scholarly journals Application of S-1 Bifactor Model to Evaluate the Structural Validity of TMMS-24

Author(s):  
Daniel Ondé ◽  
Jesús M. Alvarado ◽  
Santiago Sastre ◽  
Carolina M. Azañedo

(1) Background: Recent studies have shown that the internal structure of TMMS-24 can be conceptualized as a bifactor. However, these studies, based exclusively on the evaluation of the fit of the model, fail to show the existence of a general factor of strong emotional intelligence and have neglected the evaluation of the specific factors of attention, clarity and repair. The main goal of this work is to evaluate the degree of determination and reliability of the specific factors of TMMS-24 using a bifactor S-1 model. (2) Methods: We administered TMMS-24 to a sample of 384 students from middle and high schools (58.1% girls; mean age = 15.5; SD = 1.8). (3) Results: The specific TMMS-24 factors are better determined and present a higher internal consistency than the general factor. Furthermore, the bifactor S-1 model shows the existence of a hierarchical relationship between the attention factor and the clarity and repair factors. The S-1 bifactor model is the only one that was shown to be invariant as a function of the sex of the participants. (4) Conclusions: The S-1 bifactor model has proven to be a promising tool for capturing the structural complexity of TMMS-24. Its application indicates that it is not advisable to use the sum score of the items, since it would be contaminated by the attention factor. In addition, this score would not be invariant either, that is, comparisons by sex would be invalid.

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Francisco Carvalho ◽  
André Pereira Gonçalves ◽  
Juliana Araújo Almeida ◽  
Fernanda Mello Macedo

The internal structure is investigated in mental health measures, exploring or confirming the association of stimuli composing the test and whether this structure is consistent with expectation. Our focus is on the internal structure of the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory 2 (idcp-2), a self-report test for pathological traits measurement. Previous studies have only partially verified the internal structure of idcp-2. The objective of this study is to verify the internal structure of idcp-2, contemplating in the same analysis all its dimensions and factors. Participants were 2,000 people from the general population. We conducted confirmatory (cfa) and exploratory (efa) factorial analyzes, including bifactor models. The results showed the bifactor model with 12 specific factors with best fit indices. The internal consistency for the general factor was above .90, and from .40 to .91 for the specific factors. Findings suggested the original solution of idcp-2 is reasonable using a bifactor model. How to cite this article: Carvalho, L.F., Gonçalves, A.P., Araujo, J.A., Macedo F.M. (2021). Verification of the internal structure of the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory 2 in a Brazilian community sample. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 30(2), 115-125. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v30n2.83530


2020 ◽  
pp. 153450842090952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen P. Kilgus ◽  
Katie Eklund ◽  
Nathaniel P. von der Embse ◽  
Madison Weist ◽  
Alexandra J. Barber ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the structural validity, internal consistency, and measurement invariance of scores from the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener–Student Rating Scale (mySAEBRS), a student self-report universal screening tool. Participants included 24,094 K–12 students who completed the mySAEBRS. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) supported the fit of a bifactor model, wherein each item corresponding to both a general factor (i.e., Total Behavior) and one of three narrow factors (i.e., Social Behavior, Academic Behavior, and Emotional Behavior). Such model fit was superior to that of alternative factor structures (i.e., unidimensional, correlated-factor, and higher order). A review of pattern coefficients suggested items were relatively split, with some items loading higher on the general factor and others loading higher on their narrow factor. A series of multigroup CFAs supported the configural and metric invariance of the bifactor model, while yielding less consistent support for scalar/threshold invariance. Omega reliability coefficients indicated each mySAEBRS scale was associated with acceptable internal consistency (>.70). However, when accounting for other factors, only the Total Behavior, Social Behavior, and Emotional Behavior scales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (i.e., >.50). Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiwen Xiao ◽  
Rongmao Lin ◽  
Qiaoling Wu ◽  
Saili Shen ◽  
Youwei Yan

The Negative Problem Orientation Questionnaire (NPOQ) is a widely used tool for assessing negative problem orientation (NPO). However, its construct and measurement invariance has not been adequately tested in adolescents. The present study explored the possible construct of the NPOQ and its measurement invariance in a sample of 754 Chinese adolescents (51.6% girls, all 12–18 years old). The results supported a bifactor model of the NPOQ that consists of a general factor NPO and three domain-specific factors including perceived threat, self-inefficacy, and negative outcome expectancy. A multiple-group CFA indicated that the bifactor model showed strict invariance across gender and age. The general and domain factors showed unique variance in indexes of worry, depression, anxiety, and stress, which supported well incremental validity of them. This study confirms for a bifactor conceptualization of the NPOQ and its measurement invariance across gender and age in Chinese adolescents. Additionally, it is recommended that the total score should be used to assess NPO in Chinese adolescents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferdinand Keller ◽  
Inken Kirschbaum-Lesch ◽  
Joana Straub

The revised version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) is one of the most frequently applied questionnaires not only in adults, but also in adolescents. To date, attempts to identify a replicable factor structure of the BDI-II have mainly been undertaken in adult populations. Moreover, most of the studies which included minors and were split by gender lacked confirmatory factor analyses and were generally conducted in healthy adolescents. The present study therefore aimed to determine the goodness of fit of various factor models proposed in the literature in an adolescent clinical sample, to evaluate alternative solutions for the factor structure and to explore potential gender differences in factor loadings. The focus was on testing bifactor models and subsequently on calculating bifactor statistical indices to help clarify whether a uni- or a multidimensional construct is more appropriate, and on testing the best-fitting factor model for measurement invariance according to gender. The sample comprised 835 adolescent girls and boys aged 13–18 years in out- and inpatient setting. Several factor models proposed in the literature provided a good fit when applied to the adolescent clinical sample, and differences in goodness of fit were small. Exploratory factor analyses were used to develop and test a bifactor model that consisted of a general factor and two specific factors, termed cognitive and somatic. The bifactor model confirmed the existence of a strong general factor on which all items load, and the bifactor statistical indices suggest that the BDI-II should be seen as a unidimensional scale. Concerning measurement invariance across gender, there were differences in loadings on item 21 (Loss of interest in sex) on the general factor and on items 1 (Sadness), 4 (Loss of pleasure), and 9 (Suicidal Thoughts) on the specific factors. Thus, partial measurement invariance can be assumed and differences are negligible. It can be concluded that the total score of the BDI-II can be used to measure depression severity in adolescent clinical samples.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1647-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Molde ◽  
K. M. Hynninen ◽  
T. Torsheim ◽  
A.B. Bendixen ◽  
K. Engedal ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackground:Due to previously reported mixed findings, there is a need for further empirical research on the factorial structure of the commonly used Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI). Therefore, the psychometric properties of the GAI and its short form version (GAI-SF) were evaluated in a psychogeriatric mixed in-and-out patient sample (n= 543).Methods:Unidimensionality was tested using a bifactor analysis. Rasch modeling was used to assess scale properties. Sex, cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms were tested for differential item functioning (DIF).Results:The bifactor analysis identified an essential unidimensional (general) factor structure but also specific local factors. The general factor comprises all the 20 items as one factor, and the results showed that the variance in the general and specific factors (subscale) scores is best explained by the single general factor. These findings were demonstrated for both versions of the GAI. Furthermore, the Rasch models identified extensive item overlap, indicating redundant items in the full version of the GAI. The GAI-SF also seems to extract much of the same information as the full form. Test scores and items have the same meaning for older adults across different demographic status.Conclusion:The findings support the use of a total sum score for both GAI and GAI-SF. Notably, when using the GAI-SF, no information is lost, in comparison with the full scale, thus, supporting the option of choosing the short form (version) when considered most appropriate in demanding clinical contexts.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Jasper S. Lee ◽  
Cengiz Zopluoglu ◽  
Lena S. Andersen ◽  
Amelia M. Stanton ◽  
Jessica F. Magidson ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: Food insecurity is a structural barrier to HIV care in peri-urban areas in South Africa (SA), where approximately 80% of households are moderately or severely food insecure.(1) For people with HIV (PWH), food insecurity is associated with poor ART adherence and survival rates. Yet, measurement of food insecurity among PWH remains a challenge. Design: This study examines the factor structure of the 9-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS, isiXhosa-translated) among PWH in SA using a restrictive bifactor model. Setting: Primary care clinics in Khayelitsha, a peri-urban settlement in Cape Town, SA. Participants: Participants (N=440) were PWH who received HIV care in Khayelitsha screening for a clinical trial. Most were categorized as severely (n=250, 56.82%) or moderately (n=107, 24.32%) food insecure in the past 30 days. Results: Revised parallel analysis suggested a 3-factor structure, which was inadmissible. A 2-factor structure was examined but did not adequately fit the data. A 2-factor restrictive bifactor model was examined, such that all items loaded on a general factor (food insecurity) and all but two items loaded on one of two specific additional factors, which adequately fit the data (CFI=0.995, SRMR=0.019). The two specific factors identified were: anxiety/insufficient quality, and no food intake. Reliability was adequate (ω=.82). Conclusions: Results supported the use of a total score, and identified two specific factors of the HFIAS, which may be utilized in future research and intervention development. These findings help identify aspects of food insecurity that may drive relationships between the construct and important HIV-related variables.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. jep.059716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Walentynowicz ◽  
Michael Witthöft ◽  
Filip Raes ◽  
Ilse Van Diest ◽  
Omer Van den Bergh

Psychological accounts of symptom perception put forward that symptom experiences consist of sensory-perceptual and affective-motivational components. This division is also suggested by psychometric studies investigating the latent structure of symptom reporting. To corroborate the view that the general and symptom-specific factors of a bifactor model represent affective and sensory components, respectively, we performed bifactor models applying confirmatory factor analytic approaches to the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 and the Checklist for Symptoms in Daily Life completed by 1053 undergraduate students. Additionally, we explored the association of latent factors with negative affectivity (NA). For both questionnaires, a bifactor model with one general and several symptom-specific factors revealed the best fit to the data. NA yielded large associations with the general factor, but smaller ones with somatic symptom-specific factors in both questionnaires. The observed latent structure supports a distinction between sensory-perceptual and affective-motivational components, and the association between the NA and the general factor confirms the affective tone of the latter.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean N Weeks ◽  
Tyler L Renshaw ◽  
Allysia A. Rainey ◽  
Aubrey Taylor-Hiatt

Internalizing and externalizing problems are common targets for school mental health screening. The Youth Internalizing Problems Screener (YIPS) and the Youth Externalizing Problems Screener (YEPS) were developed separately yet intended as companion self-report screeners. Prior research supports the interpretation of total scores derived from both measures. We extended previous work by investigating the defensibility of a series of integrated measurement models that combined items from the YIPS and YEPS into a single, unified screener (YIEPS). Specifically, we evaluated the viability of (1) a unidimensional measurement model with one factor representing global mental health problems, (2) a correlated-factors model with two latent variables representing internalizing and externalizing problems, and (3) a bifactor model with two specific factors (i.e., internalizing and externalizing) and a general factor representing global mental health problems. Following, we tested the reliabilities of the several factors represented in these models as well as the informational value-added of these competing models. Results indicated that a bifactor YIEPS measurement model had the best data-model fit when integrating the two screeners. However, exploratory analyses suggested a revised alternative bifactor model with three specific factors—parsing attention problems from other externalizing and internalizing content—might be a better bifactor model than the original. Ultimately, we recommend the integrated YIEPS is best understood as measuring three specific factors and one general factor. Reliability findings further suggest the general factor (i.e., global Mental Health Problems) is the most defensible. Future directions for research and practice are discussed.


Assessment ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 984-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Fergus ◽  
Shawn J. Latendresse ◽  
Kevin D. Wu

A 44-item version of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44) put forward by the Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group remains the most widely used version of the OBQ, despite research casting doubt on its factorial validity and the existence of a short form (i.e., OBQ-20). In a large sample of undergraduate students ( n = 1,210), a bifactor model of the OBQ-20, consisting of a general factor and four specific factors (threat, responsibility, importance/control of thoughts, perfectionism/certainty), was supported as the best-fitting model. None of the examined OBQ-44 models provided adequate fit. The bifactor model of the OBQ-20 was retained in two independent samples ( n = 1,342 community adults, n = 319 undergraduate students). The incremental validity of the specific factors of the OBQ-20 beyond the general factor was evidenced across multiple criterion indices, including obsessive–compulsive symptom measures and reactions to a thought-induction task. Results further support use of the OBQ-20.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 566-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay C. Fournier ◽  
Aidan G. C. Wright ◽  
Jennifer L. Tackett ◽  
Amanda A. Uliaszek ◽  
Paul A. Pilkonis ◽  
...  

The association between depression and neuroticism is complex; however, because of the difficulty in assessing neuroticism during mood episodes, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. In this study, we sought to decompose neuroticism into finer grained elements that were uncorrelated with psychiatric symptoms and examine the incremental validity of those elements in explaining deficits in interpersonal functioning. A bifactor model with one general factor and six specific factors fit the data well in both a depressed ( N = 807) and a community ( N = 1,284) sample, and the specific factors were relatively independent of acute symptoms. Moreover, two specific factors (Angry Hostility and Self-Consciousness) accounted for incremental variance in interpersonal functioning problems in the community sample and a subgroup of depressed participants. The results demonstrate that neuroticism can be decomposed into components that are distinct from symptoms and incrementally associated with deficits in interpersonal functioning.


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