Psychometric Assessments of Three Self-Report Autism Scales (AQ, RBQ-2A, and SQ) for General Adult Populations.

This study assesses the psychometric properties of three self-report measures of autistic-like tendencies in the general adult population: autistic spectrum quotient (AQ), adult repetitive behaviours questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2A), and systemizing quotient (SQ). Three rounds of development and testing using different U.S. and global samples led to three instruments that are psychometrically sound, parsimonious, and generalizable across populations. The resulting AQ-9, consisting of two factors: social communication and attention to detail, now mirrors the current dual diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5. The RBQ-2A-R has now been refined through CFA for the first time. The new SQ-7 scale also has updated content. All three refined scales demonstrate satisfactory psychometric validity and parsimony and now provide evidence of their appropriateness for empirical research.

Maybe you should blame your parents: Parental attachment, gender, and problematic Internet use.

Background and aims Prior research has generally established parental attachment as a predictor of problematic Internet use (PIU). However, findings across studies are inconsistent as to which factor(s) of attachment style (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) contributes to PIU. Another gap in the literature is that as most studies highlight the importance of maternal (over paternal) attachment security in inhibiting PIU, little research has examined the possibility of a gender difference, where maternal and paternal attachment securities may exert different influences on males and females. Methods An anonymous survey was completed by 243 undergraduate students in a public university in the U.S. Midwest. In addition to demographic information, the survey contained measurement scales to assess PIU and parental attachment (both maternal and paternal). Results Survey data show that (a) attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, is significantly related to PIU and (b) gender significantly moderates this relationship, where paternal attachment anxiety leads to PIU in female students while maternal attachment anxiety contributes to PIU in male students. Conclusions This study deepens our understanding in the relationship between family upbringing, particularly parental attachment, and PIU. More specifically, attachment anxiety is found to be a significant predictor of PIU, but attachment avoidance is not. Also, contributing to the research literature is the finding of a significant gender effect in this relationship.