Over reliance on model fit indices in confirmatory factor analyses may lead to incorrect inferences about bifactor models: A cautionary note

Recent research has suggested that the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) is a multidimensional rather than a unidimensional measure. The present study challenged this position on both conceptual and empirical grounds. After deleting three questionable items from the SPAS, a series of confirmatory factor analyses were conducted across four samples of women who had completed the scale. Across all samples, the model fit indices (i.e., all > .90) suggested that a nine-item, single factor model of the SPAS is more parsimonious and conceptually clear than a two-factor model. It is recommended that researchers of social physique anxiety begin to use the nine-item version of the SPAS described in this paper.

Download Full-text

Pure Emotion-loaded Materials in the International Affective Digitized Sounds (IADS): A Study on Intensity Ratings in Chinese University Students

Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573400515666190822110933 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 199-208

Author(s):

Jiawei Wang ◽

Yanli Jia ◽

Xu Shao ◽

Chu Wang ◽

Wei Wang

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Model Fit ◽

Future Research ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Chinese University ◽

Five Factors ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Model Fit Indices

Background: Materials loaded with pure emotion are essential for basic and clinical research on sounds. The International Affective Digitized Sounds (IADS) is one of the widely-used emotional tools, but its materials are not clearly labeled with specific emotions. We have hypothesized that the IADS contains pure vectors of at least disgust, erotica (or erotism), fear, happiness, sadness and neutral emotions. Methods: We therefore selected 48 IADS sounds with saturate emotions, and invited 271 male and 353 female university students to rate the intensity of the emotions conveyed in each sound. The ratings were then analyzed with the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results: Five factors were observed, namely: erotica, fear-sadness, happiness, neutrality, and disgust. Later, as two facets, sounds of fear-sadness were separated. Thirty sounds under six facets were finally retained with good model-fit indices and satisfactory factor internal reliabilities. Moreover, males scored significantly higher on erotica than females did. Conclusion: Our study purified a series of emotion-loaded IADS sounds, which might help clarify the pure effects of sound emotion in future research and clinical management of affective disorders.

Download Full-text

A study on development of Perceived Quality-Image Scale in Sports Organizations

Journal of Human Sciences ◽

10.14687/jhs.v15i4.5290 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 2407

Author(s):

Yeşim Bayrakdaroglu ◽

Dursun Katkat

Keyword(s):

Reliability Analysis ◽

Model Fit ◽

Measurement Tool ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Sports Organizations ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Quality Image ◽

Model Fit Indices ◽

Marketing Activities

The purpose of this study is to research how marketing activities of international sports organizations are performed and to develop a scale determining the effects of image management on public. The audiences of interuniversity World Winter Olympic sheld in Erzurum in 2011 participated in the research. Explanatory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, reliability analysis were performed over the data obtained. All model fit indices of 25-item and four-factor structure of quality-image scale perceived in sports organizations applied were found to be at good level. In line with the findings obtained from the explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses and reliability analysis, it can be uttered that the scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used in field researches.

Download Full-text

Mindfulness or Mindlessness?

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000045 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 59-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Volkmar Höfling ◽

Helfried Moosbrugger ◽

Karin Schermelleh-Engel ◽

Thomas Heidenreich

Keyword(s):

Construct Validity ◽

Model Fit ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Mindful Attention ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Item Wording ◽

Method Effects

The 15 items of the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003 ) are negatively worded and assumed to assess mindfulness. However, there are indications of differences between the original MAAS and a version with the positively rephrased MAAS items (“mirror items”). The present study examines whether the mindfulness facet “mindful attention and awareness” (MAA) can be measured with both positively and negatively worded items if we take method effects due to item wording into account. To this end, the 15 negatively worded items of the MAAS and additionally 13 positively rephrased items were assessed (N = 602). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) models with and without regard to method effects were carried out and evaluated by means of model fit. As a result, the positively and negatively worded items should be seen as different methods that influence the construct validity of mindfulness. Furthermore, a modified version of the MAAS (MAAS-Short) with five negatively worded items (taken from the MAAS) and five positively worded items (“mirror items”) was introduced as an alternative to assess MAA. The MAAS-Short appears superior to the original MAAS. The results and the limitations of the present study are discussed.

Download Full-text

Measuring Achievement, Affiliation, and Power Motives in Mobility Situations: Development of the Multi-Motive Grid Mobility

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765627 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Alica Mertens ◽

Maximilian Theisen ◽

Joachim Funke

Keyword(s):

Model Fit ◽

Fear Of Failure ◽

Risk Awareness ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Mobility Factor ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Stratified Sample ◽

Measuring Achievement ◽

Fear Of Rejection

The current study introduces the Multi-Motive Grid Mobility (MMG-M) in an age-stratified sample (N = 206) that aims to disentangle six motive components – hope of success, hope of affiliation, hope of power, fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of power – in mobility-related and mobility-unrelated scenarios. Similar to the classical Multi-Motive Grid (MMG), we selected 14 picture scenarios representing seven mobility and seven non-mobility situations. The scenarios were combined with 12 statements from the MMG. Both the MMG-M and MMG were assessed to allow comparability between psychometric criteria. The results of confirmatory factor analyses yielded a good model fit for a six-factor solution with an additional mobility factor for the MMG-M. Internal consistency of the items was similar to the MMG. Lastly, we investigated associations between the motive components and mobility-related variables. We found that risk awareness was positively related to all fear components in both mobility and non-mobility scenarios. Most importantly, physical constraint was positively associated with fear of rejection and fear of power in mobility situations underlining the importance to create support systems to reduce these concerns in people’s everyday lives.

Download Full-text

Best Practices in the Use of Bifactor Models: Conceptual Grounds, Fit Indices and Complementary Indicators

Revista Evaluar ◽

10.35670/1667-4545.v18.n3.22221 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Pablo Ezequiel Flores-Kanter ◽

Sergio Dominguez-Lara ◽

Mario Alberto Trógolo ◽

Leonardo Adrián Medrano

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Model Fit ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Research Article ◽

Bifactor Models ◽

Model Fit Indices ◽

Personality Psychopathology ◽

Using Data ◽

Published Research

<p>Bifactor models have gained increasing popularity in the literature concerned with personality, psychopathology and assessment. Empirical studies using bifactor analysis generally judge the estimated model using SEM model fit indices, which may lead to erroneous interpretations and conclusions. To address this problem, several researchers have proposed multiple criteria to assess bifactor models, such as a) conceptual grounds, b) overall model fit indices, and c) specific bifactor model indicators. In this article, we provide a brief summary of these criteria. An example using data gathered from a recently published research article is also provided to show how taking into account all criteria, rather than solely SEM model fit indices, may prevent researchers from drawing wrong conclusions.</p>

Download Full-text

How to Measure Baha’i Religiosity: The CRSi-20 for Baha’is as a First Reliable and Valid Measurement

Religions ◽

10.3390/rel11010029 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 29 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sarah Demmrich

Keyword(s):

Reliability And Validity ◽

Psychology Of Religion ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Public Practice ◽

Valid Measurement ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Emic Perspective

The concepts and measurements in psychology of religion often adhere to its Judeo-Christian roots, which causes problems when measuring non-Christian religiosity. In this paper, two successive studies are presented. The first study applied Huber’s CRS-15, while the second study used the CRSi-20. Both samples consisted of believers of the non-Christian, Abrahamic Baha’i religion in Germany. In the first study, in which N = 472 participated (MAge = 43.22, SDAge = 15.59, 60.0% female), the reliability and validity issues related to items of public practice and experience of the CRS-15 were uncovered. After modifying the content of these items and adding the five additional items of the interreligious CRSi-20, which was tested among N = 324 participants (MAge = 47.12, SDAge = 17.06, 59.6% female) in a second study, most reliability issues were solved. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the CRSi-20 model describes the data appropriately with adequate fit indices. Therefore, the CRSi-20 for Baha’is offers the first reliable and valid measurements of Baha’i religiosity, being at the same time capable of taking the emic perspective fully into account while maintaining the possibility of cross-religious comparisons.

Download Full-text

Developing Scale for Determining the Social Participation Skills for Children and Analyzing Its Psychometric Characteristics

International Education Studies ◽

10.5539/ies.v11n6p92 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 92

Author(s):

Osman Samanci ◽

Ebru Ocakci ◽

Ismail Secer

Keyword(s):

Social Participation ◽

Model Fit ◽

Measurement Tool ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

School Students ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

The Social ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Descriptive Survey

The purpose of this research is to conduct validity and reliability studies of the Scale for the Determining Social Participation for Children, developed to measure social participation skills of children aged 7-10 years. During the development of the scale, pilot schemes, validity analyzes, and reliability analyzes were conducted. In this context, the research was carried out with a total of 472 elementary school students in the ages of 7-10 years using the descriptive survey model. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to examine the factor structure of the scale and it was determined that the scale had a structure consisting of 16 items and one dimension and that this model had a good level of model fit. In order to examine the reliability of the scale, internal consistency and split-half reliability analyzes were performed and it was found that the scale had sufficient reliability. It can be said that the Scale for the Determining Social Participation for Children is a reliable and valid measurement tool that can be used to measure the social participation skills of students aged 7-10 years.

Download Full-text

The Structure of Bryant's Empathy Index for Children: A Cross-Validation Study

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/s1138741600004674 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 670-677 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Amaia Lasa Aristu ◽

Francisco Pablo Holgado Tello ◽

Miguel Ángel Carrasco Ortiz ◽

María Victoria del Barrio Gándara

Keyword(s):

Factor Structure ◽

Validation Study ◽

Cross Validation ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Polychoric Correlations ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Larger Sample ◽

Three Factor

The present study examined the structure of Bryant's Empathy Index (BEI) using different samples for conducting exploratory and confirmatory analyses. The BEI was administered to a sample of 2,714 children (mean age 11.12, SD = 1.59). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed a three-factor structure: Feelings of Sadness, Understanding Feelings and Tearful Reaction. The results revealed both the multidimensionality of the instrument and appropriate fit indices for the model proposed. Although these results were very similar to those reported in other studies with a Spanish population, the analyses were conducted in a more robust way: with a larger sample and using polychoric correlations and cross validation estimation.

Download Full-text

Further Psychometric Evaluation of the Fear Questionnaire: Responses of College Students

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1993.73.3f.1259 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 73 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 1259-1266 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Augustine Osman ◽

Francisco X. Barrios ◽

Joylene R. Osman ◽

Kathy Markway

Keyword(s):

Factor Model ◽

Psychometric Evaluation ◽

Brief Symptom Inventory ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

General Psychological Distress ◽

Components Analysis ◽

Using Data

This study presents evidence for the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Fear Questionnaire for college undergraduates. Fit indices of the 4-and 5-factor models identified previously were inadequate. Exploratory principal components analysis identified three factors, using data from Sample 1 ( n = 208). LISREL confirmatory factor analyses supported generalizability of the three-factor model to Sample 2 ( n = 200). Satisfactory reliability coefficients were obtained for the factor-derived subscales. Significant gender differences were obtained on 4 of the 15 items but not on the factor subscales. Finally, we examined the correlations between scores on the scale and on other measures of social anxiety, social desirability, and general psychological distress of the Brief Symptom Inventory. Present results suggest that the Fear Questionnaire is a valuable research instrument for a nonclinical sample.

Download Full-text