The Chinese Ways of Coping Questionnaire: Assessing coping in secondary school teachers and students in Hong Kong.

657 Chinese secondary school students and teachers responded to the Chinese version of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). Factor analysis revealed that their coping activities could be adequately described by 4 relatively independent dimensions: Rational Problem-Solving, Resigned Distancing, Seeking Support and Ventilation, and Passive Wishful Thinking. The 4 scales derived from this emergent 4-factor structure compared favorably with the original 8 WCQ coping scales in internal consistency, interscale associations, and prediction of adaptational outcomes of global and specific psychological distress, suggesting that they are a viable alternative to the 8 original scales for assessing coping in the Chinese population. Gender differences in using a self- vs other-reliant approach in coping, student–teacher differences in using a passive vs active approach in coping, and implications of findings relating coping and adaptational outcomes are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of models of drinking motives in a university sample.

Previous research has suggested the presence of several alternative factorial models for the assessment of drinking motives. In the present study, confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the factor structure of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire (M. L. Cooper, 1994) in a college sample. The results indicate that a 4-factor model that includes the dimensions of social rewards, affect enhancement, coping, and conformity motives fits the data significantly better than 2- and 3-factor models. Furthermore, the 4-factor model fits equally well for men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL: YV) in incarcerated adolescents.

Two studies are reported on the underlying dimensions of the psychopathy construct in adolescents as measured by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL: YV; Forth, Kosson, & Hare, 2003). In Study 1, the PCL: YV item ratings for 505 male adolescents incarcerated in 5 different settings in North America were used to test the fit of 3 models that have been hypothesized to represent the structure of psychopathy in adults. A 4th model based on parceling PCL: YV items was also tested. In Study 2, these models were tested with a sample of 233 male adolescents incarcerated in 2 facilities in the United Kingdom. Model fit results indicated that the 18-item 4-factor model developed by Hare (2003) and a modified version of a 13-item 3-factor model developed by Cooke and Michie (2001) were associated with generally good fit. Because the 4-factor model is a less saturated model than the 3-factor model (better parameter to data point ratio), it survived a riskier test of disconfirmation. Implications for the nature of psychopathy in youth are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The bilevel structure of the Outcome Questionnaire–45.

The structure of the Outcome Questionnaire–45 (Lambert et al., 2001) was examined in a sample of 1,100 university counseling center clients using confirmatory factor analysis. Specifically, the relative fit of 1-factor, 3-factor orthogonal, 3-factor oblique, 4-factor hierarchical, and 4-factor bilevel models were examined. Although the 3-factor oblique, 4-factor hierarchical, and 4-factor bilevel models fit the data well, the 4-factor bilevel model fit the data best. The results provided support for the fit of the 4-factor bilevel model where each item loads on 1 of the 3 independent scales of Symptom Distress, Social Role Performance, and Interpersonal Relations, in addition to a nonoverlapping general distress factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drinking motives and college students: Further examination of a four-factor model.

The purposes of this study were to examine the reliability and validity of a 4-factor model of the Drinking Motives Measure and to assess year in school and ethnic differences on different types of motives. Data were collected on 441 volunteer college students. Results indicated that fit indices for the 4-factor model were acceptable; fit indices were also better for the 4-factor model than they were for alternative models. Freshman students and students of color had higher scores on the Conformity motives subscale than senior and White students did, respectively. Additionally, differences in the correlation between Conformity motives and alcohol use existed based on year in school, such that the relationship was significantly smaller for freshmen than it was for other students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing a Four-Factor Model of Psychopathy and Its Association With Ethnicity, Gender, Intelligence, and Violence.

Although a 2-factor model has advanced research on the psychopathy construct, a 3-factor model was recently developed that emphasized pathological personality and eliminated antisocial behavior. However, dropping antisocial behavior from the psychopathy construct may not be advantageous. Using a large sample of psychiatric patients from the MacArthur Risk Assessment Study (J. Monahan & H. J. Steadman, 1994), the authors used confirmatory factor analysis to test a 4-factor model of psychopathy, which included interpersonal, affective, and behavioral impulsivity dimensions and an antisocial behavior dimension. Model fit was good for this 4-factor model, even when ethnicity, gender, and intelligence variables were included in the model. Structural equation modeling was used to compare the 3- and 4-factor models in predicting proximal (violence) and distal (intelligence) correlates of psychopathy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of multidimensional coping: Task, emotion, and avoidance strategies.

Reports 4 studies on the psychometric properties of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Study 1 examined the factor structure of the CISS in samples of 832 college students and 483 adults. Strong support was found for the multidimensionality of the CISS, suggesting that the scale independently assesses 3 basic dimensions: task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented coping. Study 2 further investigated the construct validity of the CISS by comparing it with 2 measures of basic coping styles. Study 3 also examined the construct validity of the CISS by comparing it with various measures of psychopathology. Study 4 investigated the concurrent validity of the CISS by studying the relationship between coping style (assessed by the CISS) and situation-specific coping responses used in 2 different stressful situations. Overall, the results of the 4 studies suggest that the CISS is a valid and reliable measure of basic coping styles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contingencies of Self-Worth in College Students: Theory and Measurement.

The Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale assesses 7 sources of self-esteem in college students: academics, appearance, approval from others, competition, family support, God's love, and virtue. In confirmatory factor analyses on data from 1,418 college students, a 7-factor model fit to the data acceptably well and significantly better than several plausible alternative models. The subscales all have high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, are distinct from other personality measures, and have a simplex structure arrayed on a continuum from external to internal sources of self-esteem. Contingencies of self-worth assessed prior to college predicted how students spent their time during their 1st year of college. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The White Privilege Attitudes Scale: Development and initial validation.

In this article, the authors describe 3 interrelated investigations among White undergraduate and graduate students that document the development and initial validation of the White Privilege Attitudes Scale (WPAS). The WPAS assesses the multidimensional nature of White privilege attitudes, reflecting affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions. In Study 1 (n = 250), exploratory factor analysis suggested a 28-item scale with 4 factors as follows: (a) Willingness to Confront White Privilege, (b) Anticipated Costs of Addressing White Privilege, (c) White Privilege Awareness, and (d) White Privilege Remorse. In Study 2 (n = 251), confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 4-factor model was a better fit of the data compared with competing models. The authors also found support for convergent validity between scores on the WPAS factors and theoretically related measures. Study 3 (n = 40) documented test–retest reliability of each of the WPAS factors and nonsignificant associations with socially desirable responding. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confirmatory factor analysis of the WAIS–III standardization data.

Confirmatory factor analyses with the standardization data of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Third Edition (Wechsler, 1997a) compared 6 models with 1 to 4 factors for 11- and 13-subtest versions of the test. Three factors usually fit the data better than 2 factors, but 2-factor models were more parsimonious. A 2-factor model with a Verbal Comprehension factor (Vocabulary, Similarities, Information, and Comprehension) was as good as and sometimes better than the 2-factor model defined by the traditional separation of Verbal and Performance subtests. For 3-factor models, alternative specifications of processing speed subtests on either the Perceptual Organization or Freedom From Distractibility factor were comparable, and specifying a 4th factor for Digit Symbol and Symbol Search had little advantage in comparison with 3-factor models with correlated errors for the 2 subtests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive appraisals and problem-directed coping: A prospective study of stress.

Information-seeking and problem-directed coping behaviors following a stressful event were observed as a function of cognitive appraisals of the coping resources of 138 undergraduates. Subjectively defined failure on a college exam served as an example of a mild stressor. Prior to the 1st midterm exam, Ss generated alternative strategies that could be used in the event of dissatisfaction with performance and rated the feasibility of using these strategies. Academic coping behaviors were measured by self-report and direct observation during the 3 wks prior to the next exam. Results show that coping cognitions predicted academic behaviors but not exam scores. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the dimensionality of organizational justice: A construct validation of a measure.

This study explores the dimensionality of organizational justice and provides evidence of construct validity for a new justice measure. Items for this measure were generated by strictly following the seminal works in the justice literature. The measure was then validated in 2 separate studies. Study 1 occurred in a university setting, and Study 2 occurred in a field setting using employees in an automobile parts manufacturing company. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a 4-factor structure to the measure, with distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice as distinct dimensions. This solution fit the data significantly better than a 2- or 3-factor solution using larger interactional or procedural dimensions. Structural equation modeling also demonstrated predictive validity for the justice dimensions on important outcomes, including leader evaluation, rule compliance, commitment, and helping behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Central effects of acamprosate: part 1. Acamprosate blocks the glutamate increase in the nucleus accumbens microdialysate in ethanol withdrawn rats

BACKGROUND: The factor structure of four competing models of positive symptoms and their clinical validity was studied in a sample of 253 schizophrenia inpatients. METHODS: The following models were tested using confirmatory factor analysis: a one-dimension severity model, a two-dimension model comprising a psychosis factor and a disorganization factor, a four-dimension model based on the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) structure in subscales, and a five-dimension model derived from the previous one by further differentiating Schneiderian delusions from non-Schneiderian ones. RESULTS: More complex multifactorial models fit the data better than simpler models. The five-dimension model was the best adjusted (goodness of fit index = .844, nonnormed fit index = .812, normed fit index = .728). Whereas the one-dimension model did not display significant association with the clinical variables, multidimensional models were related to age at onset and illness severity. The two-dimension model captured well the clinical correlates of the more complex models. CONCLUSION: None of the tested models showed good fit to the data. The one-dimension model displayed both poor factor validity and poor external validity; therefore, research relying on the SAPS total score may reach misleading conclusions.     

Confirmatory factor analysis of the WISC–III with child psychiatric inpatients.

One-, 2, 3, and 4-factor models of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Third Edition (WISC–III; D. Wechsler, 1991) were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. These analyses were conducted on a sample of 177 child psychiatric inpatients (age range?=?6–12 years). The 4-factor model proposed in the WISC–III manual provided the best fit to the data and was statistically superior to all the other models. Divergent correlations between the WISC–III index scores and Reading, Mathematics, Written Language, and Knowledge achievement scores provided preliminary evidence for criterion-related validity of the 4 factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analysis of the WAIS-R.

A simultaneous maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis of intercorrelations among the 11 subtests of the WAIS–R was undertaken in the 9 age groups in the normative sample (D. Wechsler, 1981). Several models were fit to the data and compared, including a single-factor model; orthogonal and oblique 2-factor models, comprised of the Verbal and Performance subtests, respectively; an orthogonal and 2 oblique 3-factor models, the 3rd factor involving the Digit Span, Arithmetic, and Digit Symbol subtests; a 3-factor model, composed of a general intellectual factor and Verbal and Performance factors; and a 4-factor model, consisting of both a general factor and 3 common ability factors (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Memory/Freedom from Distractability). Results suggest that (a) the single-factor model fits the data fairly well, although there is some misspecification in this model; (b) none of the multifactor models fit the data markedly better than the single-factor model; and (c) the single-factor structure is consistent across the age groups. It is concluded that the WAIS–R largely contains a general intellectual factor and that any common ability factors therein play a minor role in influencing WAIS–R subscale scores. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the hierarchical structure of mood and anxiety disorders: Confirmatory evidence and elaboration of a model of temperament markers.

The authors examined D. Watson's (2005) proposed reconceptualization of the diagnostic categories for mood and anxiety disorders for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders--Fifth Edition (DSM-V) and tested an elaboration of the 2-factor (positive and negative activation) model of underlying temperament markers that incorporates A. Tellegen, D. Watson, & L. A. Clark's (1999a, 1999b) higher-order dimension of happiness-unhappiness (or demoralization; see A. Tellegen et al., 2003). In Study 1, 502 undergraduate students completed several symptom measures of mood and anxiety disorders and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (J. N. Butcher et al., 2001). Using confirmatory factor analysis, the authors replicated Watson's distress and fear disorder model. Path analyses showed that demoralization was a primary marker of distress disorders, whereas dysfunctional negative emotions was a primary marker of fear disorders. Low positive emotions was a specific marker of depression and social phobia. This 3-factor path model was associated with better fit than was a 2-factor model excluding demoralization. In Study 2, the authors replicated the findings of Study 1 using data from an archival clinical sample of 636 Veterans Affairs hospital outpatients. The authors' findings provide evidence on the important role of demoralization in mood and anxiety disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining the construct validity of the Eating Disorder Inventory.

The construct validity of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) was examined in 3 samples. An archival clinic sample (n=318) of women completed the EDI, a structured interview, and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory--II (MCMI-II). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) indicated that neither null nor 1-factor models of the EDI fit item-level or item-parcel data. The proposed 8-factor model did not fit at the item level but did fit item-parcel data. Reliability estimates of the 8 scales ranged from .82 to .93, and low-to-moderate interscale correlations among the eating and weight-related scales provided partial support for convergent validity. EDI personality scales showed moderate interscale correlations and were associated with MCMI-II scales. A final CFA of the EDI scales supported a 2-factor model (Eating and Weight, Personality) of the 8 EDI scales. Strong associations between depression and several EDI scale scores were found in a treatment study sample (n=50). The archival clinic sample scored significantly higher on the 8 EDI scales than the nonpatient college comparison sample (n=487). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-cultural generalizability of personality dimensions: relating indigenous and imported dimensions in two cultures

The cross-cultural generalizability of personality dimensions was investigated by (a) identifying indigenous Philippine dimensions, (b) testing the cross-cultural replicability of the NEO 5-factor model (P. T. Costa & R.R. McCrae, 1992), and (c) relating Philippine and Western dimensions in Philippine and U.S. samples of college students. Filipino self-ratings (N = 536) on indigenous items were factor analyzed, and 6 Philippine dimensions were obtained. Conclusions about the replicability of the 5-factor model in the Philippines (N = 432) depended on whether exploratory, Procrustes, or confirmatory factor methods were used. In regression and joint factor analyses, moderate to strong associations were found between the Philippine dimensions and (a) dimensions from the 5-factor model in both Philippine (N = 387) and U.S. (N = 610) samples, and (b) the Tellegen model (A. Tellegen, 1985; A. Tellegen & N.G. Waller, in press) in a U.S. sample (N = 603).     

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in the Bergen Child Study: A conceptually and methodically motivated structural analysis.

Objective: To test Goodman’s theoretical 5-factor model of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in an analysis of the Norwegian parent (P) and teacher (T) versions of the questionnaire. Method: The T-SDQ was analyzed for 8,999 (95.4% of all) children in primary school grades 2–4 in Bergen, Norway, whereas the P-SDQ was examined for 6,430 children (68.2%). Main analyses were exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results: The analyses supported a modestly modified version of Goodman’s 5-factor model for both the P-SDQ and the T-SDQ. The correlations between latent factors were high, particularly when the conduct problem factor was involved, reflecting a high level of overlap between the problem areas. Cross-informant correlation between parents and teachers was moderate to high for the problem subscales and considerably higher than the corresponding correlation between subscales that has been found in earlier studies. Conclusions: None of the alternative models derived from the exploratory factor analysis fitted the data better than a slightly modified version of Goodman’s 5-factor model, which showed acceptable goodness of fit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version in Offenders With Axis I Disorders.

One hundred forty-nine inpatients within a maximum security psychiatric facility were assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV; S. D. Hart, D. N. Cox, & R. D. Hare, 1995). Within the total sample, 68% had a psychotic disorder and 30% met criteria for psychopathy. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the authors tested the 2-factor PCL:SV model of psychopathy and recent 3- and 4-factor models. Results indicated good fit for each model, with the 4-factor model showing best overall fit. Structural equation modeling was used to determine which psychopathy factors predicted 6-month follow-up of inpatient aggression. The 2-, 3-, and 4-factor models, respectively, accounted for 16%.27%. and 3l% of the variance in aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)