Psychometric Characteristics of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in an Argentinean Sample: A Cross-Cultural Contribution

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 452-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Rodríguez-Biglieri ◽  
Giselle Lorena Vetere

Although studies in several populations have provided support for Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSQW) reliability and validity, factor analysis studies carried out on different populations show divergent results. The aim of this article is to contribute with the cross-cultural literature on PSWQ. This report describes two studies examining the psychometric characteristics of a revised Argentinean version of the PSWQ. In the first study, items of original PSWQ were translated into Spanish and then back-translated into English. Then, in order to examine its reliability and factorial structure, the instrument was completed by 400 community participants. The second study included two groups of participants as follows: patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and patients with other anxiety disorders (AC). Results revealed appropriated test-retest reliability over a four-week period, high internal consistency, and good convergent and discriminant validity for PSWQ. In concordance with some results reported in previous studies, a single factorial structure was confirmed for the Argentinean version of PSWQ. By the other hand, a receiver operating characteristic analysis was made to evaluate the ability of PSWQ to discriminate GAD from individuals with others anxiety disorders. A total score of 63 simultaneously optimized sensitivity and specificity in discriminating GAD patients from patients with others anxiety disorders.

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Fisak ◽  
Marco Mentuccia ◽  
Amy Przeworski

Background: Meta-worry is considered a central component of the Metacognitive Model of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Although initial research provides support for the applicability of this model to adolescent samples, the construct of meta-worry has yet to be examined in adolescents. Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Meta-Worry Questionnaire (MWQ), a measure designed to assess negative beliefs about worry, in an adolescent sample, and to examine the degree to which meta-worry is associated with pathological worry in adolescents. Method: A non-referred sample of 175 adolescents completed a modified version of the MWQ along with the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire-Children (MCQ-C) and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-C). Results: The MWQ was found to exhibit strong psychometric properties. Most noteworthy, the MWQ was found to be a particularly robust predictor of scores on the PSWQ-C, and incremental validity was also demonstrated. Conclusions: Overall, the current findings provide support for the reliability and validity of the MWQ in adolescents and support for meta-worry as a predictor of worry symptoms in adolescents.


2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamel Gana ◽  
Bettina Martin ◽  
Marie-Dominique Canouet ◽  
Raphael Trouillet ◽  
Fiammetta Meloni

Summary: This study presents a French version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the factorial structure of which was evaluated on a nonclinical sample of 668 adults. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that the French PSWQ is a one-dimensional worry instrument. However, the inclusion of method factors was needed to reach a good fit of the model. Method effects appear to be associated with negatively keyed items. Finally, the instrument demonstrated excellent internal consistency and good test-retest reliability.


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