Two Factors are Quite Enough: A Response to Molloy (1984)

1985 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay S. Birnbrauer

External variables and measurable aspects of human behaviour, biology, mind, emotions, and whatever else one cares to name are all that psychologists and other professionals concerned with behaviour change have to respond to and manipulate. A two factor model thus is proposed to maintain attention and action on goals and methods. In the course of arguing this position, some common misconceptions of the operant model are corrected.

1985 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey N. Molloy

In an earlier contribution to Behaviour Change, a five-factor framework which recognizes both environmental and internal mediating determinants of behaviour was presented (Molloy, 1984). The five factors constitute a dynamic interdependent system whereby a change in any one of the components affects one or more of the other elements. The model is intended as an heuristic device for formulating and testing hypotheses and to illustrate how human behaviour, beyond simple habits and reactions, is multiply determined.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (03) ◽  
pp. 20445-20451
Author(s):  
Adam A ◽  
Kiosseoglou G ◽  
Abatzoglou G ◽  
Papaligoura Z.

The present research aims to examine the factor structure of the Hellenic WISC-III in a sample of 50 children with learning disabilities. The results show the existence of a factorial model with two factors, one aggregating the Comprehension verbal subtest with four performance subtests and the other the Picture Arrangement performance subtest with four verbal subtests. This two-factor model includes loadings in two factors that relate to the sequencing abilities and the verbal reasoning abilities of children. These findings assert the clinical value of the intelligence evaluation in these children.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salene M. Wu ◽  
Dagmar Amtmann

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease characterized by neurological symptoms and sometimes heightened levels of distress. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is often used in MS samples to measure stress but has not been validated in this population. Participants (n=446) completed the PSS as well as measure of depression, anxiety, and mental and physical health. Factor analyses indicated that the general factor of a bifactor model accounted for a large amount of the variance in the 14-item and 10-item versions of the PSS. The 4-item PSS had two factors, the Stress subscale and the Coping subscale, but a one-factor model also fits the data well. Total scores and both subscales had sufficient reliability and validity for all versions of the PSS, although a few items of the 14-item PSS had low item-total correlations. This study supports the use of the total score of the PSS in MS but also suggests that the 10-item PSS had better psychometric properties than the 14-item PSS.


SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402110013
Author(s):  
Monique O’Bryant ◽  
Prathiba Natesan Batley ◽  
Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie

The aims of this study were to validate an instrument that measured statistics anxiety and to examine how attitudes toward statistics predict statistics anxiety using the Attitudes Toward Statistics (ATS) Scale for a sample of 323 undergraduate social science majors enrolled in colleges and universities in the United States. A confirmatory factor analysis suggested retaining a revised two-factor model of the Statistical Anxiety Scale (SAS) to measure statistics anxiety, namely, help and interpretation anxiety ([Formula: see text] = 49.37, df = 38.13, p = .105, comparative fit index [CFI] = .959, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .035, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .076). An examination of discriminant validity of the scores of the SAS with scores of the ATS subscales revealed that statistics anxiety and attitudes toward statistics are distinct constructs. Structural equational modeling was used to determine whether attitude toward course and attitude toward field were predictors of examination anxiety and asking for help anxiety. Of the two factors of the ATS scale, attitudes toward field and attitudes toward course, the latter predicted examination anxiety better than the former did, although both were moderate predictors of examination anxiety. We recommend that statistics educators consider the role of statistics anxiety as well as attitudes toward statistics and the field when designing their pedagogical approach.


UK-Vet Equine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-54
Author(s):  
Tamzin Furtado

Equine obesity is one of the biggest welfare concerns facing our leisure horses today. As a preventable issue, with many serious consequences, obesity should be simple to fix (by reducing energy input and increasing exercise) – yet this issue remains one of the most complex and pervasive problems for the UK's horses. Despite many campaigns to raise awareness and improve owner education, levels of obesity in horses are thought to be as high as ever. In this article, we unpick some insights gained from the fields of psychology, sociology and human behaviour, which will help practitioners to find ways to buck the trend and encourage the equine community to manage horses' weight proactively.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 396-401
Author(s):  
Tamzin Furtado

Helping animal owners to recognise and manage obesity in their animals is a particularly complex area of communications in veterinary medicine. Several studies have outlined the difficulty veterinary professionals face in such discussions, including frustration with the client, embarrassment (particularly if the owner is also overweight), and a sense of inevitable failure. However, obesity continues to be a serious and prevalent welfare problem in dogs, cats, and probably other companion animals as well — hence those discussions will only continue. This review considers veterinary surgeon–client interactions around obesity from the perspective of behaviour change psychology and motivational interviewing, in order to determine how veterinary surgeons and nurses can best assist owners. We consider how an approach based on a supportive and empathetic conversational style could be best suited to these discussions, leading to tailored weight management solutions. Nurses are ideally placed to work with owners in this way.


Author(s):  
Aneta Przepiórka ◽  
Agata Błachnio ◽  
Tomasz Jankowski ◽  
Zena R. Mello ◽  
Frank C. Worrell

Abstract. In this paper, we examined the dimensionality, reliability, structural validity, and convergent validity of scores on the Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory – Time Attitude Scale (AATI-TA) in a sample of 989 Polish adolescents and young adults. Two studies were conducted. In Study 1, confirmatory factor analyses supported both the original 6-factor model (Past Positive, Past Negative, Positive Present, Negative Present, Future Positive, and Future Negative) and an alternative time-valence model with two factors related to valence (Positivity and Negativity) and three temporal factors (Past, Present, and Future). Study 1 results also provided evidence of invariance between adolescents and adults up to latent means. AATI-TA scores were also found to be invariant by gender and national context with scores from American adolescents. AATI-TA scores also yielded satisfactory reliability estimates. In Study 2, the incremental validity of AATI-TA scores over the contributions of ZTPI scores was assessed for and demonstrated with satisfaction with life and self-esteem. Overall, the results suggest that the Polish version of the AATI-TA yields psychometrically sound scores in Polish adolescents and adults.


2020 ◽  
pp. 019394592095668
Author(s):  
Carol M. Musil ◽  
McKenzie K. Wallace ◽  
Alexandra B. Jeanblanc ◽  
Valerie B. Toly ◽  
Jaclene A. Zauszniewski ◽  
...  

Mindfulness, resilience, and resourcefulness are theoretically distinct but related constructs critical for improving psychosocial well-being outcomes for informal caregivers and others. Our aims were to evaluate the theoretical and operational distinctions among these constructs. Measures of mindfulness (Decentering Scale), resilience (Connor-Davidson Scale) and resourcefulness (Resourcefulness Scale) were collected from a national sample of 348 grandmother caregivers. We conducted exploratory factor analysis and examined correlation patterns. Inter-correlations ranged from r= .26 (resourcefulness and resilience) to r= .73 (resilience and mindfulness). Factor analyses and scree plots indicated unidimensional factors for resilience and for mindfulness, and two factors for resourcefulness (personal and social). When items from all measures were analyzed together, the four factors remained. Distinct relationships were found between mindfulness, resilience, and resourcefulness with relevant external variables. Our results support the conceptual distinctions among the constructs, providing support for interventions targeting these constructs to improve psychosocial outcomes in caregivers.


Urban Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 100728
Author(s):  
Ko Nakajima ◽  
Yuya Takane ◽  
Yukihiro Kikegawa ◽  
Yasuko Furuta ◽  
Hiroki Takamatsu

Assessment ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 769-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelia G. Chrysikou ◽  
W. Jake Thompson

One aspect of higher order social cognition is empathy, a psychological construct comprising a cognitive (recognizing emotions) and an affective (responding to emotions) component. The complex nature of empathy complicates the accurate measurement of these components. The most widely used measure of empathy is the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). However, the factor structure of the IRI as it is predominantly used in the psychological literature differs from Davis’s original four-factor model in that it arbitrarily combines the subscales to form two factors: cognitive and affective empathy. This two-factor model of the IRI, although popular, has yet to be examined for psychometric support. In the current study, we examine, for the first time, the validity of this alternative model. A confirmatory factor analysis showed poor model fit for this two-factor structure. Additional analyses offered support for the original four-factor model, as well as a hierarchical model for the scale. In line with previous findings, females scored higher on the IRI than males. Our findings indicate that the IRI, as it is currently used in the literature, does not accurately measure cognitive and affective empathy and highlight the advantages of using the original four-factor structure of the scale for empathy assessments.


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