scholarly journals The contruction and evaluation of an attention questionnaire

2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann M Schepers

The principal objective of the study was the construction and evaluation of an attention questionnaire. A corollary of the study was to determine the common factors between the Attention Questionnaire (AQ) and the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI). The AQ and the LCI (1999) were applied jointly to a sample of 1577 first-year university students. To start with the AQ was subjected to a principal factor analysis. It yielded three factors which were identified as Concentration Ability, Arousal and Distractibility. Three scales were formed which yielded reliabilities of 0,886, 0,757 and 0,863 respectively. Multiple battery factor analysis was used to establish the common factor structure of the two instruments. Autonomy and Internal Control were strongly related to Concentration Ability.

2006 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann M Schepers ◽  
Liezl Gropp ◽  
DJ Geldenhuys

The principal objective of the study was to examine the factor structure and metrical properties of the third edition (1999) of the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI). A corollary of the study was to examine the convergent validity of the instrument. After a thorough revision and extension of the scale to 88 items it was applied to a sample of 2091 first-year university students. Particular attention was paid to the shortcomings revealed in a study by de Bruin (2004). An iterative principal factor analysis of the scale was done. The three-factor-structure previously found was substantiated by the analysis. The obtained factors were interpreted as Autonomy, External Control and Internal Control. Highly acceptable reliabilities were obtained. As far as validity is concerned it was found that Internal Control and Autonomy are strongly related to Psychological Wellness and External Control negatively to Stress Management. The implications of the findings are discussed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann M. Schepers

The primary objective of the study was to construct a normative scale of locus of control for use with students and adults. A corollary of the study was to establish the personality, interest and cognitive correlates of locus of control. Conceptually the instrument is based on attribution theory and on social learning theory. The first edition of the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI) was applied to 356 first-year university students during 1994. A factor analysis of the 65 items of the inventory yielded three factors. The factors were interpreted as Autonomy, Internal Control and External Control. Three scales, corresponding to the three factors, were constructed, and yielded reliability coefficients of 0,80; 0,77 and 0,81 respectively. Following this the cognitive, interest and personality correlates of the LCI were determined. The implications of the findings are discussed. Opsomming Die hoofdoel van die studie was die konstruksie van ’n normatiewe skaal van lokus van beheer vir gebruik met studente en volwassenes. ’n Newe-doelwit van die studie was om die persoonlikheids-, belangstellings- en kognitiewe korrelate van lokus van beheer te bepaal. Konseptueel is die instrument op attribusieteorie en sosiale-leerteorie gebaseer. Die eerste-uitgawe van die Lokus van Beheervraelys (LvB) is op 356 eerstejaaruniversiteitstudente toegepas gedurende 1994. ’n Faktorontleding van die 65 items van die vraelys is gedoen en het drie faktore opgelewer. Die faktore is as Outonomie, Interne Beheer en Eksterne Beheer geïnterpreteer. Voorts is drie skale wat ooreenstem met die drie faktore, gekonstrueer en het betroubaarhede van 0,80; 0,77 en 0,81, onderskeidelik, opgelewer. Vervolgens is die kognitiewe, belangstellings- en persoonlikheidskorrelate van die LvB bepaal. Die implikasies van die bevindinge word bespreek.


Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 140
Author(s):  
Nobuoki Eshima ◽  
Claudio Giovanni Borroni ◽  
Minoru Tabata ◽  
Takeshi Kurosawa

This paper proposes a method for deriving interpretable common factors based on canonical correlation analysis applied to the vectors of common factors and manifest variables in the factor analysis model. First, an entropy-based method for measuring factor contributions is reviewed. Second, the entropy-based contribution measure of the common-factor vector is decomposed into those of canonical common factors, and it is also shown that the importance order of factors is that of their canonical correlation coefficients. Third, the method is applied to derive interpretable common factors. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the usefulness of the present approach.


2004 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann M. Schepers

The principal objective of the study was to determine the power of Multiple Battery Factor Analysis (MBFA) in coping with the effects of differential skewness of the variables used. Generally speaking, joint analyses result in factors of skewness. To examine the problem the General Scholastic Aptitude Test (GSAT) and Senior Ability Tests (SAT) were jointly applied to a sample of 1 598 first-year university students, and subjected to both a Principal Factor Analysis (PFA) and a MBFA. Three factors were obtained in both instances. The PFA yielded factors of skewness and the MBFA factors of content. The implications of the findings are discussed. Opsomming Die hoofdoelwit van die studie was om die krag van Veelvuldigebattery-faktorontleding (VBFO) te bepaal ten einde die gevolge van differensiële skeefheid van veranderlikes te bowe te kom. In die algemeen lei gesamentlike faktorontledings van batterye toetse tot faktore van skeefheid. Om die probleem te ondersoek, is die Algemene Skolastiese Aanlegtoets (ASAT) en die Senior Aanlegtoetse (SAT) gesamentlik op ’n steekproef van 1 598 eerstejaaruniversiteitstudente toegepas en aan sowel ’n Hooffaktorontleding (HFO) as ’n VBFO onderwerp. Drie faktore is in albei gevalle verkry. Die HFO het faktore van skeefheid opgelewer en die VBFO faktore van inhoud. Die implikasies van die bevindinge word bespreek.


1976 ◽  
Vol 42 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1039-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Hofmann

The common factor structure of the Bender is defined for 9-yr.-old children according to the Koppitz scoring procedure. Utilizing a new robust factor analytic interpretation strategy, it is demonstrated that the common factors correspond closely to the general error categories defined by Koppitz. A cross-validation study is suggested.


1973 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 891-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itai Zak

The main problem posed in this study is: What are the content and structure of Jewish and American identity? The Jewish-American Identity Scale, which was adapted and refined for this study, was administered in 1971 to four samples, totaling 1006 Jewish-American college students from various parts of the United States. Initially, factor analysis was applied to the separate samples. Intersample comparisons of factor structures indicated a high degree of congruency; consequently, the samples were combined for subsequent analyses. Factor analysis of the test scores demonstrated that most of the common factor variance was appropriated by two relatively orthogonal factors. Items dealing with American identity and those dealing with Jewish identity had medium to high loadings on the two respective factors. These findings supported the hypothesis of the duality and the orthogonality of dimensions of Jewish and American identity, and cast doubt on the notion forwarded by some researchers that Jewish-American identity forms a bipolar continuum.


Author(s):  
HongJoon Yoo ◽  
TaeYong Yoo ◽  
TaeIn Chung ◽  
Seongho Bae ◽  
AReum Jo

The first purpose of this study was to define the construct of occupational identity and develop the scale of occupational identity, the second purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of occupational identity using exploratory common factor analysis and test the discriminant validity of occupational identity with workplace satisfaction, and third purpose of this study was to test the model of antecedents and outcome variables of occupational identity using confirmatory factor analysis. For fulfilling these purposes, three studies were conducted. Data were gathered from 390 workers in study 1, 505 workers in study 2, 1,115 workers in study 3. As a result, the three-factor structure of occupational identity was stably replicated, although the sample was changed. The occupational identity had discriminant validity with workplace satisfaction. Except for person-occupation fit(a subfactor of occupational identity) had a high correlation with general, occupational satisfaction(a subfactor of workplace satisfaction), other subfactors of occupational identity generally had low correlations with other subfactors of workplace satisfaction. It was found that the occupational identity was derived from occupational reputation, dedication to the occupation, occupational pride, and mission to the occupation. And the occupational identity resulted in the purpose of the worker’s life and intention to continue the worker’s occupation. Based on these results, We made discussions about implications, limitations, and future research tasks.


1981 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 891-895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack A. Naglieri

The aim of the present investigation was to explore the factor structure of the WISC-R for a sample of children identified as learning disabled. The sample of 140 children were between the ages of 6–2 and 14–8 ( M = 9–7); 96 were males and 44 females. A principal factor analysis yielded a factor solution similar to that reported for the WISC-R standardization sample. Support for the robustness of the Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from Distractibility factors for this population of learning disabled children resulted.


1989 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Hubbard ◽  
Stuart J. Allen

Given nuances in the computer programs, unwary researchers performing a common factor analysis on the same set of data can be expected to arrive at very different conclusions regarding the number and nature of extracted factors if they use the BMDP, as opposed to the SPSSx (or SAS), statistical software package. This is illustrated using six well-known empirical data sets from the psychology literature.


Author(s):  
Brian D. Haig

Chapter 6 argues that exploratory factor analysis is an abductive method of theory generation that exploits a principle of scientific inference known as the principle of the common cause. Factor analysis is an important family of multivariate statistical methods that is widely used in the behavioral and social sciences. The best known model of factor analysis is common factor analysis, which has two types: exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. A number of methodological issues that arise in critical discussions of exploratory factor analysis are considered. It is suggested that exploratory factor analysis can be profitably employed in tandem with confirmatory factor analysis.


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