Lower-order Factors Research Articles

A Bifactor Model of Anxiety Sensitivity: Analysis of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the fit of a bifactor model of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3; Taylor et al. Psychological Assessment, 19, 176–188, 2007) as well as to examine measurement invariance of the ASI-3 across gender. Participants were undergraduate students from the University of Cincinnati (n = 954; 63 % female). Results indicated that the bifactor model was the best fit to the data, and that this model of AS is fully invariant in terms of gender. The current findings suggest that anxiety sensitivity consists of a general factor and three independent group factors (rather than a higher-order factor with three correlated lower-order factors). The ASI-3 subscales from the bifactor model however did not provide incremental predictive utility above and beyond the general AS factor with respect to an external anxiety criterion. Related research and clinical implications are discussed.

The Psychometric Properties of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) Within a Dutch Population

According to the dual control model, sexual arousal is dependent on the disposition for both sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI; Bancroft, 1999). Individual variability in sexual inhibition and sexual excitation could partly explain individual differences in sexual arousability and the likelihood of experiencing sexual problems (Bancroft, Graham, Janssen, & Sanders, 2009). The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) is a questionnaire developed to measure the factors sexual excitation and sexual inhibition (Graham, Sanders, & Milhausen, 2006). This study describes the validation of the Dutch version of the SESII-W in a sample of 445 women. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we determined that the eight lower-order factor model achieved adequate fit to the data. A decrement in fit was noted when the two higher-order factors SE and SI were included in the model. The measure demonstrated good construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Furthermore, the scores of women with sexual problems differed from those without sexual problems, providing evidence for the discriminant validity of the SESII-W.

Sexual Self-Concept: Testing a Hypothetical Model for Men and Women

One theoretical concept receiving modest attention in contemporary sex research is the sexual self-concept (SSC). However, a lack of cohesion within this research has culminated in a collection of SSC models which overlap one another but which are not exactly the same. Therefore, a unified conceptual model of SSC needs to be established. In addition, little research has examined potential differences between genders in SSC, as most SSC research has focused on women. Using Buzwell and Rosenthal's 1996 sexual selves model as a theoretical basis, a six-factor higher-order latent SSC model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Lower-order factors for this model included multidimensional sexual self-esteem and sexual self-efficacy factors, as well as unidimensional arousal, anxiety, exploration, and commitment factors. A five-factor latent model (after removing the commitment and the resistance sexual self-efficacy factors) was the best-fitting model. This model was then tested for measurement and structural invariance between genders. Results indicated that while the measurement of SSC was similar between men and women, structural invariance did not hold, as men had a significantly higher latent SSC score compared to women. These findings have important implications for sexual self-concept research, as well as contributing to better understanding of human sexuality.

Scale-Dependent Den-Site Selection by American Black Bears in Mississippi

Habitat selection is a hierarchical process in which animals select resources at varying spatial scales. Dens are a critical component of American black bear (Ursus americanus) habitat, yet scale-dependent den-site selection has received limited attention. Using habitat and topographic characteristics, we assessed scale-dependent den-site selection by 11 black bears during 20 den years in Mississippi, USA, at 3 spatial scales: den site (15 m), den area (100 m), and den landscape (1,000 m). Black bears in Mississippi exhibited scale-dependent den-site selection selecting greater percentage horizontal cover at the den area scale. Risk of flooding (i.e., elevation, distance to nearest stream), disturbance (i.e., distance to nearest stream or road), and habitat composition did not influence den-site selection at spatial scales measured. Greater percentage horizontal cover likely provides additional security and increases energetic efficiency. Selection for horizontal cover at finer spatial scales suggests security at den sites is a lower-order factor influencing fitness.

Reliability and validity of Chinese revision of anxiety sensitivity index-revised among patients with anxiety disorders

Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the anxiety sensitivity index-revised(ASI-CR) among patients with anxiety disorders.Methods A total of 68 patients with anxiety disorders were interviewed using anxiety sensitivity index-revised(ASI-R),trait anxiety inventory(T-AI),Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA) and ASI-CR;the reliability and validity of ASI-CR were examined.Results Internal consistency of ASI-CR and each factor was 0.77-0.89 and the split-half reliability was 0.67-0.88.The internal correlation coefficient between factors was 0.51-0.65,the correlation coefficient between factors and the total score was 0.83-0.89,and internal correlation coefficient among factors was 0.60-0.90.The correlation coefficient between the total score and factor scores of ASI-CR and total score of ASI-R was 0.76-0.97,and the correlation coefficient between factor scores of ASI-CR and corresponding factor score of ASI-R was 0.78-0.97.The total score and two factor(physical concern and cognitive concern) score of ASI-CR in anxiety patients were significantly higher than the norm(P0.01).Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the three lower-order ASI-CR factors contributed 65.06% of the total variance.Factor loading of items was 0.51-0.88,but the items were unevenly distributed among factors.Two items had low loading to cognitive concern factor(0.22,0.48).Conclusion The ASI-CR displays satisfactory reliability,criterion validity and content validity among anxiety patients,but further research is needed to improve its structural validity.

Verbal fluency and creativity: General and specific contributions of broad retrieval ability (Gr) factors to divergent thinking

The Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) model of intelligence views creativity as a first-level factor within the second-level factor of broad retrieval ability (Gr), alongside other first-level abilities such as ideational fluency and word fluency. Traditional methods of measuring creativity, however, confound idea quality with idea quantity, which might exaggerate the relationship between creativity scores and verbal fluency factors. Participants (n=131 adults) completed two divergent thinking tasks (unusual uses for a rope and a box), which were scored using newer methods that effectively separate creativity (scored via subjective ratings) and fluency (scored as number of responses). They then completed 16 verbal fluency tasks that assessed six lower-order Gr factors: word fluency, associational fluency, associative flexibility, ideational fluency, letter fluency, and dissociative ability. Viewed singly, many of the lower-order factors significantly predicted creative quality and fluency. General Gr had substantial effects on creative quality (standardized β=.443) and fluency (β=.339) in a higher-order model as well as in a bifactor model (quality β=.380, fluency β=.327). Moreover, general Gr was the only significant predictor in the bifactor model, suggesting that it, not the specific factors, was most important. All effects were essentially the same after controlling for typing speed and vocabulary knowledge. The findings thus support the CHC view of creativity/originality as a lower-order component of Gr, illuminate the relationships between creativity and first-level Gr factors, extend the study of creativity and intelligence beyond fluid intelligence, and further indicate that creativity is more closely tied to cognitive abilities than creativity research has yet recognized.

Revisiting the factor structure of the 12-item Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale – Revised: Evidence for a third component

The 12-item Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale – Revised (DPSS-12) is widely used to assess the tendency for an individual to respond with disgust (i.e., disgust propensity) and how bothered an individual is by the experience of disgust (i.e., disgust sensitivity). However, heterogeneous items included in the DPSS-12 call into question the adequacy of its two-factor structure. The current study examined the factor structure of the DPSS-12 using two large, nonclinical student samples. Exploratory factor analyses revealed three lower order factors: (1) disgust propensity, (2) disgust sensitivity, and (3) self-focused/ruminative disgust. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the three-factor solution and demonstrated that the model fit better than a unidimensional or two-factor model. Further, a modified two-factor model that excluded the third factor provided a better fit than the original two-factor model. Additionally, the third domain explained a significant portion of the total variance, and evidenced a distinctive pattern of association with relevant constructs including obsessional symptoms. These data suggest the need to refine our knowledge about the latent structure of disgust reflected by this measure.

The Structure ofDSM-IV-TRPersonality Disorder Diagnoses in NESARC: A Reanalysis

Cox, Clara, Worobec, and Grant (2012) recently presented results from a series of analyses aimed at identifying the factor structure underlying the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000) personality diagnoses assessed in the large NESARC study. Cox et al. (2012) concluded that the best fitting model was one that modeled three lower-order factors (the three clusters of PDs as outlined by DSM-IV-TR), which in turn loaded on a single PD higher-order factor. Our reanalyses of the NESARC Wave 1 and Wave 2 data for personality disorder diagnoses revealed that the best fitting model was that of a general PD factor that spans each of the ten DSM-IV PD diagnoses, and our reanalyses do not support the three-cluster hierarchical structure outlined by Cox et al. (2012) and DSM-IV-TR. Finally, we note the importance of modeling the Wave 2 assessment method factor in analyses of NESARC PD data.

Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-3) subscales predict unique variance in anxiety and depressive symptoms

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) has been implicated in the development and maintenance of a range of mental health problems. The development of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index – 3, a psychometrically sound index of AS, has provided the opportunity to better understand how the lower-order factors of AS – physical, psychological, and social concerns – are associated with unique forms of psychopathology. The present study investigated these associations among 85 treatment-seeking adults with high AS. Participants completed measures of AS, anxiety, and depression. Multiple regression analyses controlling for other emotional disorder symptoms revealed unique associations between AS subscales and certain types of psychopathology. Only physical concerns predicted unique variance in panic, only cognitive concerns predicted unique variance in depressive symptoms, and social anxiety was predicted by only social concerns. Findings emphasize the importance of considering the multidimensional nature of AS in understanding its role in anxiety and depression and their treatment.

A French Translation of the Revised Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (Casi-R): Its Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity in a Nonclinical Sample of Children Aged 12 and 13 Years Old

This study ( n = 237 Belgian children; mean age = 12.3 years; SD = 0.41) examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the French translation of the Revised Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI-R). We obtained a hierarchical factor structure with four lower-order factors – of cognitive dyscontrol, of publicly observable anxiety reactions, of respiratory symptoms, and of cardiovascular symptoms – loading on a single higher-order factor (anxiety sensitivity). The French translation revealed acceptable internal consistency and a good interitem structure. Anxiety sensitivity was connected with the anxiety and depression scales but the correlation between the CASI-R and the depression score was more modest than that between the CASI-R and the trait anxiety score, indicating that the CASI-R is an anxiety scale. Girls reported more fear of anxious feelings than boys. This revised version allows for a more fine-grained assessment of the anxiety sensitivity concept.

The Believability of Anxious Feelings and Thoughts Questionnaire (BAFT): A psychometric evaluation of cognitive fusion in a nonclinical and highly anxious community sample.

Cognitive fusion--or the tendency to buy into the literal meaning of thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations--plays an important role in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders and figures prominently in third-generation behavior therapies such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Nonetheless, there is a lack of validated self-report measures of cognitive fusion/defusion, particularly in the area of anxiety disorders. We attempted to fill this gap with the development and validation of a self-report cognitive fusion measure, the Believability of Anxious Feelings and Thoughts Questionnaire (BAFT), in both a healthy undergraduate sample (N = 432) and highly anxious community sample (N = 503) undergoing a 12-week online ACT intervention. Results suggested a hierarchical factor structure of the BAFT with three lower order factors and one hierarchical factor and excellent internal consistency for the total BAFT score (i.e., αs = .90 and .91 for the undergraduate and highly anxious samples, respectively) and for its factors. Additionally, the BAFT and all of its factors consistently showed strong construct validity with other relevant process and outcome measures in both samples, strong 12-week test-retest reliability (r = .77) in our highly anxious waitlist control subsample and responsiveness to treatment in our highly anxious intervention subsample. These findings suggest that the BAFT is a reliable and valid measure of cognitive fusion in both healthy and clinical populations.

Testing the factorial structure of the Dream Intensity Scale.

The Dream Intensity Scale (DIS) is a questionnaire developed for assessing the subjective magnitude of dream experiences. The factorial structure of the DIS measurement model, which was built upon exploratory factor analyses, has not been tested using confirmatory statistics. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the overall quality of the structural relations among the parameters that constitute the DIS measurement model. Two samples were recruited separately in two consecutive years, and contained a total of 1,186 voluntary participants. The confirmatory statistics indicate that the model hypothesizing four higher-order and eight lower-order factors provides an excellent fit to the data, and is distinguished by its invariance across samples and genders. In addition, the convergent and discriminant concurrent validity of the DIS is substantiated by the differential sensitivity of its scales and subscales to the big-five personality dimensions.

Validation of the Dutch Version of the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ-NL)

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) has been shown to be involved in the maintenance of a variety of emotional problems. In addition, earlier research found that different forms of RNT such as worry and rumination show very similar characteristics. It was therefore suggested that RNT is best conceptualized as a transdiagnostic process. The Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ) was developed as a content-independent measure of RNT to allow research into this process from a transdiagnostic perspective. In a recent study, good psychometric properties were established for the original German and English versions of the measure. The current study describes the crossvalidation of the PTQ in two Dutch-speaking samples, one from the Netherlands and one from Belgium (total N = 1,845). The factor structure of the original PTQ with one higher-order factor and three lower-order factors was replicated for the Dutch-language version of the measure (PTQ-NL) using confirmatory factor analyses. In addition, the PTQ-NL showed good internal consistency and satisfactory stability. The validity of the measure was supported by substantial correlations with existing measures of RNT as well as with symptom levels of depression and anxiety.

Development and validation of the Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Measure (BEECOM) among college women

We constructed and validated a measure of comparison dimensions associated with eating pathology, namely, the Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Measure (BEECOM). Participants were 441 undergraduate women. In Study 1, items were generated and refined via exploratory factor analysis, yielding three interpretable factors (i.e., Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation). Confirmatory factor analysis was then used to confirm the three-factor structure of the BEECOM and to investigate the potential presence of a higher-order factor. Given that the lower-order factors loaded strongly onto a higher-order factor, it is appropriate to use a total BEECOM score, in addition to subscale scores. Further, the BEECOM's scores yielded evidence of internal consistency and construct validity in this sample. Study 2 demonstrated two-week test–retest reliability of the BEECOM among college women. Overall, the BEECOM demonstrated good psychometric properties and may be useful for more comprehensively assessing eating disorder-related social comparison behavior.

Tolerance of Negative Affective States (TNAS): Development and Evaluation of a Novel Construct and Measure

The purpose of the present research was to develop and evaluate a novel conceptual model and measure of Tolerance of Negative Affective States (TNAS). Exploratory factor and parallel analyses and subsequent confirmatory factor analyses supported a hierarchical multi-dimensional model of TNAS. We observed one higher-order factor, labeled Tolerance of Negative Emotions, and six lower-order factors, including, FI Tolerance of Fear-Distress, FII Tolerance of Sadness-Depression, FIII Tolerance of Anger, FIV Tolerance of Disgust, FV Tolerance of Anxious-Apprehension, and FVI Tolerance of Negative Social Emotions. A series of tests documented that TNASS sub-scale scores demonstrate internal consistency as well as convergent and discriminant validity. We discuss the findings with respect to understanding the nature of the emergent TNAS construct and its measurement.

Is Emotional Intelligence an Intelligence? Evidence from Hierarchical and Bifactor Models

The current paper tests whether emotional intelligence (EI) can be considered a sub-factor of cognitive ability. To evaluate whether EI is a lower-order factor of intelligence, data were fit to a s...

Descriptors of Pain Sensation: A Dual Hierarchical Model of Latent Structure

Recently, the lexicon of pain was refined into a parsimonious set of words making up the Pain Descriptor System (PDS). The present study investigated the latent structure of the sensory category of the PDS with its 24 descriptors distributed equally across 8 subcategories. A sample of 629 chronic pain patients rated the degree to which each of these words described their pain. It was found that coldness-related words were rarely used and shared high covariance with other descriptors, thus warranting their removal as a subcategory. Confirmatory factor analysis of a previously theorized single higher-order model of 7 latent factors (each with 3 observed variables) resulted in poor fit, x2(181) = 377.72, P < .05; comparative fit index (CFI) = .915; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .04. This model was replaced with a dual higher-order model retaining the same 7 latent factors plus 2 higher-order factors corresponding to deep pain versus superficial pain. This model provided a good representation of the data, x2(181) = 301.07, P < .05; CFI = .948; RMSEA = .032. Therefore, descriptors of pain sensation differentiate sensory quality while also reflecting a fundamental dichotomy supported by neurophysiological research. Thus, the lexicon can illuminate pathophysiology, thereby clarifying pain diagnoses. PerspectiveConfirmatory factor analysis was performed on pain sensation descriptors used by 629 patients. This supported a hierarchical model with 7 lower-order factors plus 2 higher-order factors corresponding to deep pain versus superficial pain. By reflecting neurophysiology, this lexicon of pain can offer diagnostic clues.

Validation of a Motivation‐based Typology of Angry Aggression among Antisocial Youths in Norway

This article describes the validation of the Angry Aggression Scales (AAS), the Behavior Inhibition System and the Behavior Activation System (BIS/BAS) scales, the reactive aggression and proactive power scales in relation to a Norwegian sample of 101 antisocial youths with conduct problems (64 boys, 37 girls, mean age 15 ± 1.3 years) and 101 prosocial controls matched on age, gender, education, ethnicity, and school district. Maximum likelihood exploratory factor analyses with oblique rotation were performed on AAS, BIS/BAS, reactive aggression and proactive power scales as well as computation of Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega. Tests for normality and homogeneity of variance were acceptable. Factor analyses of AAS and the proactive/reactive aggression scales suggested a hierarchical structure comprising a single higher-order angry aggression (AA) factor and four and two lower-order factors, respectively. Moreover, results suggested one BIS factor and a single higher-order BAS factor with three lower-order factors related to drive, fun-seeking and reward responsiveness. To compare scores of antisocial youths with controls, t-tests on the mean scale scores were computed. Results confirmed that antisocial youths were different from controls on the above-mentioned scales. Consistent with the idea that anger is associated with approach motivation, AAS scores correlated with behavioral activation, but only explosive/reactive and vengeful/ruminative AA correlated with behavioral inhibition. Results generally validated the quadruple typology of aggression and violence proposed by Howard (2009).

P-475 - Fear of cognitive dyscontrol and depression

Fear of cognitive dyscontrol -one of the lower-order factors of the Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) construct - has been proposed as a vulnerability factor for depression (DEP). AS-cognitive dyscontrol is supposed to act as either a pre-existent enduring vulnerability trait or a psychological post-depression “scar” which would render an individual vulnerable to future episodes of DEP. Results from previous research on this topic are limited and inconsistent, and most of them were addressed using cross-sectional design. This study examined whether fear of cognitive dyscontrol did prospectively predict DEP. A total of 182 subjects from the general population participated in the study (69% females; Mean age = 32.6, SD = 14.3, Range = 18–65). Participants completed measures of AS and DEP at T1 and T2 (one year later). Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for background variables and depression at T1, did not support the AS-cognitive dyscontrol domain as a significant predictor of DEP at T2. However, secondary analyses showed that scores on the AS-cognitive dyscontrol domain at T1 did significantly predict DEP at T2 among males and younger participants, while it did fail to predict DEP among females and older participants. Findings support the AS-cognitive dyscontrol facet as a pre-existent enduring vulnerability trait for DEP, and provide preliminary support to the role of age and gender as moderators of such a relationship, suggesting new insights to explain previous inconsistent results in the field.

Psychometric Properties of the Autonomy over Tobacco Scale in German

Background/Aims: We investigated the psychometric properties of a German translation of the 12-item Autonomy over Tobacco Scale (AUTOS) among 1,195 eighth-grade students. Methods: Data for this study were collected as part of the fourth wave of data collection of the Smokefree Class Competition intervention in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany. Students from the control arm of the Smokefree Class Competition study who indicated that they had ever smoked ‘at least a few puffs’ on a cigarette were classified as ever-smokers. They self-completed questionnaires distributed by teachers. Results: AUTOS scores ranged from 0 to 36 with a distribution highly skewed toward lower-response categories. Inter-item correlations ranged from 0.65 to 0.89 (mean = 0.79, SD = 0.06). Composite reliability for the AUTOS was high (Ω = 0.96) and 3 lower-order factors were also reliable (withdrawal: 0.89, psychological dependence: 0.91, cue-induced cravings: 0.87). Concurrent validity was supported by strong relationships between the AUTOS and both lifetime cigarette consumption and current smoking frequency. Youths were 18 times more likely to be current smokers (95% CI = 11.9–27.2, p < 0.001) if they endorsed any AUTOS item. Conclusion: The German AUTOS is reliable and valid, and the results are consistent with the English AUTOS for use with adolescents.