross-validate the EFA model on the basis of the responses of mothers of 2-year-old children with prenatal polysubstance exposure. CFA results revealed a moderately good fit, confirming the factor structure in a 2nd, independent sample of mothers with high levels of life stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing factor analytic models of the DSM-IV personality disorders.

There is little agreement about the latent factor structure of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) personality disorders (PDs). Factor analytic studies over the past 2 decades have yielded different results, in part reflecting differences in factor analytic technique, the measure used to assess the PDs, and the changing DSM criteria. In this study, we explore the latent factor structure of the DSM (4th ed.; IV) PDs in a sample of 1200 psychiatric outpatients evaluated with the Structured Interview for DSM–IV PDs (B. Pfohl, N. Blum, & M. Zimmerman, 1997). We first evaluated 2 a priori models of the PDs with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reflecting their inherent organization in the DSM–IV: a 3-factor model and a 10-factor model. Fit statistics did not suggest that these models yielded an adequate fit. We then evaluated the latent structure with exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Multiple solutions produced more statistically and theoretically reasonable results, as well as providing clinically useful findings. On the basis of fit statistics and theory, 3 models were evaluated further—the 4-, 5-, and 10-factor models. The 10-factor model, which did not resemble the 10-factor model of the CFA, was determined to be the strongest of all 3 models. Future research should use contemporary methods of evaluating factor analytic results in order to more thoroughly compare various factor solutions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive impairment in preclinical Alzheimer's disease: A meta-analysis.

To determine the size of the impairment across different cognitive domains in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD), a meta-analysis based on 47 studies involving 9,097 controls and 1,207 preclinical AD cases was conducted. There were marked preclinical deficits in global cognitive ability, episodic memory, perceptual speed, and executive functioning; somewhat smaller deficits in verbal ability, visuospatial skill, and attention; and no preclinical impairment in primary memory. Younger age (     

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Cattell-Horn-Carroll Theory and Cross-Age Invariance of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities III.

Establishing an instrument's factorial invariance provides the empirical foundation to compare an individual's score across time or to examine the pattern of correlations between variables in differentiated age groups. In the recently published Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ COG) and Achievement (WJ ACH) Third Edition (III) the authors provide evidence for the factor structure of the entire battery, but they did not report the formal testing of the factorial invariance of the battery across age groups. In practice, all WJ III tests are generally not administered to a single examinee. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factorial invariance of the WJ COG under one of the most frequent testing scenarios: the calculation of an examinee's General Intellectual Ability Score-Extended (GIA-EXT; a single, global or full-scale score of intelligence) and performance on the seven latent cognitive processing or Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) clusters. The overall results from this study provide support for the factorial invariance of the WJ COG when the 14 tests contributing to the calculation of an examinee's GIA and CHC factors scores are administered. Support is provided for the WJ COG theoretical factor structure across five age groups (ages 6 to 90+ years). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

ADHD and College Students: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Structures With Student and Parent Data.

Exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were used to investigate the structure of the Student Report Inventory (SRI) and Parent Report Inventory (PRI) of the College Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Response Evaluation. The sample was composed of 1,080 college students and their parents and was stratified by ethnicity, gender, ability level, age, grade, region of residence, and psychoeducational classification status. Results varied according to the information source (self-report vs. parent). EFA uncovered and CFA confirmed 3 distinct and reliable dimensions for student reports: Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity. By contrast, EFA and CFA uncovered a reliable 2-dimension structure for the parent-report data. Factor structures replicated across genders (3 factors for the SRI, and 2 factors for the PRI). Results are discussed in terms of the divergence of structures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement invariance of neuropsychological tests in diverse older persons.

Objective: Comparability of meaning of neuropsychological test results across ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups is important for clinicians challenged with assessing increasing numbers of older ethnic minorities. We examined the dimensional structure of a neuropsychological test battery in linguistically and demographically diverse older adults. Method: The Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales (SENAS), developed to provide psychometrically sound measures of cognition for multiethnic and multilingual applications, was administered to a community dwelling sample of 760 Whites, 443 African Americans, 451 English-speaking Hispanics, and 882 Spanish-speaking Hispanics. Cognitive function spanned a broad range from normal to mildly impaired to demented. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine equivalence of the dimensional structure for the SENAS across the groups defined by language and ethnicity. Results: Covariance among 16 SENAS tests was best explained by five cognitive dimensions corresponding to episodic memory, semantic memory/language, spatial ability, attention/working memory, and verbal fluency. Multiple Group confirmatory factor analysis supported a common dimensional structure in the diverse groups. Measures of episodic memory showed the most compelling evidence of measurement equivalence across groups. Measurement equivalence was observed for most but not all measures of semantic memory/language and spatial ability. Measures of attention/working memory defined a common dimension in the different groups, but results suggest that scores are not strictly comparable across groups. Conclusions: These results support the applicability of the SENAS for use with multiethnic and bilingual older adults, and more broadly, provide evidence of similar dimensions of cognition in the groups represented in the study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure of the BASC–2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 23(2) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2011-09524-001). There was an omission in the author note. The author note should have included a disclosure as follows, “Randy W. Kamphaus wishes to disclose a potential conflict of interest in that he receives a portion of royalties on net sales of BESS.”] The BASC–2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) Student Form (Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007) is a recently developed youth self-report rating scale designed to identify students at risk for behavioral and emotional problems. The BESS Student Form was derived from the Behavior Assessment System for Children—Second Edition Self-Report of Personality (BASC–2 SRP; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) using principal component analytic procedures and theoretical considerations. Using 3 samples, the authors conducted exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to understand the underlying factor structure of the BESS Student Form. The results of the EFA suggested that the SRP contained a 4-factor (i.e., Personal Adjustment, Inattention/Hyperactivity, Internalizing, School Problems) emergent structure, which was supported by CFA in 2 additional samples. Practical and research implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement invariance of the Gifted Rating Scales—School Form across five cultural groups.

This study examined measurement invariance of the Gifted Rating Scales—School Form (GRS–S) across the United States, Puerto Rico, China, South Korea, and Turkey, using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. A total of 1,817 students were rated by 287 teachers using either translated versions of GRS–S or the original English GRS–S. Results indicate a similar factor structure for the GRS–S across the five locations; six factors with each of the 72 items equivalently loaded to the same latent variable across groups. The metric invariance test and the factor variance and covariance invariance tests reveal that the patterns of factor loadings and the factor variances and covariances are invariant across the five groups. Moreover, the scalar invariance test indicates that item means are equivalent across the groups. These results suggest that the GRS–S has intercultural utility and can be similarly interpreted. Implications and limitations of the present research for gifted identification are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Factor structure of the BASC-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form": Correction to Dowdy et al. (2011).

Reports an error in "Factor structure of the BASC–2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form" by E. Dowdy, et al. (Psychological Assessment. np). There was an omission in the author note. The author note should have included a disclosure as follows, “Randy W. Kamphaus wishes to disclose a potential conflict of interest in that he receives a portion of royalties on net sales of BESS.” (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2011-04578-001.) The BASC–2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) Student Form (Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007) is a recently developed youth self-report rating scale designed to identify students at risk for behavioral and emotional problems. The BESS Student Form was derived from the Behavior Assessment System for Children—Second Edition Self-Report of Personality (BASC–2 SRP; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) using principal component analytic procedures and theoretical considerations. Using 3 samples, the authors conducted exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to understand the underlying factor structure of the BESS Student Form. The results of the EFA suggested that the SRP contained a 4-factor (i.e., Personal Adjustment, Inattention/Hyperactivity, Internalizing, School Problems) emergent structure, which was supported by CFA in 2 additional samples. Practical and research implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characterizing executive functioning in older special populations: From cognitively elite to cognitively impaired.

The authors examined the structure and invariance of executive functions (EF) across (a) a continuum of cognitive status in 3 groups of older adults (cognitively elite [CE], cognitively normal [CN], and cognitively impaired [CI]) and (b) a 3-year longitudinal interval. Using latent variable analyses (LISREL 8.80), the authors tested 3-factor models (“Inhibition”: Hayling [Burgess & Shallice, 1997], Stroop [Regard, 1981]; “Shifting”: Brixton [Burgess & Shallice, 1997], Color Trails [D’Elia et al., 1996]; and “Updating”: Reading and Computational Span [Salthouse & Babcock, 1991]) and 1-factor models within each group. Participants (initial N = 570; 53–90 years) were from the Victoria Longitudinal Study (Sample 3, Waves 1 and 2). Cross-sectionally, the authors observed a 3-factor EF structure especially for the CE group and 1-factor solutions for all 3 groups. Longitudinally, temporal invariance was supported for the 3-factor model (CE and CN groups) and the 1-factor model (CI and CN groups). Subgroups with higher cognitive status and greater 3-year stability performed better on EF factors than corresponding groups with lower cognitive status and less stability. Studies of EF structure, performance, dedifferentiation, and dysfunction will benefit from considering initial cognitive status and longitudinal stability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of the factorial invariance of the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI): Results from middle and high school students.

The construct of student engagement is increasingly prevalent in the field of education, serving as the foundation of dropout prevention and high school reform initiatives. The purpose of this study was to further examine 1 measure of student engagement, the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI), designed to measure 2 subtypes of student engagement: cognitive and affective. This research extended the initial validation work on the SEI by examining score reliability and factorial invariance across grades and gender. Students (N = 2,416) were sampled from school districts in the rural Southeast and Upper Midwest of the United States. Results indicated similar factor structure, equal score reliability, and similar latent factor relationships across all grades. Evidence supported the contention that the SEI may be used at the middle and high school levels to measure cognitive and affective subtypes of student engagement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigating the structure and age invariance of episodic memory across the adult lifespan.

The structure of episodic memory was investigated by assessing different modalities of material (verbal, figural, and spatial) and different types of tests (recall, cued recall, and recognition). A 3-factor model that distinguished among modalities of material was found to be the best representation of memory and the verbal, figural, and spatial memory factors exhibiting construct validity. This 3-factor modality of material model also demonstrated configural, metric, and structural age invariance across a sample of adults (N = 327) between the ages of 18 and 94. There was evidence that latent constructs corresponding to recall, cued recall, and recognition could be distinguished from one another within the verbal domain but not within the figural and spatial domains. A mediation model examining the retrieval constructs was examined within the verbal domain, and there were unique age-related influences on cued recall and recall performance. This result is consistent with findings that increased age is associated with increased difficulty in retrieving information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Visual variant of Alzheimer's disease: Distinctive neuropsychological features.

A subgroup of patients with probable Alzheimer disease (AD) reported a history of isolated visual disturbances (VS) early in the course of disease, without the characteristic memory complaints. Brain imaging and neuropathologic studies indicated that this subgroup had larger involvement of visual cortical areas and relative sparing of temporal. frontal, and limbic structures compared with classic AD. Consistent with these findings, the authors hypothesized that the cognitive deficits in this subgroup would be distinctly different from those seen in more typical AD patients. The authors studied 10 probable AD patients with VS (AD&±&|S), 22 patients without VS (AD–), and 25 healthy controls with a neuropsychological test battery. Compared with AD–, AD&±&|S patients performed significantly better on tests of verbal memory and had greater impairment on tests of visuospatial skills, suggesting a distinct pattern of cognitive dysfunction consistent with metabolic and neuropathologic reports. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory: Two approaches for exploring measurement invariance.

Investigated the utility of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) models for testing the comparability of psychological measurements. Both procedures were used to investigate whether mood ratings collected in Minnesota and China were comparable. Several issues were addressed. The 1st issue was that of establishing a common measurement scale across groups, which involves full or partial measurement invariance of trait indicators. It is shown that using CFA or IRT models, test items that function differentially as trait indicators across groups need not interfere with comparing examinees on the same trait dimension. Second, the issue of model fit was addressed. It is proposed that person-fit statistics be used to judge the practical fit of IRT models. Finally, topics for future research are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring cancer patients' psychological distress and well-being: A factor analytic assessment of the Mental Health Inventory.

This study examined the psychometric structure of the Mental Health Inventory (MHI) in 433 cancer patients. Using structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted. Next, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to explore an alternative MHI factor structure with a randomly chosen subsample. Finally, CFAs were conducted on 6 MHI models with the second subsample. Convergent validity was examined by administering the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). The CFAs with the original MHI factor structure indicated inadequate fit, supporting the need to conduct an EFA. Results of the EFA indicated support for a 5-factor solution but numerous differences in item factor loadings. The CFA indicated that the 5-factor correlated model was the best fitting model. Correlations between the PANAS and the DAS with the MHI provided preliminary support for the convergent validity of the MHI. Together, these results indicate that the original MHI factor structure may require modification for use in patients with cancer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of maternal alcoholism on separation of children from their mothers: findings from a sample of incarcerated women

Research on achievement goal orientation in sport has relied primarily on traditional statistical methodology to examine group mean differences. Unfortunately, examination of the measurement model is generally ignored prior to means testing. This study reports an application of structural equation modeling (SEM) in testing measurement invariance and latent mean structure of the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ; Duda & Nicholls, 1989) using male and female college students. A confirmatory factor analysis for testing invariance revealed invariant measurement properties and factor structures across gender, indicating that task and ego orientation are similarly conceptualized by male and female students. Subsequent testing of latent mean structures, however, showed significant gender differences with respect to ego orientation, but no difference in task orientation. The SEM procedures used in the present study demonstrate additional construct validity and internal consistency reliability for the TEOSQ and, by confirming its factor structure, provide a sound psychometric basis for its continued use in substantive studies focusing on the comparison of achievement goal orientation across gender.