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Cristian Ramos-Vera,1 Dennis Calle,1 Helen Collacso Fiesta,1 Lorena Lisbett Lamilla,1 Antonio Serpa-Barrientos,2 Jacksaint Saintila3 1Research Area, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad César Vallejo, Lima, Perú; 2Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú; 3Escuela de Medicina Humana, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo, PerúCorrespondence: Jacksaint Saintila, Escuela de Medicina Humana, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Km 5, Carretera a Pimentel, Chiclayo, Lambayeque, 14001, Perú, Email jacksaintsaintila@gmail.comIntroduction: One of the key psychosocial factors that impact mental and emotional health is social support. While much research has been conducted on the role of social support in the lives of cancer patients, there is a lack of studies that consider populations who need specific tools to assess this concept.Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the MOS Social Support Scale (1991) in 499 Peruvian cancer patients between the ages of 18 and 87 (M= 46.30, SD = 15.747).Methods: In this study, three models of the MOS were analyzed based on 19-item versions (four factor, second order and bifactor model).Results: The results showed a better psychometric fit in the 19-item bifactor model with optimal fit indices through the structural equation method (SB-χ 2/df = 1.94, CFI = 0.966, TLI= 0.955, SRMR = 0.038 and RMSEA = 0.058). Additionally, there was evidence of configural, metric and scalar invariance with this instrument according to the gender of the surveyed cancer patients. Convergent validity using a network analysis approach revealed positive associations between social support dimensions and quality of life.Conclusion: Emotional support and positive interactions dimensions were found to be important interconnections in the overall network, as indicated by their greater centralities. Therefore, this instrument could be suggested as a reliable way to evaluate cancer patients and their perceived support.Keywords: social support, factor invariance, oncology, cancer, network analysis

Psychometricians have devoted much research and attention to categorical item responses, leading to the development and widespread use of item response theory for the estimation of model parameters and identification of items that do not perform in the same way for examinees from different population subgroups (e.g., differential item functioning [DIF]). With the increasing use of computer-based measurement, use of items with a continuous response modality is becoming more common. Models for use with these items have been developed and refined in recent years, but less attention has been devoted to investigating DIF for these continuous response models (CRMs). Therefore, the purpose of this simulation study was to compare the performance of three potential methods for assessing DIF for CRMs, including regression, the MIMIC model, and factor invariance testing. Study results revealed that the MIMIC model provided a combination of Type I error control and relatively high power for detecting DIF. Implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimism is a construct which its measurement has been relevant for psychology since several decades ago. Today there are two main theories about optimism, from which have been designed instruments for measuring it such Likert-scales. The first approach is the theory of the positive expectancies, which this type of personality approach originated the most famous American scale for measure optimism, the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and the German Scale of Personal Optimism (SPO). The second approach is the interactive style of personality, which has given rise to the Mexican Brief Interactive Optimism Scale-Garcia (BIOS-G). According to the positive expectations theory, optimism could be seen as a psychological disposition in the person which thinks that will have favorable and good outcomes in the future, that the person believe will get benefits in the time to come. It is a generalized belief which would occur independently of the context and of the specific conditions where the behavior happens. On the other hand, the theory of the interactive style of personality states that in terms of the life lived by the person and his/her present circumstances, thinks that life has been worth living, that is good to live more, and that generally the world and people are good, that is reasonable to expect good results interacting with them. And here is conceptualized the optimism also as a psychological disposition. However, there is no studies that measure this construct from different perspectives comparing distinct countries. The primary objective of this study was to compare in construct validity and reliability the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) and the Brief Interactive Optimism Scale-Garcia (BIOS-G) in seven Hispanic speaking countries like Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Perú, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile. The second objective was to find the factor invariance of both scales in the seven above mentioned countries. It was used a convenience sample (1 712 Spanish-speaking people; 629 men, 1083 women), formed by 989 participants from general population (México, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia), 481 college students (Perú = 220, and Spain = 261), and 242 high school students (Colombia). Mage = 30.74 years (SD = 11.371). About the perceived socioeconomic level, it was found that participants considered themselves as the following: 4.50 % (77) from Low-Low to Low-High, 86.50 % (1481) from Middle-Low to Middle-High, and 9 % (154) from High-Low to High-High. In terms of schooling, the sample was composed as following: Elementary school .30 % (5), Junior high school 8.40 % (143), High school 10.10 % (173), College 60.20 % (1030), Graduate school 21.10 % (361). To evaluate the factor structure, it was used one group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and to test factorial invariance between countries it was used multigroup analysis. Discrepancy function was optimized using the maximum likelihood method. In multigroup analysis, it was defined nested models with constraints. Eight indices were used in both multigroup and one group analysis to find goodness of fit: Chi square ratio (χ²/df), Goodness of fit index (GFI) and its adjusted formula (AGFI), Normed fit index (NFI), Non normed fit index (NNFI), Comparative fit index (CFI), Standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), and Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). Although LOT-R presents appropriate goodness of fit in two countries, BIOS-G beats it. BIOS-G gets good ω values in the seven countries, and LOT-R in two only. BIOS-G shows better factor invariance. BIOS-G obtains acceptable and excellent values in H coefficient in the seven countries, but LOT-R in four only. Correlation between BIOS-G and LOT-R is significant, r = .45, p <.01, (CI 95%, .41, .49; d = small). Tentative conclusion: Probably the BIOS-G it is a good option to measure optimism in Spanish speaking people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The concept of Grit refers to a person's ability to maintain perseverance and passion in the pursuit of long-term objectives. However, research on the applicability of the Grit-Original scale (Grit-O) in the Latin American context is limited. Objective: This instrumental design study aimed to analyze the structure of this scale and its factorial invariance in relation to gender, as well as to examine its convergent validity with job satisfaction and happiness. Methods: A sample of 364 Peruvian workers that were selected through nonprobabilistic convenience sampling in 2021. Results: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the twodimensional structure of 12 items presented adequate goodness-of-fit indices. Additionally, the instrument is invariant between men and women. Likewise, the convergent relationship between the Grit scale, job satisfaction, and happiness variables was confirmed, which supports the validity of the instrument in the study context. Conclusion: The findings of the study confirm that the GRIT-O is a measure with adequate psychometric properties in the Peruvian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previous study, it was reported that the typically replicable factor structure of the Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (PID-5) was noninvariant across samples of Black American and White American university students. The investigators of that study attributed this noninvariance across these two racial groups to Black American racialization, defined as Black individuals living in a predominantly non-Black society. In the current investigation, we examined further the effects of Black racialization by examining PID-5 factor structure invariance using a sample of nonracialized Black (Nigerian) university students (i.e., Black people living in a primarily Black society) and a sample of White American students. The factor structure of the PID-5 across the samples indicated overall configural invariance, suggesting that the same PID-5 facet traits, for the most part, load on the same factors for the nonracialized Black people and White Americans. This result is consistent with the view that Black racialization likely contributes to PID-5 factor structure noninvariance across White and Black Americans. There were some differences, however, between the Nigerian and White American students with respect to metric invariance and scalar invariance, suggesting the facet-to-factor loadings have different magnitudes of association across groups and that domain scale score elevations in Nigerian and White American students are not comparable; this was particularly prominent for the disinhibition domain. Public Significance Statement: In this study, we evaluate further the effects of Black racialization previously demonstrated to affect a commonly used measure of personality dysfunction in racialized Black Americans. We found no such compromise in nonracialized Black people (i.e., Nigerians). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe concept of Grit refers to a person’s ability to maintain perseverance and passion in the pursuit of long-term objectives. However, research on the applicability of the Grit-Original scale (Grit-O) in the Latin American context is limited.ObjectiveThis instrumental design study aimed to analyze the structure of this scale and its factorial invariance in relation to gender, as well as to examine its convergent validity with job satisfaction and happiness.MethodsA sample of 364 Peruvian workers that were selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling in 2021.ResultsThe results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the two-dimensional structure of 12 items presented adequate goodness-of-fit indices. Additionally, the instrument is invariant between men and women. Likewise, the convergent relationship between the Grit scale, job satisfaction, and happiness variables was confirmed, which supports the validity of the instrument in the study context.ConclusionThe findings of the study confirm that the GRIT-O is a measure with adequate psychometric properties in the Peruvian context.

The worry and anticipation of physical, psychological and personal losses centered on the aging process generate anxiety. This study analyzes the factorial structure, internal consistency and factorial invariance according to gender of the Lasher and Faulkender Anxiety about Aging Scale. The sample consisted of 706 Mexican adults. The factor structure of the questionnaire was analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis. The analyses show a four-factor structure (fear of the elderly, psychological concerns, physical appearance and fear of loss) is viable and adequate for both the total sample (GFI .979; RMSEA .037; CFI .987) as for women (GFI .970; RMSEA .045; CFI .980) and men (GFI .919 and RMSEA .080; CFI .947). The four-factor structure, based on statistical and substantive criteria, has shown adequate reliability and validity fit indicators and can be considered a short and computerized version of the original version by Lasher and Faulkender. On the other hand, the factor structure, the factor loadings and the intercepts are considered invariant in the two populations studied (men and women); however, there are differences between the populations on the means of the physical appearance and fear of loss factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When researchers are conducting studies that require repeated measures, it is not uncommon for them to assume that the particular instrument is equally going to assess the latent construct of interest no matter how many times the instrument (test) is administered. In other words, it is not in question whether the properties of the test are likely to change or not. However, measurement invariance is not something that the instrument possesses by default. Measurement invariance has to be tested. The aim of this paper was to provide an insight into testing factorial invariance performing the confirmatory factor analysis on a set of longitudinal data. The first part of this paper is theoretical and describes different forms of invariance. The second part offers a concrete example and a step-by-step guide on how to perform confirmatory factor analysis for repeated measurements to test the invariance using statistical software R.

The proper and ethical use of psychological tests implies the review of various validity evidences, including the examination of factor invariance, which allows establishing the equivalence and/or exploring the impartiality of the instruments when they are used in different cultural groups. In Chile, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) has been used massively in urban and rural populations, despite the lack of studies on its psychometric adjustment in the rural group. With a sample of 480 schoolchildren, the present study examined the factor invariance of the WISC-V Scale, verifying if the constructs measured are equivalent and they do not vary depending on the urban or rural origin of the children. The results obtained allow accepting the level of configural invariance and partial metric invariance. Theoretical and practical implications of the use of this scale in Chilean rural population are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posttraumatic growth is the psychological capacity to perceive positive changes in the face of highly stressful or potentially traumatic events and may be especially useful in buffering their effects in the lives of adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Peruvian adaptation of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). A total of 2103 adolescents (50.7% male) between 13 and 19 years of age, who were exposed to some highly stressful event in the previous five years, participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis, factorial invariance, network analysis and correlation of the PTGI with a measure of well-being were performed. The best parsimonious fit was observed in a 21-item unidimensional model, the PTGI was shown to be gender invariant, and network analysis determined a greater measure of strength centrality in item 2 (appreciation of life). These results indicate that the PTGI is a test with construct validity, invariant, reliable and adequate to evaluate the level of psychological growth in Peruvian adolescents who suffered some stressful event during the previous five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Suicidal ideation is the behavior of the individual linked to irrational thoughts about the life. At present, it is considered as the first step towards suicidal behavior and is mostly associated with teenagers. Method: 251 students between 12 and 18 years old participated (ME = 14.73, SD = 1.57) which responded the Paykel Suicide Scale (PSS) and sociodemographic data. Results: Factor analysis was performed confirmation of 2 unifactorial models, the first model did not present adequate adjustment rates, so which proceeded to the covariance of items 4 and 5, obtaining optimal results in the second model of the one-dimensional instrument. It was subsequently performed a third model of MIMIC invariance, where it was used as predictors to the variables of sex and age to the model previous, which allowed to determine the lack of difference between these categorical groups. Conclusion: It is determined that the PSS is a consistent and reliable test, which yields valid results in the Peruvian population, so you can have an instrument that evaluates suicidal ideation with referential parameters.

Background: Somatic symptoms are highly prevalent in primary care although insufficiently understood. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15) is a valuable screening test but it has not yet been possible to unequivocally demonstrate its latent structure and measurement invariance.Methods: A total of 1,255 patients from 28 primary care centres suffering symptoms of anxiety, depression or somatisation participated in a clinical trial. They completed the PHQ-15 at baseline and 374 retook it at three months. Exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) was used to compare three models: 1) a single global factor for somatisation, 2) four specific correlated factors, and 3) a bifactor model integrating the first two models.Results: A multi-group invariance analysis of the best-fit model was performed: the bifactor model (χ2=25.17, df=23, p = 0.34, RMSEA=0.009, CFI=1.00, TLI=0.999). Strict invariance was good for both gender (RMSEA = 0.046, CFI = 0.973, TLI = 0.963) and age (RMSEA = 0.048, CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.962). Configural and metric invariance were confirmed for moment of assessment, but scalar invariance was not.Limitations: The two main limitations were the sample (primary care patients with emotional disorders), which was not representative of the general population, and the utilisation of ESEM (vs. confirmatory factor analysis), which did not allow a second-order factor model to be tested.Conclusions: PHQ-15 showed a bifactor structure, providing both a single global measure of somatisation and specific measures of pain, gastrointestinal, cardiopulmonary and fatigue factors. Its factor invariance with regard to both gender and age was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Exercise adherence involves a number of sociocognitive factors that influence the adoption and maintenance of regular physical activity. Among trait-like factors, self-motivation is believed to be a unique predictor of persistence during behavior change. The aim of this study was to validate the factor structure of a French version of the Self-Motivation Inventory (SMI) and to provide initial convergent and discriminant evidence for its construct validity as a correlate of exercise adherence. Method: Four hundred seventy-one elderly were recruited and administered the SMI-10. Structural equation modeling tested the relation of SMI-10 scores with exercise adherence in a correlated network that included decisional balance and perceived quality of life. Results: Acceptable evidence was found to support the factor validity and measurement equivalence of the French version of the SMI-10. Moreover, self-motivation was related to exercise adherence independently of decisional balance and perceived quality of life, providing initial evidence for construct validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the abbreviated Basic Empathy Scale (abbreviated BES) has been used to study the differences of empathy between adolescent men and women, it is unknown whether the construct is measured similarly in both, that is, whether there is factor invariance across sex. The aim of the study was to analyze the factor invariance of the abbreviated BES across sex in a convenience sample of high-school students (480 males and 454 females) attending 3 schools in Lima Metropolitana, Peru. A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that the 2-factor model (cognitive and affective empathy) is feasible for both sexes. Configural invariance verifies the two-dimensional structure, reaching a satisfactory compliance of strong invariance. Student's t-test revealed that women have greater cognitive and affective empathy than men. It is concluded that there is empirical evidence to support the partial factor invariance across sex of the abbreviated BES in Peruvian adolescents. Future studies should replicate these procedures in participants with different cultural characteristics and other age ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural capital refers to the knowledge and use of cultural codes that are relevant in the community wherein people live. A valid scale to measure all the dimensions of cultural capital is not available. In this paper, exploratory, confirmatory, and multigroup confirmatory factor analyses were performed using independent samples of adults to select the best items and to investigate their factorial structure and invariance across sex and occupation prestige. We found three interrelated factors made up of 14 items: participating in groups and associations, consuming cultural events, and carrying out activities requiring expertise or creativity. This three-factor model exhibited partial factor mean invariance for sex and partial factor variance/covariance invariance for occupational prestige and convergent/divergent validity for measures of bonding and bridging social capital. The Scale of Cultural Capital is a useful tool for assessing the cultural capital in experimental and professional settings and for developing an evidence-based theoretical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Because of the well-established effect of food neophobia on children’s variety of food consumption, the availability of valid measures of food neophobia in young children is necessary. We studied a Portuguese version of the Child’s Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS), assessing its validity and reliability. The CFNS was completed by 388 parents of 2-to 6-year-old children. Construct validity was examined through an exploratory factorial analysis and a confirmatory factorial analysis. Measurement invariance (child’s age and sex) and reliability analysis were examined. Correlational analyses between the CFNS and children’s eating habits, food preferences and temperament dimensions were run. The results support a two-factor solution, suggesting two opposite dimensions: Food Neophobia and Food Neophilia . Invariance analysis showed the same structure for both age groups (2- to 4- vs. 5- to 6-year old), although only partial metric invariance across sex groups was attained. For both Food Neophobia and Food Neophilia subscales, good internal consistency and excellent test–retest reliability were achieved, as well as a moderate negative association between the two groups of items. Higher scores in Food Neophobia and lower scores in Food Neophilia were significantly correlated with a more inhibited temperament, lower preference for healthy foods, acceptance of fewer foods, less frequent consumption of healthy foods, and consumption of a smaller variety of fruits, vegetables and legumes. Children’s unhealthy food intake was not associated with both CNFS subscales. Our preliminary findings support the adequacy of this version of CFNS for the Portuguese population. Further studies are needed to confirm the two-dimensional structure of the scale and explore the implications of this structure. Assessing children’s willingness to try new foods: validation of a Portuguese version of the Child's Food Neophobia Scale for parents of young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI) in a sample of Italian health professionals. The sample consisted of 695 participants: 453 nursing professionals and 242 physicians. Regarding the gender, 451 were women (64.9%) and 244 were men (35.1%). The SBI is composed of 20 items distributed in four dimensions: Enthusiasm towards the job (5 items), Psychological exhaustion (4 items), Indolence (6 items) and Guilt (5 items). The factor structure was examined through confirmatory factor analysis. All items achieved appropriate values for both statistical and psychometric parameters, just as the four scales did. The four-factor model consistent with the Spanish original obtained a good data fit for the whole sample, showing factor invariance in both samples (i.e., men vs. women). In conclusion, the SBI has adequate psychometric properties to study the burnout syndrome in Italian health professionals, regardless of their gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze if psychometric results proposed by Botella, Ribas and Ruiz for the Spanish version of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire could be replicated in Mexican university students. A total of 1539 university students participated in this study with a mean age of 20.56 years (SD = 1.88). The factor structure of the questionnaire was analyzed trough exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results showed a feasible and adequate structure of two factors (subjective importance of the physical appearance and subjective importance of the physical shape), with adequate fit indices of reliability and validity, according to statistical and substantive criteria. However, the obtained model does not coincide with that proposed by Botella et al. Future research should replicate these findings in wider samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims to search if the psychometric results proposed by Niñerola et al. (2006) for the Barriers for the Practice of Physical Activity Scale (BPPAS) are replicated in Mexican university students. A total of 1528 Mexican university students participated in this study (average age = 20.78 ± 2.45 years). The factor structure of the BPPAS was conducted by confirmatory factor analyses that showed a feasible and adequate fourfactor structure. The four factors (body image, fatigue, obligations, and environment), attending to statistical and susbstantive criteria, have shown fit indices of reliability and validity. Moreover, the factor structure, the standardized regression weights, and the intercepts were considered as invariants between athletic and non-athletic participants, obtaining differences in the factors punctuations. Future research should replicate these findings in wider samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Child Version (OCI-CV) is a well-established self-report assessment tool and is particularly recommended for the assessment of dimensions of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptomatology. Although previous studies have shown that the OCI-CV has good psychometric properties to assess dimensions of OCD in clinical and non-clinical samples, a number of aspects remain unexplored: factor invariance across clinical and non-clinical samples, the discriminative validity of the OCI-CV to differentiate clinical from non-clinical samples, and the need for more data concerning the translation and adaptation of the OCI-CV across cultures and languages. Thus, the aim of our study was to provide new data on the validation of the OCI-CV in two community-based samples ( n =2138) and clinical samples ( n =94) of participants between 10 and 18 years old. The results showed that the OCI-CV has a sound 6-factor structure (Doubting/Checking, Obsessing, Hoarding, Washing, Ordering, Neutralizing) with one second-order factor (general OCD symptomatology), metric invariance across clinical and non-clinical samples, good reliability in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability, significant correlations with other specific measures of OCD, and acceptable sensitivity and specificity for the detection of OCD. The OCI-CV is a well-established measure to assess obsessive–compulsive symptom dimensions in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study examined the psychometric properties of the parent and teacher forms of the Japanese version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Method Parents and teachers of 1487 elementary school children (759 boys and 728 girls aged 6–12 years) participated in this study. Results The results of confirmatory factor analyses of the parent and teacher versions of the SDQ supported the five-factor structure reported in previous studies. However, factor invariance across sex was not observed. The alpha coefficients for the subscales of the SDQs varied between 0.55 and 0.86, the same reliability measures that were also reported in previous studies. Moreover, analyses of variance showed significant differences on all of the subscales according to sex and teacher–parent ratings. Conclusion The factor structure of the SDQ was generally supported, but more gender-segregated investigations of the factor structures are needed. Parents tended to give higher ratings on the difficulties and strengths of children compared to the teachers. Boys were rated higher than girls were on difficulties, while girls were rated higher than boys were on strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study to examine the factorial validity of the recently introduced 9-item Bergen Burnout Inventory (BBI-9) which is designed to measure three core dimensions of burnout including emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and sense of inadequacy. Topics discussed include burnout as a work-related state of ill characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy, cross-sectional design with data pertaining to managers, and employees, and occupational health.

Background: The aim of this study is to analyze the four-factor structure (advertising, information, family environment and friendship setting) of the Cuestionario de Influjos Socioculturales sobre el Autoconcepto Físico (CIAF) [Sociocultural Influences on Physical Self-concept Questionnaire] and its invariance in relation to sex, age and physical activity. Method: Participants were 579 students (339 men and 240 women) aged between 12 and 23, divided into three groups (137 under 14 years, 338 aged between 15 and 18 and 104 over 18 years). All completed the CIAF. Results: Both the confirmatory factor analyses and the factor invariance tests support the four-factor structure of the CIAF and, therefore, the identification of four different types of sociocultural perceived influence. Conclusions: These results allow us to apply the abundant data found by previous studies on sociocultural pressure on body image to our understanding of physical self-concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the validity of the Physical and Mental Component Summary scores (PCS and MCS) of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), a measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), among persons with a history of stroke. Methods: Persons with ( n = 2,581) and without ( n = 38,066) a reported history of stroke were enrolled in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Confirmatory factor analysis methods were used to evaluate the fit of a 2-factor model that underlies the PCS and MCS and to examine the equivalence of the factors across both study groups. Results: The 2-factor model provided good fit to the data among individuals with and those without a self-reported history of stroke. Item factor loadings were found to be largely invariant across both groups, and correlational analyses confirmed that the two latent factors were highly related to the PCS and MCS scores, calculated by the standard scoring algorithms. The effect of stroke history on physical health was more than twice its effect on mental health. Conclusions: The psychometric measurement model that underlies the PCS and MCS summary scores is comparable between persons with and without a history of stroke. This suggests that the SF-12 has adequate validity for measuring HRQoL not only in the general population but also in cohorts following stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The authors of this study aimed to evaluate 2-factor structures for the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) reported in the literature to determine which one proves to be a better fit with the data on low-income Puerto Ricans living on the island. Method: The sample consisted of 3,504 civilian noninstitutionalized Puerto Ricans, ranging in age from 18 to 64 who were living in low-income areas of Puerto Rico. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was implemented, and model fit was assessed with the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), the comparative fit index (CFI), and the root-meansquare error of approximation (RMSEA). Results: The CFA results obtained for the Radloff (1977) and Guarnaccia, Angel, and Worobey (1989) models show that neither model obtained adequate fit indexes. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the 2-factor structure not only obtained better fit indexes (TLI = .948, CFI = .955, RMSEA = .048) but also reflected a better conceptual organization of the factors (basically divided into 2 components: Negative Affect and Positive Affect). When we assessed the model fit by gender, the model consistently fit the data for the female subsample but not for the male one. Conclusions: Results confirm the need to address the issues related to measurement equivalence for specific cultural and language gaps in assessment of depressive symptoms. Lack of factor invariance across gender also raises the question of the appropriateness of this measure for the male subsample and the need for further research in the manifestation of depression in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controversy concerning the validity and reliability of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) appears to be particularly relevant in the elderly, since physical symptoms associated with GAD can readily be considered as the consequences of normal aging. This study aims to analyze the structure invariance of a questionnaire assessing the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria across samples of older adults and college students. Ninety-seven adults aged 65 or over and 130 college students completed the Worry and Anxiety Questionnaire (WAQ). The results revealed that factorial invariance could be assumed and, in addition, that scores for severity of GAD symptoms were higher in younger subjects than in older ones. The results support the applicability of DSM-IV criteria for GAD in elderly people, as the factorial structure of the WAQ was the same for this age group as for younger adults. A higher degree of GAD severity was found in the younger sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A short form of the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ), called the DAPP-SF, is presented, consisting of 136 of the original 290 items. It was established in a community sample that the factor structure of the DAPP-SF is highly congruent with the structure of the DAPP-BQ. The 18 DAPP-SF scales, which were found to be highly reliable, turned out to correlate substantially with the DAPP-BQ scales, even after applying a necessary correction, as the DAPP-SF was developed in the same sample used to investigate the Dutch DAPP-BQ. The higher-order convergent validity of the DAPP-SF was demonstrated by correlating the DAPP-SF scales and factors with Van Kampen''s 5DPT. The same factor structure as found in the community sample of patients with personality disorder, also demonstrating that the agreement between the DAPP-SF and the DAPP-BQ is not dependent on the use of shared data. Finally, following Bagge and Trull [Bagge, C.L., Trull, T.J., 2003. DAPP-BQ: Factor structure and relations to personality disorder symptoms in a non-clinical sample. Journal of Personality Disorders 17, 19–32], specific predictions were tested concerning differences in means on the 18 scales between 10 diagnostic groups in the sample of patients with personality disorder. Results supported the validity of the DAPP-SF with respect to its lower-order structure. Finally, for practical purposes, preliminary norms are presented for females and males from the community in two different age groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Little is known about the influence of perceived motivational climate in physical education lessons from the Asian perspective. This study of 1122 secondary school pupils from Singapore examined the psychometric properties of an existing classroom climate measure. Additionally, the relationships between perceived motivational climate, achievement goals, perceived competence and intrinsic interest and intention to be physically active were examined. It was hypothesized that the perception of high-task involving climates should lead to the adoption of task orientations, and ego-involving climates lead to ego orientations. Both goal orientations will be mediated by perceived competence, impacting on intrinsic motivation and intentions. The results of the structural equation modelling supported the main hypothesis. Overall, the findings suggest that perceptions of a mastery climate in physical education may foster intrinsic interest and intentions to be physically active. It is noteworthy that 68.5% of the variance in intrinsic motivation and 21.9% of the variance in intention to be physically active were accounted for by the model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To compare health-related quality of life (QOL) across groups, researchers have to assure that items of a QOL measure represent the same constructs across groups. This study investigated factorial invariance of the WHOQOL-BREF between a healthy population and populations with diseases using the data from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in Taiwan. The NHIS was conducted by stratified multistage systematic sampling resulting in responses from 13,010 participants aged 20∼65 who completed the WHOQOL-BREF. The analysis was limited to 5 diseases where at least 200 individuals had that specific single condition; these were pulmonary disease, hypertension, peptic ulcer, sinusitis and liver disease. In this study, confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) on a four-factor model were conducted. Two-group analyses with unconstrained/constrained parameters were conducted to confirm the comparability of CFA factor structures between groups. Generally, the ξ2 discrepancy tests showed that different disease groups and their matched healthy groups shared the same first- and second-order factor loadings. Moreover, different disease groups shared the same first- and second-order factor loadings as well. In other words, after controlling age and gender, same perceptions on the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire were found between disease and matched healthy groups and across disease groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a model is set forth relating (a) overall life satisfaction of children to children’s values and (b) children’s values to parents’ values. Using confirmatory factor analysis models three dimensions of values (materialistic values, capacities and knowledge values and interpersonal relationship values) consistently emerged in 5 countries (Brazil, South Africa, Norway, Spain and India) for both parents and children. There was a considerable amount of missing data, mainly because the parent’s questionnaire was often not returned. Full information maximum likelihood estimators with missing data were thus used. Multiple-group analyses were next performed to assess factor invariance of the three value dimensions across the five countries for both parents and children. This implies testing the equality of factor loadings and intercepts across groups. This equality is required to ensure that factors have the same interpretation in all groups, which is necessary when comparing any aspect of the factor distribution across groups. The only two countries for which the interpretation of value dimensions was invariant for both parents and children were Brazil and Spain. The results of other countries could thus not be compared. Multiple-group structural equation models revealed that both parents and children scored higher on most values in Brazil than in Spain. In both countries, each child value dimension was only significantly predicted by the same value dimension of the parents. R-squares were in the 4–12% range and slightly higher in Brazil. The only value dimension that had some effect on overall life satisfaction was capacities and knowledge, which was so in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]