Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis of the Child Behavior Checklist/4–18.

Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the 2-factor 2nd-order structure of T. M. Achenbach's ( 1991 ) Child Behavior Checklist in a sample of 577 children who had been identified as having serious emotional disturbance. An alternative 1-factor 2nd-order model also was tested. Results supported T. M. Achenbach's model in which the broadband Internalizing factor was represented by the narrowband Withdrawn, Somatic, and Anxious/Depressed syndromes, and the broadband Externalizing factor was represented by the narrowband Delinquent and Aggressive syndromes. Consistent with T. M. Achenbach's model, the remaining narrowband syndromes (i.e., Social, Thought, Attention ) loaded equally on both broadband factors and should not be included in scoring either Internalizing or Externalizing. Fit of the 1-factor model also was good and only slightly poorer than the 2-factor model. Therefore, an overall score would be appropriate as a measure of global problem behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The ingratiation construct: An assessment of the validity of the Measure of Ingratiatory Behaviors in Organizational Settings (MIBOS).

Independent samples were used to assess the construct validity of the Measure of Ingratiatory Behaviors in Organizational Settings (MIBOS) scale (K. Kumar & M. Beyerlein, 1991). The 4 samples included managerial personnel (n = 288), members of 2 professional organizations (n?=?144), clerical employees (n?=?110), and working students (n?=?279). Three distinct conceptualizations were examined using confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL 8). Alternative models included (a) a 4-factor conceptualization proposed by Kumar and Beyerlein; (b) a 4-factor, 2nd-order conceptualization; and (c) a unidimensional model. None of the models provided adequate support for the factor structure of the measure. Similarly, convergent and discriminant assessments failed to provide strong support for the validity of the scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motivation to volunteer by older adults: a test of competing measurement models

Four measurement models of the structure of motivation to volunteer were evaluated in 2 samples of older (minimum age = 50 years), active volunteers. Motivation to volunteer was assessed with the Volunteer Functions Inventory. Whereas no support was found for either unidimensional or bipartite models, qualified support was observed for both 6-factor and 2nd-order factor models. The best fit of the data was obtained with the 6-factor model of motivation to volunteer (career, enhancement, protective, social, understanding, and values). Contrary to the prediction derived from the 2nd-order factor model, the 6 volunteer motives were differentially related to demographic variables and number of hours spent volunteering for the organization during the past year. Implications for assessing motivation to volunteer among older adults and recruiting older adults as volunteers are discussed.     

Orthogonal higher order structure and confirmatory factor analysis of the French Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III).

According to the most widely accepted Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) model of intelligence measurement, each subtest score of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults (3rd ed.; WAIS–III) should reflect both 1st- and 2nd-order factors (i.e., 4 or 5 broad abilities and 1 general factor). To disentangle the contribution of each factor, we applied a Schmid–Leiman orthogonalization transformation (SLT) to the standardization data published in the French technical manual for the WAIS–III. Results showed that the general factor accounted for 63% of the common variance and that the specific contributions of the 1st-order factors were weak (4.7%–15.9%). We also addressed this issue by using confirmatory factor analysis. Results indicated that the bifactor model (with 1st-order group and general factors) better fit the data than did the traditional higher order structure. Models based on the CHC framework were also tested. Results indicated that a higher order CHC model showed a better fit than did the classical 4-factor model; however, the WAIS bifactor structure was the most adequate. We recommend that users do not discount the Full Scale IQ when interpreting the index scores of the WAIS–III because the general factor accounts for the bulk of the common variance in the French WAIS–III. The 4 index scores cannot be considered to reflect only broad ability because they include a strong contribution of the general factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological dimensions of distress in chronic pain patients: A factor analytic study of Symptom Checklist-90 responses.

Examined the factor structure of the SCL-90 for pain populations. A sample of 600 outpatients (aged 15–89 yrs) treated for chronic pain was randomly split and their SCL-90 responses analyzed via maximum likelihood (with oblique rotation) factoring. A 2nd-order split-half factor analysis was performed and several restricted factor models were compared within the Linear Structural Relations format by K. G. J?reskog and D. Sorbom (1978, 1979). A 10-factor model was judged most meaningful and statistically appropriate in the 1st-order analysis. The 2nd-order analyses produced 3 factors tentatively named Somatic Distress, Cognitive Distress, and Distrust. All factors replicated across the data halves, thus providing evidence for factorial stability. The complementary use of exploratory and confirmatory factoring methods is illustrated and discussed. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Orthogonal higher order structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Fourth edition.

According to J. B. Carroll's (1993) 3-stratum theory, performance on any subtest reflects a mixture of both 2nd-order and 1st-order factors. To disentangle these influences, variance explained by the general factor should be extracted first. The 1st-order factors are then residualized, leaving them orthogonal to the general factor and each other. When these methods were applied to the WISC-IV standardization sample, the general factor accounted for the greatest amount of common (71.3%) and total (38.3%) variance. The largest contribution by a first-order factor was 6.5% of total variance. It was recommended that interpretation of the WISC-IV not discount the strong general factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of childhood disruptive behaviors.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) frequently co-occur. Comorbidity of these 2 childhood disruptive behavior domains has not been satisfactorily explained at either a structural or etiological level. The current study evaluated a bifactor model, which allows for a “g” factor in addition to distinct component factors, in relation to other models to improve understanding of the structural relationship between ADHD and ODD. Participants were 548 children (321 boys, 227 girls) between the ages of 6 years and 18 years who participated in a comprehensive diagnostic assessment incorporating parent and teacher ratings of symptoms. Of these 548 children, 153 children were diagnosed with ADHD (without ODD), 114 children were diagnosed with ADHD + ODD, 26 children were diagnosed with ODD (without ADHD), and 239 children were classified as non-ADHD/ODD comparison children (including subthreshold cases). ADHD symptoms were assessed via parent report on a diagnostic interview and via parent and teacher report on the ADHD Rating Scale. ODD symptoms were assessed via teacher report. A bifactor model of disruptive behavior, comprising a “g” factor and the specific factors of ADHD and ODD, exhibited best fit, compared to 1-factor, 2-factor, 3-factor, and 2nd-order factor models of disruptive behaviors. It is concluded that a bifactor model of childhood disruptive behaviors is superior to existing models and may help explain common patterns of comorbidity between ADHD and ODD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensionality in the measurement of authoritarian and political attitudes.

Administered 300 items from major inventories of authoritarian and political attitudes (e.g., the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale) to 135 undergraduates. The 300 items were reduced to 77 by selecting those with major factor loadings. Refactoring the 77 produced 25 1st-order factors and 10 2nd-order factors. The 1st-order factors typically referred to groupings of specific attitudes while 2nd-order factors referred to broad patterns which transcend a variety of attitudes. 4 major 2nd-order factors were identified as Religiosity, Political-Economic Liberalism, Authoritarianism, and Restrictiveness; these were found to differentiate Ss according to political and religious affiliations. Examination of items loading on the factors was considered to support the concept of the authoritarian personality but provided less support for M. Rokeach's concepts. The Melvin-Eysenck 2-factor model did not offer enough dimensions to account for the major sources of authoritarian and political attitudes. (French summary) (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revisiting the Factor Structure of the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges.

This study assessed the factor structure of the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU), a commonly used assessment of cravings for cigarettes, with a sample of smokers presenting for treatment in a smoking cessation trial. On the basis of previous research, three confirmatory factor analytic models were tested. Model 1 hypothesized a 26-item, 2-factor model using the items reported in the original QSU analysis by S. T. Tiffany and D. J. Drobes (1991). Model 2 hypothesized a 12-item, 2-factor model comprised of the 6 most robust items found in each of the 2 factors of the original factor analysis. Using the 12 items from Model 2, Model 3 hypothesized a 12-item, 1-factor model. The 2nd model was found to fit the data best. Reliability was also tested using values obtained in this 2nd model, and these estimates were found to be reasonably good. Future research directions for the QSU are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decomposing Person and Occasion-Specific Effects: An Extension of Latent State-Trait (LSI) Theory to Hierarchical LST Models.

An extension of latent state-trait (LST) theory to hierarchical LST models is presented. In hierarchical LST models, the covariances between 2 or more latent traits are explained by a general 3rd-order factor, and the covariances between latent state residuals pertaining to different traits measured on the same measurement occasion are explained by 2nd-order latent occasion-specific factors. Analogous to recent developments in multitrait-multimethod methodology, all factors are interpreted in relation to factors taken as comparison standards. An empirical example from test anxiety research illustrates how estimates of additive variance components due to general trait, specific trait, occasion, state residual, method, and measurement error can be obtained using confirmatory factor analysis. Advantages and limitations of these models are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure of the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 in a sample of girls adopted from China.

Confirmatory factor analysis with robust weighted least squares estimation of the 103 dichotomously scored items of the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 (T. M. Achenbach & L. A. Rescorla, 2001) in a sample of 516 girls adopted from China (ages 6.0-15.7 years; M = 8.2, SD = 1.9) indicated that the fit of the 8-factor model was good (root-mean-square error of approximation = .047) and was slightly better than what T. M. Achenbach and L. A. Rescorla (2001) reported for the same model (.06). Support for the 2nd-order factor structure of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems also was provided. Comparisons of the mean scores for the syndromes and Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems revealed mostly small differences between the sample of adopted Chinese girls and T. M. Achenbach and L. A. Rescorla's normative samples. (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)     

Gender and smoking cessation: A factor structure comparison of processes of change.

This study examined gender differences in the pattern of process use for smoking cessation using the Processes of Change Questionnaire (J. O. Prochaska et al; see record 1989-03620-001). The goals were (a) to determine the degree to which the covariance structure of the Processes of Change Questionnaire is invariant across gender, (b) to test the existence of the theoretical 2-factor process model using confirmatory factor analysis, and (c) to explore mean differences, if found, in the use of the 10 processes of change across 4 stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, and action). The sample (N?=?516) had an equal distribution of men and women across the stages of change. Results demonstrated that the structure of the measure for men and women was invariant at the level of the variance–covariance matrices and that the hypothesized 2-factor model fit the data. Only stage of change predicted the experiential and behavioral process factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement of smoking outcome expectancies in children: The Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Child.

A measure of smoking outcome expectancies was developed for children ages 7-12 years. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to determine whether a 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-factor solution was most appropriate for the data set. CFA revealed that the 3-factor model produced the most adequate fit (Positive Reinforcement, Negative Consequences, and Weight Control). The resulting 15-item measure was named the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Child (SCQ-C). The fit of the 3-dimensional structure was then examined separately for 3 age groups representing young (7- to 8-year-old), middle (9- to 10-year-old), and old (11- to 13-year-old) children. Overall, the 3-factor structure fit the data well for the 3 groups. As such, we examined the relations of the 3 scales with antecedent variables for the entire sample. The Positive Reinforcement scale was associated with children's smoking behavior and having a family member or peers who smoked. The Negative Consequences scale was inversely related to having a family member or peer who smoked. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey (DOTS—R): Simultaneous group confirmatory factor analysis for adolescent gender groups.

Confirmatory factor analyses supported the plausibility of a 10-factor model of the DOTS—R (M. Windle and R. M. Lerner, 1986) with a sample of 975 teenagers. Simultaneous group models across gender indicated an invariant pattern for factor loadings and factor intercorrelations. Internal consistency estimates and test–retest stability were moderately high for the 10 temperament attributes, and consensual validity was indicated by convergent/discriminant correlations between adolescent and primary caregiver agreement indexes. A 2nd-order factor analysis revealed 3 factors: Adaptability/Positive Affect, Attentional Focus, and General Rhythmicity. In terms of levels of temperament, girls reported more adaptability/positive affect, whereas boys reported more attentional focus and general rhythmicity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Refinements in the assessment of dementia-related behaviors: Factor structure of the memory and behavior problem checklist.

This study explored the factor structure of the Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (MBPC) of S. H. Zarit et al (1980), a 29-item inventory that samples negative behavior changes associated with dementia (e.g., incontinence and destroying property). Family caregivers for 185 progressive-dementia patients provided information on their affected relatives. A principal-components factor analysis with an oblique (nonorthogonal) rotation produced an 8-factor solution that accounted for 62.9% of the variance. A second-order factor analysis of the first 5 factors produced a 3-factor solution that accounted for 74.7% of the variance. The 3 factors were (a) self-care and self-maintenance functions, (b) memory problems and psychiatric symptoms associated with dementia, and (c) communication problems and agitation. Correlations between MBPC frequency scores and measures of adaptive ability and level of dementia were high and positive. Potential clinical and research applications of the scale in other related populations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Positive classroom motivational environments: Convergence between mastery goal structure and classroom social climate.

In a series of 4 studies we investigated the relations of mastery goal structure and 4 dimensions of the classroom social climate (teacher academic support, teacher emotional support, classroom mutual respect, task-related interaction). We conducted multidimensional scaling with separate adolescent samples that differed considerably (i.e., by racial and demographic characteristics, grade level, and educational contexts). Studies 1, 2, and 3 (Ns = 537, 537, and 736, respectively) showed that mastery goal structure items occupied a central space among the climate items and overlapped partially with the areas formed by the respect and academic and emotional support items. In Study 4 (N = 789) we investigated the structural relations of mastery goal structure and the 4 social climate scales with another adolescent sample. Using confirmatory factor analysis we compared these 2 models: (a) all 5 measures at the same level and (b) mastery goal structure as a 2nd-order factor, with the 4 social climate measures as its indicators. The fit for both models was good, although the 1st-order model fit was better. Nevertheless, in the 2nd-order model mastery goal structure accounted for between 92% and 67% of the variance in the climate measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structure of anxiety symptoms among children: A confirmatory factor-analytic study.

This study examined the degree to which anxiety symptoms among children cluster into subtypes of anxiety problems consistent with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) classification of anxiety disorders. Two community samples of 698 children 8–12 years of age completed a questionnaire regarding the frequency with which they experienced a wide range of anxiety symptoms. Confirmatory factor analysis of responses from Cohort 1 indicated that a model involving 6 discrete but correlated factors, reflecting the areas of panic-agoraphobia, social phobia, separation anxiety, obsessive-compulsive problems, generalized anxiety, and physical fears, provided an excellent fit of the data. The high level of covariance between latent factors was satisfactorily explained by a higher order model in which each 1st-order factor loaded on a single 2nd-order factor. The findings were replicated with Cohort 2 and were equivalent across genders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring motivations for intercollegiate athlete alcohol use: A confirmatory factor analysis of the Drinking Motives Measure.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Drinking Motives Measure (DMM) on a sample of 227 collegiate athletes. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the 4-factor structure of the DMM provided a better fit than either 2- or 1-factor models, but the overall fit of the 4-factor model was moderate at best. A revised 3-factor model consistent with prior research (M. L. Cooper, M. Russell, J. B. Skinner, & M. Windle, 1992) provided the best fit. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that the 3 DMM factors included in the revised model accounted for 17%-21% of the unique variance on alcohol consumption variables. Results provide preliminary evidence supporting the internal consistency, construct validity, and convergent validity of the revised 3-factor DMM with collegiate athletes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patients' and therapists' shared and unique views of the therapeutic alliance: An investigation using confirmatory factor analysis in a nested design.

Analyzed large general factor found in measures of the therapeutic alliance by use of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a nested design. Ratings by 38 therapists and their 144 patients on the California Psychotherapy Alliance Scales (CALPAS), the Revised Penn Helping Alliance Questionnaire (HAQ-R), and the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) were adjusted for therapist effects. A set of models for S and therapist ratings was tested with CFA, and a 3-factor model was confirmed, x–2(4)?=? 7.19, p> .13; GFI?=?.98; RMSR?=?.02; CFI?=?1.0. A shared-view factor (best represented by HAQ-R) accounted for 44% of patients' and 27% of therapists' variance. Unique factors accounted for 56% of therapists' and 43% of Ss' variance. S views split between HAQ and WAI factors; The WAI factor was most expressive of therapist views. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)