Assessment of Personality Functioning in Adolescence: Development of the Adolescent Personality Structure Questionnaire

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112098815
Author(s):  
Ilaria M. A. Benzi ◽  
Andrea Fontana ◽  
Rossella Di Pierro ◽  
Marco Perugini ◽  
Pietro Cipresso ◽  
...  

Adolescence is a crucial period for the development of personality and its dysfunctions. In this regard, it is essential to evaluate the nature and degree of maladaptive personality functioning. However, measures currently available present some limitations, mainly being adaptations from adult’s tailored instruments and length. Moreover, no instrument considers the crucial dimensions related to body development and sexuality. This contribution presents data on the Adolescent Personality Structure Questionnaire (APS-Q) development, a self-report measure to capture core aspects of personality functioning in adolescence while being agile and reliable. On two large samples of adolescents (total N = 1,664), we investigated the psychometric properties of the APS-Q. We explored its factor structure and construct and incremental validity in the first sample, testing specific associations with existing measures of severity of personality pathology, maladaptive personality traits, and psychological distress. In the second sample, we confirmed its factor structure, assessing gender and age invariance. Overall, our findings support the APS-Q’s validity as a reliable and useful measure to assess personality functioning. Moreover, the APS-Q highlighted developmentally vital dimensions such as self-functioning (encompassing mental and bodily changes and considering the dimension of sexuality), interpersonal functioning (discriminating the dimensions of family and peers), and emotion regulation.

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
José P. Espada ◽  
Tania B. Huedo-Medina ◽  
Mireia Orgilés ◽  
Roberto Secades ◽  
Rafael Ballester ◽  
...  

El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en desarrollar y analizar las propiedades psicométricas de una escala multidimensional para evaluar los conocimientos relacionados con el VIH/SIDA en adolescentes (Escala de conocimientos sobre VIH/SIDA, HIV-KS). Tras un estudio piloto se administró un cuestionario de 48 ítems a una muestra de 14 centros escolares de 5 provincias españolas. Se puso a prueba la estructura teórica del cuestionario mediante un análisis de componentes principales al que se le aplicó un análisis confirmatorio. Se analizó la validez convergente y discriminante y la fiabilidad de la escala y, finalmente, se procedió a comprobar su invarianza factorial en función del género y la edad con una muestra de 1216 participantes. La versión final de HIV-KS estuvo compuesta por 10 ítems distribuidos en 3 factores principales. Los factores incluidos fueron (1) Transmisión oral del VIH, (2) Efectos del VIH, y (3) Otras vías de transmisión del VIH. La escala HIV-KS muestra invarianza en función del género y la edad y buena consistencia interna. HIV-KS es una escala capaz de evaluar de forma rápida y eficaz el grado de conocimientos sobre VIH/SIDA en población adolescente.  Absctract This paper aims to describe the development process, the factor structure, the reliability and validity of a multidimensional scale to measure HIV/AIDS-related knowledge for adolescents (HIV/AIDS Knowledge Scale, HIV-KS). After a pilot study of the items, a questionnaire of 28 items was administered to a sample from 14 different schools in 5 counties in Spain. Firstly, Principal-component analysis was used: first, to test a theory-driven structure and second, to develop an empirically derived factor structure for HIV-KS, which was tested with a confirmatory factor analysis. Secondly, reliability and convergent and discriminant validity were examined and finally, the factorial invariance was analyzed according to gender and age with a sample of 1,216 Spanish adolescents.The final version of the HIV-KS consists of 10 items distributed across three major factors. The factors included are: (1) HIV oral transmission, (2) HIV effects, and (3) other HIV transmission methods. The HIV-KS is invariant across gender and age and shows good validity and internal reliability. HIV-KS is a capable and parsimonious self-report scale for assessing main aspects of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge for adolescents.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 513-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth J. Smith ◽  
David J. Emerson ◽  
Michael A. Schuldt

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale 10 (CD-RISC 10) (Campbell-Sills and Stein, 2007) for use in public accounting settings. Design/methodology/approach The analyses include an examination of possible demographic differences in overall score, the scale’s factor structure, the invariance of its factor structure across gender and age groups, the scale’s reliability and its convergent and divergent validity. Findings There are significant gender and age group difference in scores, but a common univariate factor structure for the scale. The authors further find that a two-factor solution provides a superior fit to the data compared to the single factor structure used in the most prior research. Spearman–Brown reliability coefficients, item-total correlations and coefficient alphas each support the reliability of the items loading on the scale for the full sample, as well as for each of the above-referenced demographic subsamples. Research limitations/implications Limitations are acknowledged related to the use of self-report measures, absence of test-retest score comparisons and convergent and divergent assessments limited to the heterotrait–homomethod approach. Practical implications The CD-RISC 10 is an expedient resilience measure, as it can be completed and scored in just a few minutes. Human resource administrators at public accounting firms can use it as an initial screening measure to identify staff who might benefit from resilience training. The paper adds to the appreciation of what not to do in the face of crisis by the government and those in charge of large accounting organizations. Social implications The CD-RISC 10 can be used in research and clinical efforts to reduce voluntary turnover of audit staff and enhance the well-being of auditors in the workplace. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence that the CD-RISC 10 is a valid and reliable measure for future assessments of auditor resilience levels.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Abplanalp ◽  
Jasmine Mote ◽  
Anne Uhlman ◽  
Emma Weizenbaum ◽  
Talha Alvi ◽  
...  

Reduced efforts to form and maintain social bonds can exist in the context of sufficient desire for social connection. This disconnect between social liking/wanting and effortful behavior may contribute to social impairment. Despite many available questionnaires that assess sociability, desire or lack thereof for connection, and perceived social support, there is no current self-report assessment of social effort (i.e., tendencies toward exerting effort in the service of social connection). Our aim in this study was to develop and examine the factor structure of a scale designed to measure social motivation as reflected by effortful approach to form/maintain social bonds. The scale was administered to two samples of U.S. college students (total N = 981) and adults living in the U.S. via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk; N = 506). We analyzed the scale’s factor structure using exploratory structural equation modeling. We identified two factors that represented content related to social effort (e.g., “I often arrange events with other people”) and social conscientiousness (e.g., “I compliment others when they have done something well”); we named the measure the Social Effort and Conscientiousness Scale (SEACS). We examined convergent, divergent, and criterion validity, internal consistency, and measurement invariance of the SEACS. Results suggest the SEACS is a reliable and valid measure of social effort. We include discussion of potential applications of the SEACS, including its use in psychopathology research.


Assessment ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-595
Author(s):  
Jens C. Thimm

The Computerized Adaptive Test of Personality Disorder–Static Form (CAT-PD-SF) is a self-report inventory developed to assess pathological personality traits. The current study explored the reliability and higher order factor structure of the Norwegian version of the CAT-PD-SF and the relationships between the CAT-PD traits and domains of personality functioning in an undergraduate student sample ( N = 375). In addition to the CAT-PD-SF, the short form of the Severity Indices of Personality Problems and the Brief Symptom Inventory were administered. The results showed that the Norwegian CAT-PD-SF has good score reliability. Factor analysis of the CAT-PD-SF scales indicated five superordinate factors that correspond to the trait domains of the alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorders. The CAT-PD traits were highly predictive of impaired personality functioning after controlling for psychological distress. It is concluded that the CAT-PD-SF is a promising tool for the assessment of personality disorder traits.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 173-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Wolfgang Lichtenthaler ◽  
Andrea Fischbach

Abstract. This research redefined the job demands–resources (JD-R) job crafting model ( Tims & Bakker, 2010 ) to resolve theoretical and empirical inconsistencies regarding the crafting of job demands and developed a German version of the Job Crafting Scale (JCS; Tims, Bakker, & Derks, 2012 ) in two separate studies (total N = 512). In Study 1 the German version of the JCS was developed and tested for its factor structure, reliability, and construct validity. Study 2 dealt with the validity of our redefined JD-R job crafting model. The results show that, like the original version, the German version comprises four job crafting types, and the German version of the JCS is a valid and reliable generic measure that can be used for future research with German-speaking samples. Evidence for the redefined JD-R job crafting model was based on findings relating job crafting to work engagement and emotional exhaustion.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
William S. Helton ◽  
Katharina Näswall

Conscious appraisals of stress, or stress states, are an important aspect of human performance. This article presents evidence supporting the validity and measurement characteristics of a short multidimensional self-report measure of stress state, the Short Stress State Questionnaire (SSSQ; Helton, 2004 ). The SSSQ measures task engagement, distress, and worry. A confirmatory factor analysis of the SSSQ using data pooled from multiple samples suggests the SSSQ does have a three factor structure and post-task changes are not due to changes in factor structure, but to mean level changes (state changes). In addition, the SSSQ demonstrates sensitivity to task stressors in line with hypotheses. Different task conditions elicited unique patterns of stress state on the three factors of the SSSQ in line with prior predictions. The 24-item SSSQ is a valid measure of stress state which may be useful to researchers interested in conscious appraisals of task-related stress.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tíscar Rodríguez-Jiménez ◽  
Antonio Godoy ◽  
José A. Piqueras ◽  
Aurora Gavino ◽  
Agustín E. Martínez-González ◽  
...  

Abstract. Evidence-based assessment is necessary as a first step for developing psychopathological studies and assessing the effectiveness of empirically validated treatments. There are several measures of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or symptomatology in children and adolescents, but all of them present some limitations. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) by Foa and her colleagues has showed to be a good self-report measure to capture the dimensionality of OCD in adults and adolescents. The child version of the OCI (OCI-CV) was validated for clinical children and adolescents in 2010, showing excellent psychometric properties. The objective of this study was to examine the factor structure and invariance of the OCI-CV in the general population. Results showed a six-factor structure with one second-order factor, good consistency values, and invariance across region, age, and sex. The OCI-CV is an excellent inventory for assessing the dimensions of OCD symptomatology in general populations of children and adolescents. The invariance across sex and age warrants its utilization for research purposes.


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