Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Analysis Research Articles

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptomology as measured by PCL-5 and its relationships to resilience, hostility and stress among paramedics and social professionals.

This survey study aimed to contribute to the extensive debate on the dimensionality of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) questionnaire by examining the psychometric properties and construct validity of its Hungarian version and relying on the inspection of a conceptual network of related variables, that is, perceived stress, hostility, and resilience. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) and path analysis were applied on data collected from 177 paramedics and 66 professionals from the social field (58.4% male; Mage=43.5±9.96years). Despite the acceptable fit indices gained with CFA when testing the original four-factor DSM-5 model of PCL-5, strong associations (r=0.69-0.90) between subscales were found. Thus, ESEM was applied and as a result a new, three-factor version of the DSM-5 model of PCL-5 was proposed due to significant crossloadings that was theoretically also supported. The Reexperiencing and Avoidance subscales were merged and named Difficulty with Assimilation of Experience (DAE). In the path analysis only two of the tested associations were not significant using the new factor structure, in which stress fully mediated the relationship between resilience and DAE, and resilience and Hyperarousal. Overall, the hypothesised pathways between variables fit the collected data well. (weighted least squares mean-and variance-adjusted χ2=503.750 (df=270), comparative fit index=0.948, Tucker-Lewis index=0.939, root mean square error of approximation (90% confidence interval)=0.064 (0.055-0.073), weighted root mean square residual=1.024). Our analysis of the Hungarian version of PCL-5 contributes to the testing of a DSM-5-based questionnaire measuring posttraumatic stress disorder symptomology.

Validation of the Malay version of the recovery-stress questionnaire for athletes: Application of confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling

The Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-Sport-52) is a tool developed to measure the frequency of stress associated through recovery activities with strong theoretical foundations. The study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Malay version of RESTQ-Sport-52 using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). A cross-sectional study with purposive sampling method was employed. There were 617 undergraduate university students in Malaysia participated in the study with mean age of 20 years old (SD = 1.5). The majority of the participants were female (66.1 %), Malay (76 %) and participated in at least one sport or exercise. The RESTQ-Sport-52-M consisted of 52 items with two main sections; (1) general stress and recovery scales and (2) sport-specific stress and recovery scales. Mplus 8.3 was used to perform the CFA and ESEM analysis to examine the construct validity and reliability of RESTQ-Sport-52-M. For measurement model assessment using CFA, the final model of general-stress/recovery and sport-specific stress/recovery indicated a fit based on several fit indices. However, in the measurement model assessment using ESEM, the fit indices for model of general-stress/recovery (CFI = 0.935, SRMR = 0.037, RMSEA = 0.045) and sport-stress/recovery (CFI = 0.923, SRMR = 0.036, RMSEA = 0.044) were generally improved. The construct reliability for measurement models of RESTQ-Sport-52-M ranged from 0.76 to 0.89. The ESEM approach yielded a better fit indices compared to the CFA approach for both scales. The RESTQ-Sport-52-M (50 items) were considered a more valid and reliable questionnaire to measure recovery and stress in sports for Malaysian sample.

Examining consumer experience in a gourmet food hall: Impacts on satisfaction and behavioural intentions

The restaurant attributes have been demonstrated to influence diners’ satisfaction and loyalty significantly and it is associated with the moderating variables of age, income and education. The study objectives are: (a) to explore the consumer experience in a gourmet food hall; (b) to examine quality factors influencing consumer satisfaction, which in turn leads to loyalty; and (c) to analyze the moderating effect of demographic traits on customer satisfaction and loyalty. This study analyses the relationship between these variables, specifically in a gourmet food hall. For the data analysis, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling analysis were used to obtain the significant factors and identify the satisfaction and loyalty predictors. The results determined that price, food attribute, service and atmosphere affect consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, age, income level, and education play a moderating role in satisfaction and loyalty. These results indicate that consumers in the gourmet food hall prioritize restaurant features, satisfaction, and loyalty, which are shaped by age, income, and education.

Longitudinal measurement invariance of constructs derived from the addiction cycle.

The Alcohol Addiction Research Domain Criteria (AARDoC) is an organizational framework for assessing heterogeneity in addictive disorders organized across the addiction cycle domains of incentive salience, negative emotionality, and executive functioning and may have benefits for precision medicine. Recent work found pretreatment self-report items mapped onto the addiction cycle domains and predicted 1- and 3-year alcohol use disorder treatment outcomes. Given the potential utility of the addiction cycle domains for predicting relevant treatment outcomes, this study sought to evaluate the longitudinal measurement invariance of the domains. We conducted a secondary analysis of individuals with alcohol use disorder (n = 1,383, 30.9% female, 76.8% non-Hispanic White, 11.2% Hispanic) who participated in the COMBINE study. Eleven items assessed at pre- and posttreatment were included in exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) and longitudinal invariance analyses. The pre- and posttreatment ESEM models had factor loadings consistent with the three addiction cycle domains and fit the data well. The ESEM factor structure was invariant from pre- to posttreatment (representing configural invariance) and metric invariance (factor loadings) was largely supported, but analyses failed to support scalar invariance (item-level thresholds) of the addiction cycle domains. A three-factor structure representing addiction cycle domains can be modeled using brief self-report measures pre- and posttreatment. Individuals demonstrated a downward shift in the level of item endorsement, indicating improvement with treatment. Although this 11-item measure might be useful at baseline for informing treatment decisions, results indicate the need to exercise caution in comparing the addiction cycle domains pre- to posttreatment within persons. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Development and Psychometric Properties of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised.

Social network site use motives have been reported to be important in understanding the causes of Social Network Site addiction. The purpose of this study was to supplement the weaknesses of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale with a 6-factor structure and to examine the psychometric properties of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised with an 8-factor structure. Exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were used to investigate the factor structure of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised. A Korean adult sample (n = 661, nfemale = 464, age: 27.45 ± 8.66) filled out the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised. Results showed that an 8-factor model with exploratory structural equation modeling showed a better fit than the other models. Indices of internal consistency reliability of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised were good. Also, the scale exhibited statistically significant positive correlations with social network site addiction scores, which showed adequate criterion validity. In addition, the expression motives and the concealment motives showed incremental validity of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised by having a statistically significant relationship with social network site addiction even when controlling for the other 6 motives. The Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised, consisting of the 8 dimensions tapping information, enhancement, social, coping, pastime, conformity, expression, and concealment motives, is a reliable and valid scale to measure social network site use motives.

Measuring mental health professionals' trauma care competencies: Psychometric properties of the novel readiness to work with trauma-exposed patients scale.

A lack of training in PTSD assessment and treatment can cause nonrecognition, misdiagnosis, or mistreatment of trauma-exposed patients in clinical practice. To fill the gap of the measures of trauma care-related competencies, the current study aimed to test psychometric properties of the novel Readiness to Work with Trauma-Exposed Patients Scale (RTEPS) in a sample of clinicians. The study sample comprised 279 Lithuanian mental health professionals (91% psychologists and 9% psychiatrists). The mean age of study participants was 41.09 (SD = 10.68), 93.9% were female. Almost half of the participants (49.1%) had more than 10 years of work experience in the field of mental health, and 61.3% of clinicians reported routinely seeing trauma-exposed patients in their clinical practice. Exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a three-factor, first-order model of the 10-item self-report RTEPS comprising competencies of assessment, treatment, and affect tolerance showed the best fit for the data. Additionally, previous trauma-focused training experience but not work experience was significantly associated with perceived readiness to work with trauma-exposed patients while controlling for the rates of depression and anxiety of mental health professionals. The findings of the study provide evidence of the RTEPS validity based on test content, internal structure, relations to other variables as well as internal consistency. The RTEPS scale is a brief and easily administered instrument that could be used in the context of training or clinical setting to evaluate the trauma care competencies among professionals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Clarifying the Factor structure of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Inventory: Measurement Invariance and Validity in Predicting Clinical Outcomes

AbstractThe Intolerance of Uncertainty Inventory (IUI) is a two-part inventory assessing the general unacceptability of uncertainty in terms of generalized maladaptive beliefs (IUI-A) and specific individuals’ reactions to uncertainty, such as avoidance, doubt, overestimation of threat, worry, control of uncertainty, and seeking reassurance (IUI-B). Previous research has examined the factor structure of both parts with mixed results, especially for IUI-A. The present study took advantage of the Farsi-language version to clarify the IUI factor structure, assess measurement invariance between clinical and nonclinical samples, and examine the criterion-related and incremental validity of IUI-A and IUI-B. We administered the IUI to a mixed psychiatric sample of patients who met DSM-IV criteria for affective disorders (N = 198) and community participants in relatively good health (N = 427). Exploratory structural equation modeling analyses were used to test alternative factor models and determine whether IUI factors predicted depression and anxiety symptoms. A bifactor model was found to be the best fit for IUI-A and IUI-B, and reliability analyses supported the use of the total scores for both parts. The IUI-A and IUI-B were scalar invariant. The general factors of each part and the IUI-B worry factor were higher in patients with affective disorders than in community participants. Validity analyses showed that the two general factors tapped into the same variance in depression and anxiety symptoms as the competing instruments, although not superior in predictive performance to the Intolerance of Uncertainty scale (IUS-12) and the Disorder Specific Intolerance of Uncertainty (DSIU) scale. The present study clarified the factorial structure of the IUI and provided evidence that IUI total scores are reliable and valid for assessing the Intolerance of Uncertainty construct and predicting clinical outcomes.

Multifactorial structure of cognitive assessment tests in the UK Biobank: A combined exploratory factor and structural equation modeling analyses.

The UK Biobank cognitive assessment data has been a significant resource for researchers looking to investigate predictors and modifiers of cognitive abilities and associated health outcomes in the general population. Given the diverse nature of this data, researchers use different approaches - from the use of a single test to composing the general intelligence score, g, across the tests. We argue that both approaches are suboptimal - one being too specific and the other one too general - and suggest a novel multifactorial solution to represent cognitive abilities. Using a combined Exploratory Factor (EFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Analyses (ESEM) we developed a three-factor model to characterize an underlying structure of nine cognitive tests selected from the UK Biobank using a Cattell-Horn-Carroll framework. We first estimated a series of probable factor solutions using the maximum likelihood method of extraction. The best solution for the EFA-defined factor structure was then tested using the ESEM approach with the aim of confirming or disconfirming the decisions made. We determined that a three-factor model fits the UK Biobank cognitive assessment data best. Two of the three factors can be assigned to fluid reasoning (Gf) with a clear distinction between visuospatial reasoning and verbal-analytical reasoning. The third factor was identified as a processing speed (Gs) factor. This study characterizes cognitive assessment data in the UK Biobank and delivers an alternative view on its underlying structure, suggesting that the three factor model provides a more granular solution than g that can further be applied to study different facets of cognitive functioning in relation to health outcomes and to further progress examination of its biological underpinnings.

Psychometric properties of a Greek translation of the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) in adults from Cyprus

The construct of intuitive eating is commonly assessed using the 23-item, 4-factor Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2; Tylka & Kroon Van Diest, 2013). In this study, we assessed the psychometric properties of a novel Greek translation of the IES-2 in adults from Cyprus. In Study 1 (N = 626), an exploratory factor analysis indicated that the IES-2 should be conceptualized as consisting of six factors that showed complete invariance across women and men. Study 2 (N = 793), using exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) and beifactor analysis (B-ESEM), indicated that the 6-factor B-ESEM model had adequate fit and evidenced complete invariance across sex once the correlated uniqueness of negatively worded IES-2 items was accounted for. This final model evidenced adequate composite reliability, and a global G-factor evidenced adequate convergent, concurrent, and discriminant validity. In contrast, the IES-2 S-factors showed more equivocal patterns of validity, with some S-factors showing less-than-adequate associations with body image variables, self-esteem, symptoms of disordered eating, and fruit and vegetable intake. In general, these results provide satisfactory evidence of the psychometric properties of the Greek IES-2 in adults from Cyprus, but also suggest that models of IES-2 scores may vary across national or cultural contexts.

The Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-4): Psychometric evidence of introjected approach regulation in Portuguese health club exercisers

The assessment of motivation has been a key aspect to the understanding of exercise participation, and research grounded in self-determination theory has presented valid and reliable instruments for that purpose. Given the need to continually refine this latent construct, the present study aimed to translate, adapt, and psychometrically validate a subscale targeting the approach facet of introjection, and to test the pattern of associations between motives for practice, basic psychological needs satisfaction/frustration, and behavioral regulations encompassing the validated introjection subscale, in a sample of health club exercisers.For that purpose, two studies were developed with a total of 1216 health club exercisers. In Study I (n = 806), Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling analysis to test the motivational continuum encompassing the introjected approach subscale were performed. In Study II (n = 410) associations and structural models between intrinsic and extrinsic goal contents, basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, and behavioral regulations with the new subscale were tested.The correlated seven-factor model with 21 items in Study I displayed good psychometric properties (CFA: χ2 = 481.977 (168), p < .001, CFI = 0.936, TLI = 0.915, SRMR = 0.037, RMSEA = 0.048; ESEM: χ2 = 178.672 (84), p < .001, CFI = 0.980, TLI = 0.949, SRMR = 0.014, RMSEA = 0.037). The introjected approach regulation added to the preexisting factorial structure did not affect the validity and reliability of the instrument. The results from Study II supported a theoretically expected pattern of associations, in which the introjected regulation of approach is positioned between introjected avoidance and identified regulation along the motivational continuum. Additionally, path estimates depicted criterion validity for the new subscale. All in all, this work presents preliminary evidence for an introjected approach regulation subscale that can be used in health club practices for a better understanding of the motivational quality of exercise practice.

Development and validation of a quality of life measurement scale specific to hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: the QoL-HHT

BackgroundHereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) disease is a rare genetic disorder with symptoms and complications that can significantly affect patients’ daily lives. To date, no scale has been validated to assess the specific symptoms of this disease on the quality of life (QOL) of HHT patients. This makes it difficult for clinicians to accurately measure the quality of life of patients with HHT. The present study aims to develop and validate a QOL measurement tool specific to HHT disease: the QOL questionnaire in HHT (QoL-HHT).MethodsA quantitative, non-interventional, multi-center study involving HHT patients in twenty French HHT expert centers was conducted. A calibration sample of 415 HHT patients and a validation sample of 228 HHT patients voluntarily participated in the study. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) analyses, reliability analyses, and correlational analyses.ResultsThe EFA, CFA and ESEM results allowed us to provide evidence of the factorial structure of a questionnaire composed of 24 items measuring 6 domains of QOL: Physical limitations, social relationships, concern about bleeding, relationship with the medical profession, experience of symptoms, and concern about the evolution of the disease. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (> 0.70) demonstrated reliable internal consistency of all the QoL-HHT scores (dimensions). The results of the test–retest provided further evidence of the reliability of the QOL-HHT scores over time. Correlational analyses provided evidence for the convergent validity of the QoL-HHT scores.ConclusionsWe developed a simple and quick self-assessment tool to measure quality of life specific to HHT disease. This study demonstrated reliability and validity of our QoL-HHT scores. It is a very promising tool to evaluate the impact of HHT disease on all aspects of the quality of life of HHT patients in order to offer them individualized medico-psycho-social support.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials, NCT03695874. Registered 04 October 2018, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03695874

Evaluation of the factor structure of the Russian version of PID-5-BF

IntroductionTraditional categorical classifications of personality disorders (PD) have been criticized for insufficient structural and cross-cultural validity. In the DSM-5 Section III, alternative model of the PDs (AMPD), the maladaptive personality traits are divided into five domains: negative affect, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition and psychoticism. The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form (PID-5-BF) is a 25-item self-report questionnaire that measures the severity of each of these five domains. To date, no questionnaires assessing pathological personality traits following the AMPD have been validated in Russia.ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Russian version of PID-5-BF.MethodsFive hundred and 86 (female - 505 (86,2%), age - 18–77 years (M - 28.2, SD - 11.5)) consecutive inpatients with non-psychotic mental disorders were assessed with the Russian language version of the PID-5-BF. Exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) with Robust Diagonally Weighted Least Squares method of extraction and Robust Equamax rotation was performed in Factor v 11.04.02.ResultsThe results of the ESEM analysis showed good fit of the five-factor model (CFI - 0.982; TLI - 0.971; RMSEA (95% CI) - 0.036 (0.01-0.05). Most of the items had the highest factor loadings on their mother domains. However, two items showed weak loadings on their designated factors (&lt;0.4), and attention seeking item had a primary load to (low) detachment instead of antagonism.ConclusionsThe PID-5-BF was found to be a valid and reliable tool for the evaluation of the AMPD trait domainDisclosureNo significant relationships.

Construct Validity and Test–Retest Reliability of the Test of Advanced Movement Skills with a Dual-Outcome Scoring System

ABSTRACT The objective was to verify the construct validity and test–retest reliability of the Test of Advanced Movement Skills (TAMS) with an innovative dual-outcome scoring system. Three statistical approaches – confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and item response theory analysis (IRT) – were applied to the data collected from 88 participants aged 9–12 years. Furthermore, 10 of them were randomly selected to examine the test–retest reliability by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The synthesis of findings from CFA, ESEM, and IRT analyses provides supportive evidence that two- and bi-factor structures demonstrated better model-data fit compared to the one-factor structure. An excellent level of test–retest reliability was confirmed in the TAMS (ICC = .96) and anthropometric instruments (ICC = .986–.998). We conclude that a composite score derived from the TAMS is sufficient and practical to measure one’s general competence in advanced movement skills during late childhood.

German, Portuguese and Spanish Versions of the Revised Short Form of the Physical Self-Inventory (PSI-S-R)

ABSTRACT The present study sought to examine the psychometric properties of new German, Portuguese, and Spanish versions of the Revised Short Form of the Physical Self-Inventory (PSI-S-R), and to contrast these properties against those from the original French version of this instrument. Participants (n = 1802) were 288 French youth, 177 German youth, 848 Portuguese youths and 489 Spanish youth. Results from exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analyses supported the factor validity and reliability of PSI-S-R across the overall sample and each linguistic sample. Subsequent analyses supported the weak, partial strong, and strict invariance of this measure, and revealed a lack of differential item functioning (i.e., measurement bias) as a function of age, body mass index, sex and sport involvement across all linguistic versions. However, latent mean differences were observed as a function of these predictors and countries.

Social Emotional Learning Competencies in Belize Children: Psychometric Validation Through Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling.

In the nation of Belize, and in particular the south side of Belize City, the main metropolitan area of the nation, significant economic disparities have led to child and adolescent exposure to high rates of violent crime, gang activity, unsafe neighborhoods, sexual, and physical violence. Problems associated with poor Social-Emotional Character Development are especially prevalent among boys. Consequently, valid culture-relevant measures are required that identify problematic behavior for policy-based intervention and evaluation of educational programs designed to ameliorate this problem. The present study demonstrates the application of Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling to existing measures through the investigation of structural validity and generalizability of the Social-Emotional and Character Development Scale with a large sample of children from schools in Belize (N = 1,877, Ages 10–13). Exploratory structural equation modeling results demonstrate the original factor correlations were reduced, providing less biased estimates than confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Moreover, a multi-group Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling analysis illuminates significant differences between latent factor scores of males and females for most factors. Using this newer factor analytic procedure, original factors are reconceptualized to better situate the Social Emotional Character Development Scales into the larger body of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies literature.

Factor structure of the Dispositional Hope Scale amongst South Africans: An exploratory structural equation modelling study

Snyder’s model of hope conceptualises and operationalises hope as a cognitive, trait-like bi-dimensional future-oriented construct consisting of pathways thinking and agency thinking for goal achievement. The present study implemented exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the Dispositional Hope Scale, using data from two South African student samples (n = 383, 48% female, 21.70 years average age and n = 251, 68% female, 20.55 years average age), with the aim to examine its factor structure in an African context. The results showed that a six item unidimensional solution of hope fit the data best. This model characterises hope as the ability to make plans, informed by past experiences and to spontaneously manoeuvre around obstacles as any situation may call for it. This finding has implications for the measurement of hope and development of emic operational models in an African context.

Psychometric Validation of the Persian Self-Compassion Scale Youth Version.

ObjectivesEmpirical research investigating self-compassion is a rapidly developing field, and it is potentially crucial in early adolescence. The primary aim of the present study was to psychometrically evaluate the Persian translation of the Self-Compassion Scale Youth version (SCS-Y) and evaluate its factor structure among young adolescents. The second aim was to explore the buffering effect of self-compassion against the negative effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on COVID-19-related anxiety.MethodsA sample of young students (n = 532; mean age 13.57 years) completed an online survey, which included the SCS-Y, Patient Health Questionnaire, Difficulties In Emotion Regulation Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Youth Life Orientation Test, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief 10-Item Big Five Inventory. First-order (six-factor) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bi-factor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analysis were used to evaluate the factor structure of the SCS-Y.ResultsResults showed that the SCS-Y had very good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient: 0.88; McDonald’s omega coefficient: 0.90), composite reliability (0.87), and adequate test–retest reliability after 4 weeks (0.60). The first-order (six-factor) CFA and bi-factor ESEM analysis demonstrated the SCS-Y had excellent dimensionality. Further analysis found negative associations between self-compassion with both depression and neuroticism, and positive associations between self-compassion with both resilience and optimism. Moreover, self-compassion moderated the association between emotion dysregulation and anxiety generated by the COVID-19. Overall, the findings indicated that the SCS-Y had acceptable criterion-related validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.ConclusionsThe findings provide evidence that the SCS-Y is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the six factors of self-compassion among younger adolescents. Based on the study’s findings, self-compassion appears to be a protective factor against mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic for younger adolescents.

Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling: Practical Guidelines and Tutorial With a Convenient Online Tool for Mplus.

Critics of positive psychology have questioned the validity of positive psychological assessment measures (PPAMs), which negatively affects the credibility and public perception of the discipline. Psychometric evaluations of PPAMs have shown that various instruments produce inconsistent factor structures between groups/contexts/times frames, that their predictive validity is questionable, and that popular PPAMs are culturally biased. Further, it would seem positive psychological researchers prioritize date-model-fit over measurement quality. To address these analytical challenges, more innovative and robust approaches toward the validation and evaluation of PPAMs are required to enhance the discipline's credibility and to advance positive psychological science. Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) has recently emerged as a promising alternative to overcome some of these challenges by incorporating the best elements from exploratory- and confirmatory factor analyses. ESEM is still a relatively novel approach, and estimating these models in statistical software packages can be complex and tedious. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide novice researchers with a practical tutorial on how to estimate ESEM with a convenient online tool for Mplus. Specifically, we aim to demonstrate the use of ESEM through an illustrative example by using a popular positive psychological instrument: the Mental Health Continuum-SF. By using the MHC-SF as an example, we aim to provide (a) a brief overview of ESEM (and different ESEM models/approaches), (b) guidelines for novice researchers on how to estimate, compare, report, and interpret ESEM, and (c) a step-by-step tutorial on how to run ESEM analyses in Mplus with the De Beer and Van Zy ESEM syntax generator. The results of this study highlight the value of ESEM, over and above that of traditional confirmatory factor analytical approaches. The results also have practical implications for measuring mental health with the MHC-SF, illustrating that a bifactor ESEM Model fits the data significantly better than any other theoretical model.

Validation and measurement invariance of the Occupational Depression Inventory in South Africa.

This study aimed to validate the recently developed Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI) in South Africa. A total of 327 employees (60% female) participated in the study. Bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling analysis indicated that the ODI can be considered essentially unidimensional. The ODI displayed strong scalability (e.g., scale-level H = 0.657). No monotonicity violation was detected. The reliability of the instrument, as indexed by Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s omega-total, Guttman’s λ2, and the Molenaar-Sijtsma statistic, was highly satisfactory. Measurement invariance was observed across age groups, sexes, and ethnicities, as well as between our sample and the ODI’s original validation sample. As expected, the ODI showed both a degree of convergent validity and a degree of discriminant validity vis-à-vis a measure of “cause-neutral” depressive symptoms. Moreover, the ODI manifested substantial associations, in the anticipated directions, with measures of work engagement, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Overall, the ODI exhibited excellent structural and psychometric properties within the South African context. Consistent with previous research, this study suggests that occupational health specialists can confidently rely on the ODI to investigate job-related distress.

Expanding the Discrete Emotions in Physical Education Scale (DEPES): Evaluating Emotions With Behavior and Learning

ABSTRACT Purpose: Students’ affective experiences represent essential physical education (PE) learning outcomes. However, measuring these essential internal processes and understanding how they relate to behaviors has been difficult and limited thus far. The purpose of this study was to expand the Discrete Emotions in Physical Education Scale (DEPES) from the original three in-activity emotions (enjoyment, boredom, and anger) to include three additional outcome-related emotions (pride, shame, and relief). Method: Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analyses investigated the factor structure for the DEPES expansion with middle school (i.e., 6th, 7th, & 8th grade) students from the United States (N = 495; Mage = 11.96 (SD = .98), 57% Female). Additionally, we examined predictive validity with relevant outcomes including perceived social competence, disruptive behavior, and multiple meta-cognitive knowledge beliefs (declarative, conditional, and procedural). Results: ESEM for the six emotions showed good model fit. Standardized factor loadings yielded strong primary loadings with minimal cross loading, suggesting discriminant validity for both in-activity and outcome-related emotions. Also, predictive validity of students’ disruptive behavior (21%), social competence (40%), and metacognitive knowledge (40–57%), accounted for a significant portion of knowledge variance. Conclusion: The six emotions measured by the DEPES can provide clear and precise information on students’ affective experiences in PE. Furthermore, measuring a variety of discrete emotions can help researchers/teachers capture unique motivational tendencies in students’ behavior and knowledge. The evidence speaks to how limiting general positive/negative affect may be when trying to understand students’ motivation/behaviors in PE. Overall, the DEPES can make valuable contributions to PE research and practice.