Psychometric properties of a French version of the junior temperament and character inventory

The junior temperament and character inventory (JTCI) has been developed for the assessment of temperament and character dimensions in childhood based on Cloninger’s model of personality. We evaluated the psychometric proprieties of a French child and parent-rated version of the JTCI based on a previous German version, and assessed the correlations between the JTCI dimension scores and the scores on the child behavior checklist (CBCL) in a community sample of French children and adolescents aged 10–16 years. We used data from 452 child-rated and 233 -parent-rated JCTI. The psychometric properties (internal consistency and external validity in relation to the emotionality activity sociability (EAS) questionnaire) of the French JTCI were adequate in the parent-rated version. The parent-rated JTCI had overall better psychometric qualities than the child-rated version, but for both versions of the JTCI the confirmatory factor analysis showed low fit between the observed data and the original model. Dimensions of the EAS model were significantly correlated with the temperament scales of the JTCI. Further studies are required to improve the psychometric properties of the child-rated JTCI, and to provide insight about lacking fit of our data with the theoretical model.     

Factor structure and psychometric properties of a French and German shortened version of the Behavioural Inhibition System/Behavioural Activation System scales

The Behavioural Inhibition System/Behavioural Activation System scales (BIS/BAS scales) constitute one of the most prominent questionnaires to assess individual differences in sensitivity to punishment and reward. However, some studies questioned its validity, especially that of the French and German translations. The aim of the present study was to re‐evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the BIS/BAS scales in a large sample of French‐ and German‐speaking young Swiss men (N = 5872). Results showed that factor structures previously found in the literature did not meet the standards of fit. Nine items had to be removed to achieve adequate fit statistics in confirmatory factor analysis, yielding a shortened version with four factors: one BIS factor comprising five items and three BAS factors, namely Reward Reactivity, Drive and Fun Seeking, each comprising two items. Convergent validity and group invariance analyses suggest that the shortened BIS/BAS scales constitute a valid and reliable instrument. Researchers interested in assessing individual differences in BIS and BAS reactivity in French‐ and German‐speaking individuals should avoid using the BIS/BAS scales as originally specified. The shortened version may be a sound alternative at least in samples of young adults. Its shorter format may be particularly suited for surveys with constraints on questionnaire length. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Psychometric properties of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in a German primary care sample

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this investigation was to examine the psychometric properties of the German 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in a primary care sample. METHOD: A sample (n = 421) of adult out-patients was screened using the GHQ-12. A standardized clinical interview (SCID) was conducted with all screened patients. Reliability, validity and factor analysis of the GHQ-12 were evaluated. Item characteristics were examined using item characteristics curves. Item bias analysis was performed using contingency tables. RESULTS: The German version of the GHQ-12 is a reliable instrument and performed well in detecting cases of psychological disorders. Factor analysis replicated the findings of earlier studies. Item characteristics curves and item bias analysis indicated that the individual items should be assessed carefully. One item was biased in relation to age, while another item showed a low positive response rate. CONCLUSION: The GHQ-12 as a whole is a reliable questionnaire and can be a useful screening tool in primary care.     

The German version of the Anorectic Behavior Observation Scale (ABOS)

Objective  To assess the performance of the German version of the Anorectic Behavior Observation Scale (ABOS) as a parent-report screening instrument for eating disorders (ED) in their children. Methods  Parents of 101 ED female patients (80 with Anorexia Nervosa; 21 with Bulimia Nervosa) and of 121 age- and socioeconomic status (SES)-matched female controls completed the ABOS. Results  Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original three-factor structure model of the ABOS. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients indicated good internal consistency for the three factors and the total score in the total sample. The best cut-off point (100% sensitivity and specificity) in the German version was ≥23. Conclusion  The ABOS may be a useful additional instrument for assessing ED.     

Psychometric properties and a latent class analysis of the 12‐item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) in a pooled dataset of community samples

The 12‐item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is a brief measurement tool used cross‐culturally to capture the multi‐dimensional nature of disablement through six domains, including: understanding and interacting with the world; moving and getting around; self‐care; getting on with people; life activities; and participation in society. Previous psychometric research supports that the WHODAS 2.0 functions as a general factor of disablement. In a pooled dataset from community samples of adults (N = 447) we used confirmatory factor analysis to confirm a one‐factor structure. Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of individuals based on their patterns of responses. We identified four distinct classes, or patterns of disablement: (1) pervasive disability; (2) physical disability; (3) emotional, cognitive, or interpersonal disability; (4) no/low disability. Convergent validity of the latent class subgroups was found with respect to socio‐demographic characteristics, number of days affected by disabilities, stress, mental health, and substance use. These classes offer a simple and meaningful way to classify people with disabilities based on the 12‐item WHODAS 2.0. Focusing on individuals with a high probability of being in the first three classes may help guide interventions.     

Psychometric characteristics of Cloninger's criteria for personality disorder in a population of French prisoners

Cloninger has proposed a new procedure to assess personality disorders on the basis of his model of temperament and character. We explored the psychometric characteristics of this instrument in 560 male prisoners, using factor analyses. Results showed that the 20 items relating to the general personality criteria have acceptable internal consistency and that the three-factor structure of the temperament items used to subtype personality disorder are correctly identified by a maximum likelihood factor analysis model with varimax rotation. Overall, 32% of prisoners had a personality disorder according to this model, and it was possible to subtype 68% of these. This new diagnostic procedure for personality disorder seemed to have satisfactory basic psychometric characteristics but further study is required to explore the concurrent validity and the reliability of this instrument.     

Relationship between self-reported childhood behavioral inhibition and lifetime anxiety disorders in a clinical sample

To examine the association between an early inhibited temperament and lifetime anxiety disorders, we studied a sample of patients with major depression who were not selected on the basis of comorbid axis I anxiety disorders. One-hundred eighty-nine adults (range = 17-68 years) referred to a tertiary depression unit underwent structured diagnostic interviews for depression and anxiety and completed two self-report measures of behavioral inhibition, the retrospective measure of behavioural inhibition (RMBI) [Gladstone and Parker, 2005] and the adult measure of behavioural inhibition (AMBI) [Gladstone and Parker, 2005]. Patients' scores were classified into "low," "moderate," or "high" inhibition. While groups did not differ in terms of depression severity, there were differences across groups in clinically diagnosed nonmelancholic status and age of onset of first episode. Those reporting a high degree of childhood inhibition were significantly more likely to qualify for a diagnosis of social phobia, and this association was independent of their scores on the AMBI. Findings are discussed in light of the existing risk-factor literature and support the hypothesis that an early inhibited temperament may be a significant precursor to later anxiety, especially social anxiety disorder.     

A confirmatory factor analysis of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale in a homeless sample

This study used a confirmatory factor analysis procedure, the Oblique Multiple Group Method (OMG), with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) on a sample of homeless individuals who had both a severe mental illness and a substance use disorder. The hypothesized five-factor model of Guy (1976) accounted for 93% of the possible variance, and all the appropriate scales had their highest loading on their respective hypothesized factor. In addition, the Guy model accounted for more variance than did an alternative model. The five factors were labelled: thinking disorder, anergia, anxiety-depression, hostility-suspicion, and activity.     

Psychometric properties of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) questionnaire in a Spanish psychiatric population

OBJECTIVE: The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were examined in a psychiatric population. METHOD: Internal consistency, factor structure and concurrent validity were studied in a sample of 416 psychiatric patients. RESULTS: A moderate to high internal consistency for all personality dimensions was found, except for Persistence. A confirmatory factor analysis of the TCI performed at the subscale level revealed an uncertain factor structure. However, when analysed separately, both the 11 temperament subscales (plus Persistence) and the 13 character subscales shaped four and three factors, respectively, in agreement with the biosocial model of personality. Finally, concurrent validity analyses were conducted using EPQ, SPSR and SSS questionnaires showing results consistent with theory. CONCLUSION: The Spanish version of the TCI is a reliable and valid instrument, although the Persistence dimension might require further revision.     

Confirmatory factor analysis of the familism scale in a sample of dementia caregivers

Familism is considered to be a cultural value shared by different Hispanic groups. The familism scale (FS) was developed by Sabogal, Marín, Otero-Sabogal, Marín, and Perez-Stable (1987, Hispanic familism and acculturation: What changes and what doesn't? Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, vol. 9, pp. 397–412) as a self-report measure of this construct, and three dimensions were obtained through exploratory factor analysis: familial obligations, perceived support from the family, and family as referents.

Objectives and method: The purpose of the present study was to assess the underlying factor structure of the FS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a sample of 135 Spanish caregivers.

Results: The original model did not fit the data well, and five items with factor loadings below 0.40 were trimmed. The fit indexes for the remaining items suggest a good fit of this model and an acceptable internal consistency index.

Conclusion: The results suggest that the modified factor model for the FS has acceptable psychometric properties in a sample of dementia caregivers.     

Psychometric properties of the NEPSY-II affect recognition subtest in a preschool sample: a Rasch modeling approach

Objective: Understanding a child’s ability to decode emotion expressions is important to allow early interventions for potential difficulties in social and emotional functioning. This study applied the Rasch model to investigate the psychometric properties of the NEPSY-II Affect Recognition subtest, a U.S. normed measure for 3–16 year olds which assesses the ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion. Method: Data were collected from 1222 children attending preschools in Singapore. We first performed the Rasch analysis with the raw item data, and examined the technical qualities and difficulty pattern of the studied items. We subsequently investigated the relation of the estimated affect recognition ability from the Rasch analysis to a teacher-reported measure of a child’s behaviors, emotions, and relationships. Potential gender differences were also examined. Results: The Rasch model fits our data well. Also, the NEPSY-II Affect Recognition subtest was found to have reasonable technical qualities, expected item difficulty pattern, and desired association with the external measure of children’s behaviors, emotions, and relationships for both boys and girls. Conclusions: Overall, findings from this study suggest that the NEPSY-II Affect Recognition subtest is a promising measure of young children’s affect recognition ability. Suggestions for future test improvement and research were discussed.     

Psychometric properties of the Malay Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire: Measurement invariance and latent mean comparisons in Malaysian adults

Introduction

The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) is a widely used self‐report measurement instrument for the assessment of schizotypal personality traits. However, the factor structure of the SPQ has been a matter of some debate. As a contribution to this debate, we examined the factor structure of the SPQ in Malaysian adults.

Method

A total of 382 Malaysian adults completed a Malay translation of the SPQ. Confirmatory factory analysis was used to examine the fit of 3‐ and 4‐factor solutions for the higher‐order dimensionality of the SPQ. Ethnic invariance for the best‐fitting model was tested at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, and a multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine sex and ethnicity differences in domain scores.

Results

The 4‐factor model provided a better fit to the data than did the 3‐factor model. The 4‐factor model also demonstrated partial measurement invariance across ethnic groups. Latent mean comparisons for sex and ethnicity revealed a number of significant differences for both factors, but effect sizes were small.

Discussion

The 4‐factor structure of the SPQ received confirmatory support and can be used in Malay‐speaking populations.     

Factorial validation of a French short-form of the Working Alliance Inventory

Evaluation of the therapeutic alliance is crucial for understanding the therapeutic process and its results. However, few instruments are available in French. This article aims to validate a French short form of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI). Unlike other questionnaires, the WAI is the most widely used in psychotherapy research as well as in social psychiatry. Confirmatory factor analyses were carried out on a sample of 150 client-case manager dyads in order to determine the validity of this short-form instrument. The results of these confirmatory factor analyses allowed us to answer different authors' questions (Horvath and Greenberg, 1989; Tracey and Kokotovic, 1989) regarding the factorial structure of the WAI. The results also indicated a unidimensional solution as being the most valid for the two samples. We suggest that, in future studies, only one score be considered for the evaluation of the WAI. We also suggest modifying two statements in the English and French versions in order to render a faithful comparison between the therapist and client versions.     

Psychometric properties and construct validity of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory--Revised: Replication and extension with a clinical sample

The present study examined the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory--Revised (OCI-R) with the aim of replicating and extending previous findings, and addressing limitations of previous investigations. Individuals with OCD (n = 167) and other anxiety disorders (n = 155) completed the OCI-R, measures of OCD and related symptom severity, and measures of cognitive variables associated with OCD symptoms. Results indicate that the OCI-R is a psychometrically sound and valid measure of OCD and its various symptom presentations. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a six-factor solution. The instrument also evidenced good convergent validity, and performed well in discriminating OCD from other anxiety disorders. Theoretically consistent patterns of associations between OCI-R symptom-based subscales and OCD-related cognitive variables were found, and five of the six OCI-R subscales corresponded closely to identified OCD symptom dimensions. The OCI-R is recommended as an empirically validated instrument that can be used in a range of clinical and research settings for research on OCD.     

Reliability and validity of the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory

The Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI) was developed to assess the temperament (‘novelty seeking’, ‘harm avoidance’, ‘reward dependence’, ‘persistence’) and character (‘self‐directedness’, ‘cooperativeness’, ‘self‐transcendence’) dimensions of Cloninger's biosocial model of personality in children and adolescents. The psychometric properties of the JTCI are presented. We used the German version of JTCI in a clinical sample of 188 adolescent psychiatric patients (aged 12 to 18 years) and in a non‐referred sample of 706 German adolescents of the same age range. Aspects of reliability and validity are discussed. We subjected the JTCI to confirmatory factor analysis and were able to replicate the temperament and character scales of the original TCI. The internal consistency of the scales was satisfactory with the exception of ‘reward dependence’ and ‘persistence’. Construct validity was supported by good correspondence of JTCI dimensions with related constructs. Psychometric properties of the German version of JTCI are very promising. Results yield strong support for Cloninger's psychobiological theory. Copyright © 2001 Whurr Publishers Ltd.     

Cognitive Triad Inventory (CTI): Psychometric properties and factor structure of the German translation

A central component of Beck, A. T., Rush, J., & Shaw, B. F. [(1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press] cognitive theory of depression is the cognitive triad (negative view of self, world, and future) measurable with the Cognitive Triad Inventory (CTI). This study examined the psychometric properties and factor structure of the German CTI in a sample of 796 German volunteers. The study provides evidence for the reliability and validity of the German CTI and of independent positive and negative elements of the cognitive triad. Furthermore, results emphasize methodological above conceptual problems in Beck et al.'s (1979) theory as cause for instabilities in the CTI's factor structure across different studies.     

Psychometric properties of the Sleep Hygiene Index in a large Italian community sample

Objective/backgroundPoor sleep hygiene is considered an exacerbating and perpetuating factor of sleep disturbances and is also associated with poor mental health. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) is a self-report measure assessing adherence to sleep hygiene practices. The aim of this study was to estimate the psychometric properties of the SHI in an Italian representative sample of the general population, following a formative measurement approach.Patients/methodsParticipants (n = 6276; M = 33.62, SD = 13.45) completed the SHI alongside measures of sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, and stress. To consider the item formative nature, sets of item-composites weighted by means of canonical correlation analysis was created and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was implemented. Factorial invariance tests were computed considering both presence of sleep problems and presence of emotional distress symptoms as grouping variables.Results and conclusionsCFA confirmed the unidimensional structure of SHI. Internal consistency was acceptable (ω = 0.752). Test-retest reliability at 8–10 months presented an ICC of 0.666. SHI significantly correlated with sleep, depression, anxiety and stress symptoms (r range from 0.358 to 0.500). Configural and metric invariance were reached for both grouping variables. Partial scalar invariance was obtained only across emotional distress groups. People with emotional symptoms reported higher latent means on the sleep hygiene dimension. Findings support the validity and reliability of the Italian version of the SHI. Importantly, the SHI showed robust psychometric properties both in healthy individuals and in individual reporting mental health symptoms. Thus, it is advisable to use this version of the SHI in both research and clinical practice.     

Cross‐cultural factorial validation of the Clinical Interview Schedule – Revised (CIS‐R); findings from a nationally representative survey (EMPIRIC)

The Clinical Interview Schedule – Revised (CIS‐R) has been widely adopted across cultures to assess common mental disorders. We assessed the factorial validity of the CIS‐R across ethnic minority groups, using data from a nationally representative survey conducted in England in 2000. The sample comprised White British (n = 837), Irish (n = 733), Black Caribbean (n = 694), Bangladeshi (n = 650), Indian (n = 643) and Pakistani (n = 724) respondents. Ordered logistic regression determined the reporting of CIS‐R symptoms. Principal components analysis (PCA) determined the underlying construct of the CIS‐R in White British participants. These factor solutions were then assessed for “best fit” using confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) across all ethnic groups. In ordered logistic regression analyses, there was heterogeneity in the reporting of worries, phobias, panic and somatic symptoms across ethnic minority groups relative to the White British group. “Best” fit solutions confirmed through CFA were models where all symptoms were allowed to vary across ethnic groups, or models where an underlying “depression‐anxiety” construct was held invariant while “somatic symptoms” were permitted to vary across groups, although differences between models assessed were slight. In conclusion, there may be benefits in assessing the functioning of certain CIS‐R items within specific cultural contexts to ensure adequate face validity of the CIS‐R. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measuring elderly people's quality of life through the Beck Hopelessness Scale: a study with a Spanish sample

Objectives: Hopelessness is a key element of suicidal intent. It can instill a pessimistic outlook on the future, leading an individual to believe that suicide is the only answer to their problems. Hopelessness operates as a modulating variable between depression and suicidal behavior. The aim of this study was to confirm the factor structure of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) in a non-clinical sample.

Method: Three hundred and sixty-two Spanish individuals, aged over 60, free of cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms, completed the BHS scale. Participants were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), using one-, two- and three-factor models.

Results: The one- and two-factor models presented adequate fit indices. Specifically, the indices of the two-factor models were better than those of the one-factor model. The two-factor model, without items 4, 9 and 14, provided the best fit, given that the indices obtained in the CFA and their internal consistency were better than those of the other models.

Conclusion: The validation of the BHS for a population of Spanish older adults provides a reliable and valid measure of hopelessness and could be useful in clinical practice and research as an effective tool for the early detection of suicidal behaviors.