Beyond Role Conflict and Ambiguity: A Global Measure of Role Stress among South African School Teachers / Más allá del conflicto y la ambigüedad de roles: una medida global del estrés de rol entre los profesores sudafricanos

Abstract Background: Role stress is linked to reduced work performance, diminished organizational commitment, increased intention to leave a job, and negative physical and mental health effects. Given the significant implications of role stress, researchers have sought to understand and quantify the concept. The Role Conflict and Ambiguity (RCA) scales are widely utilized in job stress research as the predominant measurement tools. They were originally conceptualized as consisting of two independent dimensions: role conflict and role ambiguity. Objective: This study advances the validation research of the RCA scales by exploring its dimensionality through Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA) and Classical Test Theory (CTT). Method: South African school teachers responded to the RCA scales, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Teaching Satisfaction Scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and MSA were employed for data analysis. Results: The research determined that a second-order model provided the optimal fit, indicating that role ambiguity and role conflict are subordinate dimensions within the overarching construct of role stress. Conclusion: The findings from the CFA and supplementary bifactor indices reinforce the view that the instrument comprises 13 items, which assess a general dimension of role stress along with two sub-dimensions: role conflict and role ambiguity. Such specificity may lead to more effective strategies to mitigate role-related stress, thereby enhancing overall employee well-being, job satisfaction, and organizational productivity.

Resumen Antecedentes: El estrés de rol está relacionado con la reducción del rendimiento laboral, la disminución del compromiso organizativo, el aumento de la intención de abandonar el trabajo y los efectos negativos sobre la salud física y mental. Dadas las importantes implicaciones del estrés de rol, los investigadores han tratado de comprender y cuantificar este concepto. Las escalas de Conflicto y Ambigüedad de Roles (RCA) se utilizan ampliamente en la investigación del estrés laboral como herramientas de medición predominantes. Al principio, se conceptualizaron como dos dimensiones independientes: conflicto de rol y ambigüedad de rol. Objetivo: Este estudio avanza en la investigación de validación de las escalas RCA, explorando su dimensionalidad mediante el Análisis de Escalas de Mokken (MSA) y la Teoría Clásica de los Test (CTT). Método: Profesores sudafricanos respondieron a las escalas RCA, Maslach Burnout Inventory y Teaching Satisfaction Scale. Se emplearon el Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC) y el MSA para el análisis de los datos. Resultados: La investigación determinó que un modelo de segundo orden proporcionaba el ajuste óptimo, indicando que la ambigüedad de rol y el conflicto de rol son dimensiones subordinadas dentro del constructo global del estrés de rol. Conclusiones: Los resultados del AFC y los índices bifactoriales suplementarios refuerzan la opinión de que el instrumento consta de 13 ítems, que evalúan una dimensión general de estrés de rol junto con dos subdimensiones: conflicto de rol y ambigüedad de rol. Esta especificidad puede conducir a estrategias más eficaces para mitigar el estrés relacionado con el rol, mejorando así el bienestar general de los empleados, la satisfacción en el trabajo y la productividad de la organización.

Comprehensive investigation of factor structure and gender equivalence of the Beck Depression Inventory-II among nonclinical adolescents.

The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is a widely used tool for rating the severity of depressive symptoms. Studies on the factor structure of the BDI-II in adolescents have yielded controversial findings. Most studies have reported an oblique two-factor model that describes the 'cognitive' and 'somatic-affective' dimensions. However, there is variation in the item composition of each factor across studies. Alternative factor structures have been proposed, including one-factor, three-factor, hierarchical, and bifactor models. Additionally, there is limited data on measurement invariance across genders. This study aimed to examine hypothetical factor structures and gender equivalence of the BDI-II in a sample of Brazilian nonclinical adolescents (N = 1,184, aged 13-18 years, 59.1% females). Cross-validation of the BDI-II was performed through exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was evaluated using multigroup-CFA (MG-CFA). EFA suggested an oblique two-factor model depicting "affective-cognitive" and "somatic" dimensions. CFA tested competing models for the structure of BDI-II, including the simple one- and two-factor models, a bifactor model, and the EFA model along with its corresponding bifactor model. All models demonstrated adequate and similar fitness, well-defined factors, and good reliability. Bifactor analyses indicated a robust general factor with low reliable variance in total scores attributed to multidimensionality caused by the group factors in bifactor models. MG-CFA supported invariance across gender, suggesting that the same BDI-II construct could be applied to both female and male adolescents. This study provides evidence that the BDI-II could be used as a unidimensional measure of depressive symptoms in adolescents by researchers and clinicians.

The underlying structure of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5): a general factor of personality psychopathology.

BACKGROUND: The psychopathology of personality is currently undergoing a paradigm shift from a categorical to a dimensional approach. This work aimed to study the underlying structure of pathological personality traits of the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD). For this purpose, the internal structure of a version of the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5) was examined by a confirmatory factor analysis. This version assesses the five higher-order pathological personality domains (negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism) and the 25 lower-order pathological personality facets through a reduced number of items. Four alternative models were compared: five-factor oblique; second-order (five first-order factors and one second-order factor); bifactor (five specific factors and a general factor), and one-factor. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: We worked with an Argentinean sample of N = 525 subjects from the general population who answered the Argentine version of the PID-5. RESULTS: The five-factor model was slightly superior to the second order model, and the bifactor model presented the best fit. CONCLUSIONS: These findings, while preliminary, suggest that the PID-5 facets could reflect five specific pathological personality traits (which correspond to AMPD domains) but also a general factor (which would reflect a general propensity for psychopathology).

Perinatal and neonatal factors and mental disorders in children and adolescents: looking for the contributions of the early environment to common and dissociable aspects of psychopathology.

High rates of co-occurrence of mental disorders have been hypothesized to represent a result of common susceptibility to overall psychopathology. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that commonalities among psychiatric disorders might be partially driven by sharable perinatal and neonatal environmental factors for mental disorders. Participants were 6-14 years of age children and their parents. Primary caregivers provided data on perinatal and neonatal information assessed retrospectively (n = 2231). Psychiatric disorders diagnoses were assessed using the Development and Well Being Behavior Assessment (DAWBA). We used bifactor models to disentangle common from dissociable aspects of psychopathology. These models allow modeling psychiatric disorders as the result of a common domain of psychopathology (p-factor) and three dissociable domains (fear, distress, and externalizing symptoms). Associations were tested using linear and tobit regression models. The p-factor was associated with male sex, low socioeconomic status, gestational smoking, gestational drinking, low levels of maternal education and presence of mental disorder in the mother. Associations with specific factors also emerged suggesting some risk factors might also have some role for fear, distress and externalizing factors. Our study supports the hypothesis that overall susceptibility to psychopathology might be partially driven by sharable perinatal and neonatal factors.

Psychometric Evaluation of the School Climate and School Identification Measure-Student on Chilean Students: A Bifactor Model Approach.

School climate is a relevant construct for understanding social relations at school. The SCASIM-St has been widely defined as a multidimensional construct; however, new factor structures have not been explored through evidence that allows for interpreting school climate scores from an approach that respects the multidimensionality of the scale and, at the same time, allows for identifying the degree of essential unidimensionality in the data. Consequently, the objective was to analyze the psychometric properties of the SCASIM-St from a bifactor model approach, evaluating the influence of a general school climate factor versus five specific factors. The study involved 1860 students of both sexes (42% males and 58% females), with an average age of 16.63 years (SD = 0.664), from 17 secondary schools in Chile. The results obtained by a confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence that the best model was the bifactor model for the 38 items, with one general factor and five specific factors. The Explained Common Variance (ECV) values and reliability levels by hierarchical omega accounted for a strong general school climate factor with high levels of reliability. Evidence of external criterion validity, assessed through the attitude toward authority scale (AIA-A), showed a theoretically expected and significant relationship between the factors of both instruments. This study confirmed the psychometric robustness of the SCASIM-St scale by means of a bifactor model, allowing for a new, essentially unidimensional interpretation of the scale scores and providing an instrument to measure school climate in Chile.

An Evaluation of Item Harmonization Strategies Between Assessment Tools of Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents.

Data aggregation in mental health is complicated by using different questionnaires, and little is known about the impact of item harmonization strategies on measurement precision. Therefore, we aimed to assess the impact of various item harmonization strategies for a target and proxy questionnaire using correlated and bifactor models. Data were obtained from the Brazilian High-Risk Study for Mental Conditions (BHRCS) and the Healthy Brain Network (HBN; N = 6,140, ages 5-22 years, 39.6% females). We tested six item-wise harmonization strategies and compared them based on several indices. The one-by-one (1:1) expert-based semantic item harmonization presented the best strategy as it was the only that resulted in scalar-invariant models for both samples and factor models. The between-questionnaires factor correlation, reliability, and factor score difference in using a proxy instead of a target measure improved little when all other harmonization strategies were compared with a completely at-random strategy. However, for bifactor models, between-questionnaire specific factor correlation increased from 0.05-0.19 (random item harmonization) to 0.43-0.60 (expert-based 1:1 semantic harmonization) in BHRCS and HBN samples, respectively. Therefore, item harmonization strategies are relevant for specific factors from bifactor models and had little impact on p-factors and first-order correlated factors when the child behavior checklist (CBCL) and strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) were harmonized.

Utility for Clinical Practice of a Bifactor ADHD Model in an Elementary School Population in Mexico.

We assessed the appropriateness of the bifactor model for a Mexican ADHD symptom questionnaire (BMQ-ADHD) applied to parents and teachers of elementary school children. With a sample of 765 reports of children's behavior (48.7% with ADHD A1 criteria, 42.6% girls, mean age 8.5 years [± 1.6 sd]), we examined construct validity, measurement invariance, differences for gender and school level, and the appropriateness of using summed scores. The BMQ-ADHD questionnaire was characterized by good construct validity for the bifactor model for parents' and teachers' reports. For both corpora, we detected invariance for gender and school level. There were differences in ADHD symptoms by gender, but not by school year. The summed scores may represent the factors accurately for females but may present difficulty for males in the parents' questionnaires. The present study revealed good BMQ-ADHD psychometric properties for a unidimensional-hierarchical ADHD scale segregated by gender for parents' and teachers' reports.

Avaliação psicológica e avaliação da aprendizagem em larga escala: diretrizes para pesquisadores / Large-scale psychological assessments and learning assessments: guidelines for researchers / Evaluación psicológica y evaluación del aprendizaje a gran escala: directrices para investigadores

A avaliação psicológica (AP) e a avaliação educacional (AE) estão entre as contribuições mais importantes das ciências cognitivas e comportamentais para a sociedade atual, pois proporcionam importantes fontes de informações sobre os indivíduos e os grupos. O presente artigo objetivou apresentar diretrizes para os pesquisadores em relação a AP e a avaliação da aprendizagem em larga escala (AALEs). São discutidos os caminhos da AP em um mundo em crise sanitária devido a pandemia da Covid-19. Em termos das AALEs, são discutidos aspectos teóricos, metodológicos e analíticos que devem ser considerados pelos avaliadores e pesquisadores da área. Concluímos que a AP e AALE se relacionam na medida em que ambas cumprem a função social de identificar lacunas que merecem atenção, bem como aspectos funcionais que devem ser mantidos e incentivados. Outra importante característica é a exigência de constante aprimoramento técnico por parte dos avaliadores e pesquisadores. (AU)

Psychological assessment (PA) and educational assessment (EA) are among the most important contributions of cognitive and behavioral sciences to modern society. They provide important information about individuals and groups that are a part of the society. The aim of this article is to present guidelines for researchers regarding PA and large-scale learning assessments (LSLAs). The paths of PA in a world in health crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic are discussed. In the context of LSLAs, we discuss theoretical, methodological and analytical aspects that must be considered by evaluators and researchers in the area. We conclude that PA and LSLAs are related to the extent that both fulfill the social function of identifying gaps that deserve attention, as well as functional aspects that must be maintained and encouraged. Another important characteristic is the requirement for constant technical improvement by both evaluators and researchers.(AU)

La evaluación psicológica (EP) y la evaluación educativa (EE) se encuentran entre las contribuciones más importantes de las ciencias cognitivas y del comportamiento hechas a la sociedad contemporánea, ya que brindan importantes fuentes de informaciones sobre los individuos y grupos que forman parte de ella. Este artículo tiene como objetivo presentar a los investigadores directrices sobre EP y la evaluación del aprendizaje a gran escala (EAGE). Se discuten los caminos de la EP en un mundo en crisis sanitaria por la pandemia del Covid-19. Con respecto a EAGE, se discuten aspectos metodológicos y analíticos que deben ser considerados por evaluadores e investigadores del área. Concluimos que la EP y la EAGE están relacionadas en la medida en que ambas cumplen la función social de identificar brechas que merecen atención, así como aspectos funcionales que deben ser mantenidos y fomentados. Otra característica fundamental es la exigencia de una mejora técnica constante, tanto por parte de los evaluadores, como de los investigadores.(AU)

Psychometric Properties of the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) in Chilean Youth.

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI)-3 test to evaluate eating disorders in young Chilean population. Methods: The sample consisted of 1,091 Chilean adolescents and young people (i.e., 476 men and 615 women) between 15 and 28 years old, from the metropolitan region, and four regions from the coast and south-central zone of the country. The reliability and factorial structure of the instrument were analyzed, replicating the confirmatory factor analyses of Brookings et al. (2020), evaluating four additional models that included bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), bifactor, and two-bifactor. Results: A majority of the subscales presented alphas and omegas equal to or greater than 0.70, with the exception of asceticism (α = 0.543, ω = 0.552) and interpersonal alienation (α = 0.684, ω = 0.695) scales, which are consistent with the values of the Spanish and Mexican non-clinical samples. The best fit indices were obtained by the ESEM two-bifactor model, with twelve specific factors corresponding to the EDI-3 subscales and two general orthogonal factors (i.e., risk subscales and psychological subscales), consistently with the theoretical basis.

Assessing Language Skills Using Diagnostic Classification Models: An Example Using a Language Instrument.

The primary purpose of the present study is to inform and illustrate, using examples, the use of Diagnostic Classification Models (DCMs) for the assessment of skills and competencies in cognition and academic achievement. A secondary purpose is to compare and contrast traditional and contemporary psychometrics for the measurement of skills and competencies. DCMs are described along the lines of other psychometric models within the Confirmatory Factor Analysis tradition such as the bifactor model and the known mixture models that are utilized to classify individuals into subgroups. The inclusion of interaction terms and constraints along with its confirmatory nature enables DCMs to accurately assess the possession of skills and competencies. The above is illustrated using an empirical dataset from Saudi Arabia (n = 2642), in which language skills are evaluated on how they conform to known levels of competency based on the CEFR (Council of Europe, 2001) using the English Proficiency Test (EPT).

El propósito principal del presente estudio fue informar e ilustrar, mediante ejemplos, el uso de Modelos de Clasificación Diagnóstica (DCM) para la evaluación de habilidades y competencias en cognición y rendimiento académico. Un propósito secundario fue comparar y contrastar la psicometría tradicional y contemporánea para la medición de habilidades y competencias. Los DCM se describen siguiendo las líneas de otros modelos psicométricos dentro de la tradición del Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio, como el modelo bifactor y los conocidos modelos mixtos que se utilizan para clasificar a los individuos en subgrupos. La inclusión de términos y restricciones de interacción junto con su naturaleza confirmatoria permite a los DCM evaluar con precisión la posesión de habilidades y competencias. Lo anterior se ilustra utilizando un conjunto de datos empíricos de Arabia Saudita (n = 2642), que evalúan cómo las habilidades lingüísticas se ajustan a los niveles de competencia conocidos, basados en el MCER (Council of Europe, 2001).

Assessment of Fear of COVID-19 in Older Adults: Validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale.

There is no information in Peru on the prevalence of mental health problems associated with COVID-19 in older adults. In this sense, the aim of the study was to gather evidence on the factor structure, criterion-related validity, and reliability of the Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in this population. The participants were 400 older adults (mean age = 68.04, SD = 6.41), who were administered the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Revised Mental Health Inventory-5, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 items, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 2 items. Structural equation models were estimated, specifically confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), bifactor CFA, and structural models with latent variables (SEM). Internal consistency was estimated with composite reliability indexes (CRI) and omega coefficients. A bifactor model with both a general factor underlying all items plus a specific factor underlying items 1, 2, 4, and 5 representing the emotional response to COVID better represents the factor structure of the scale. This structure had adequate fit and good reliability, and additionally fear of COVID had a large effect on mental health. In general, women had more fear than men, having more information on COVID was associated to more fear, while having family or friends affected by COVID did not related to fear of the virus. The Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale presents evidence of validity and reliability to assess fear of COVID-19 in the Peruvian older adult population.

Psychometric Properties of a Spanish Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale in General Population of Lima, Peru.

The current pandemic of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has increased the anxiety and fear experienced by many. The main objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish-translated version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) using a sample of population in Peru. This is a cross-sectional instrumental study. Data were collected by a convenience sampling method, resulting in a total of 832 participants, and the collection took place over 1 week, April 17-23, 2020. The original version of the FCV-19S was translated from English into Spanish. The results support a bifactor model consisting of one general factor and two specific factors-one of emotional fear reactions and another of somatic expressions of fear of COVID-19 (CFI = 0.988, RMSEA = 0.075). Invariance between healthcare workers and age groups was reached (ΔCFI < 0.01), but the invariance between men and women was not met (ΔCFI = 0.02). Convergent validity was found with depressive, anxious, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. The general factor of the fear of COVID-19 and two specific factors had an optimal level of internal consistency (ω > 0.89 and α > 0.83). The study found the Spanish-translated version of the FCV-19S has good psychometric properties and presents evidence of validity and reliability.

Measuring Prosocial Behaviors: Psychometric Properties and Cross-National Validation of the Prosociality Scale in Five Countries.

This research investigated the psychometric properties of the Prosociality Scale and its cross-cultural validation and generalizability across five different western and non-western countries (China, Chile, Italy, Spain, and the United States). The scale was designed to measure individual differences in a global tendency to behave in prosocial ways during late adolescence and adulthood. Study 1 was designed to identify the best factorial structure of the Prosociality Scale and Study 2 tested the model's equivalence across five countries (N = 1,630 young adults coming from China, Chile, Italy, Spain and the United States; general M age = 21.34; SD = 3.34). Findings supported a bifactor model in which prosocial responding was characterized by a general latent factor (i.e., prosociality) and two other specific factors (prosocial actions and prosocial feelings). New evidence of construct validity of the Prosociality Scale was provided.

Reliability Estimation in Multidimensional Scales: Comparing the Bias of Six Estimators in Measures With a Bifactor Structure.

In the context of multidimensional structures, with the presence of a common factor and multiple specific or group factors, estimates of reliability require specific estimators. The use of classical procedures such as the alpha coefficient or omega total that ignore structural complexity are not appropriate, since they can lead to strongly biased estimates. Through a simulation study, the bias of six estimators of reliability in multidimensional measures was evaluated and compared. The study is complemented by an empirical illustration that exemplifies the procedure. Results showed that the estimators with the lowest bias in the estimation of the total reliability parameter are omega total, the two versions of greatest lower bound (GLB) and the alpha coefficient, which in turn are also those that produce the highest overestimation of the reliability of the general factor. Nevertheless, the most appropriate estimators, in that they produce less biased estimates of the reliability parameter of the general factor, are omega limit and omega hierarchical.

A Bifactor Model of Subjective Well-Being at Personal, Community, and Country Levels: A Case With Three Latin-American Countries.

Improving citizens' subjective well-being (SWB) has become an increasingly visible policy goal across industrialized countries. Although an increasing number of studies have investigated SWB at the individual level, little is known about subjective evaluation at social levels, such as the community and national levels. While the relationships between these levels have been analyzed in previous research, these assessments, which are part of the same unique construct of SWB, are under-investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the dimensionality and reliability of a single measure of SWB, which contained individual, community, and national levels across three Latin-American countries (Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela), using a bifactor model analysis. Findings showed that the bifactor model exhibited a good fit to the data for the three countries. However, invariance testing between countries was not fully supported because of each item's specific contribution to both specific and general constructs. The analyses of each country showed that the SWB construct was in a gray area between unidimensionality and multidimensionality; some factors contributed more to the general factor and others to the specific level, depending on the country. These findings call for integrating more distant levels (community and country levels) into the understanding of SWB at the individual level, as they contribute not only to an overall construct, but they make unique contributions to SWB, which must be considered in public policy making.

Evidências adicionais de validade da Escala de Satisfação no Trabalho / Additional validity evidence for the Job Satisfaction Scale / Evidencias adicionales de validez de la Escala de Satisfacción Laboral

Este estudo objetivou identificar as propriedades da escala de satisfação no trabalho mais utilizada em amostras brasileiras em termos de sua estrutura, invariância da medida e validade convergente. Participaram da pesquisa 733 trabalhadores (46% mulheres) do setor industrial e terciário de dois estados brasileiros. Além do modelo original de cinco fatores correlacionados, foram comparados três modelos estruturais alternativos (cinco fatores não correlacionados, hierárquico e bifatorial). Os resultados apontam que a estrutura bifatorial com cinco variáveis latentes de primeiro nível mais uma variável geral também de primeiro nível é um modelo estrutural robusto para avaliar a satisfação de trabalhadores brasileiros e foi invariante para todos os grupos testados, tendo a possibilidade de aplicação em amostras com diversidade em termos de tempo de trabalho, grau de escolaridade e sexo. A medida também apresentou correlação positiva de moderada a elevada com outras duas variáveis do comportamento organizacional, confirmando a validade convergente. (AU)

This study aimed to identify the properties of the job satisfaction scale most used in Brazilian samples in terms of its structure, convergent validity and measure invariance. The study involved 733 workers (46% women) from the industrial and tertiary sectors of two Brazilian states. In addition to the original model of five correlated factors, three alternative structural models were compared (five uncorrelated factors, hierarchical and bifactorial). The results show that the bifactorial structure, with five latent variables of the first level plus a general variable also of the first level, is a robust structural model to evaluate the satisfaction of Brazilian workers and was invariant for all groups tested, with the possibility of application in samples with different work times, levels of education and gender. The measure also showed a positive moderate to high correlation with the other two variables of organizational behavior confirming the convergent validity. (AU)

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar las propiedades de la escala de satisfacción laboral más utilizada en muestras brasileñas en términos de su estructura, validez convergente e invarianza de medida. Participaron de la encuesta 733 trabajadores (46% mujeres) de los sectores industrial y terciario de dos provincias brasileñas. Además del modelo original de cinco factores correlacionados, se compararon tres modelos estructurales alternativos (cinco factores no correlacionados, jerárquico y el de dos factores). Los resultados demuestran que, la estructura de dos factores con cinco variables latentes del primer nivel más una variable general, también del primer nivel, es un modelo estructural robusto para evaluar la satisfacción laboral de los trabajadores brasileños y fue invariante para todos los grupos evaluados, con la posibilidad de aplicación en muestras con diferentes tiempos de trabajo, escolaridad y género. La medida también presentó correlación positiva, de moderada a elevada, con otras dos variables del comportamiento organizacional, lo que confirma la validez convergente. (AU)

The Infertility-Related Stress Scale: Validation of a Brazilian-Portuguese Version and Measurement Invariance Across Brazil and Italy.

Infertility constitutes an essential source of stress in the individual and couple's life. The Infertility-Related Stress Scale (IRSS) is of clinical interest for exploring infertility-related stress affecting the intrapersonal and interpersonal domains of infertile individuals' lives. In the present study, the IRSS was translated into Brazilian-Portuguese, and its factor structure, reliability, and relations to sociodemographic and infertility-related characteristics and depression were examined. A sample of 553 Brazilian infertile individuals (54.2% female, mean aged 36 ± 6 years) completed the Brazilian-Portuguese IRSS (IRSS-BP), and a subsample of 222 participants also completed the BDI-II. A sample of 526 Italian infertile individuals (54.2% female, mean aged 38 ± 6 years) was used to test for the IRSS measurement invariance across Brazil and Italy. Results of exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) indicated that a bifactor solution best represented the structure underlying the IRSS-BP. Both the general and the two specific intrapersonal and interpersonal IRSS-BP factors showed satisfactory levels of composite reliability. The bifactor ESEM solution replicated well across countries. As evidence of relations to other variables, female gender, a longer duration of infertility, and higher depression were associated with higher scores in global and domain-specific infertility-related stress. The findings offer initial evidence of validity and reliability of the IRSS-BP, which could be used by fertility clinic staff to rapidly identify patients who need support to deal with the stressful impact of infertility in the intrapersonal and interpersonal life domains, as recommended by international guidelines for routine psychosocial care in infertility settings.

Examining the Dimensionality, Reliability, and Invariance of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) Across Eight Countries.

This study evaluated the dimensionality, invariance, and reliability of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) within and across Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United States (N = 2,580) in college student samples. We used confirmatory factor analyses to compare the fit of four different factor structures of the DASS-21: a unidimensional model, a three-correlated-factors model, a higher order model, and a bifactor model. The bifactor model, with three specific factors (depression, anxiety, and stress) and one general factor (general distress), presented the best fit within each country. We also calculated ancillary bifactor indices of model-based dimensionality of the DASS-21 and model-based reliability to further examine the validity of the composite total and subscale scores and the use of unidimensional modeling. Results suggested the DASS-21 can be used as a unidimensional scale. Finally, measurement invariance of the best fitting model was tested across countries indicating configural invariance. The traditional three-correlated-factors model presented scalar invariance across Canada, Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. Overall, these analyses indicate that the DASS-21 would best be used as a general score of distress rather than three separate factors of depression, anxiety, and stress, in the countries studied.

Evidence for a Bifactor Structure of the Caregiving Questionnaire with Individuals Involved in Different and Same-Sex Couple Relationships.

Despite the Caregiving Questionnaire (CQ) being a widely used measure for the study of caregiving behavior in the context of romantic relationships, to date, few studies have focused on empirically evaluating its underlying theoretical structure. The aim of this study was to examine the factorial structure and equivalence across sex and sexual orientation of this instrument. A sample of 912 Chilean individuals currently involved in a couple relationship completed the Caregiving Questionnaire and the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale. After comparing various traditional Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)models, the results provide support for a multidimensional and hierarchical nature of a brief 16-items version of the CQ. More specifically, the analyses supported a bifactor-CFA solution composed of two global factors and four specific factors, suggesting that they add information to the caregiving construct in the context of couple relationships. Additionally, the scale showed measurement invariance across sex and sexual orientation. Finally, significant associations were found between CQ scores with measures of romantic attachment in the expected directions. Theoretical implications about the nature of the caregiving system are discussed.

Psychometric properties of the UWES-9S in Peruvian college students / Propiedades psicométricas de la UWES-9S en estudiantes universitarios peruanos

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the internal structure dimensionality of the Utrech Work Engagement Scale -Student (UWES-9S) and its association with the academic procrastination reported by 321 psychology students from a private university in Cajamarca (Peru) ranging between 17 and 41 years old (79% women; M age = 22.50 years; 84% between 17 and 25 years old). The UWES-9S and the Academic Procrastination Scale (APS) were used and both a confirmatory and a bifactor analysis were conducted on the UWES-9S, as well as a structural regression analysis that specified the influence of the general and specific dimensions of engagement on the dimensions of academic procrastination. Regarding the results, the bifactor model is the one that best defines the construct, whereas the general dimension of engagement has a greater influence on the dimensions of academic procrastination than the specific ones. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed, as well as the need to focus on the students' positive resources in order to achieve greater involvement in their academic work.

Resumen El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la dimensionalidad de la estructura interna de la versión para estudiantes de la Utrech Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9S), así como su asociación con la procrastinación académica en 321 estudiantes de psicología de una universidad privada de Cajamarca, Perú, con edades entre los 17 y los 41 años (79 % mujeres; M edad = 22.50 años; 84 % entre 17 y 25 años). Para esto, se administró la UWES-9S y la Escala de Procrastinación Académica (EPA), y se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio y bifactor para la UWES-9S, así como un análisis de regresión estructural para identificar la influencia de las dimensiones general y específicas del engagement sobre las dimensiones de la procrastinación académica. Como resultados, el modelo bifactor muestra una mejor definición del constructo, y la dimensión general del engagement presenta mayor influencia sobre las dimensiones de la procrastinación académica que las específicas. Al final se discuten las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas de los hallazgos, así como la necesidad de enfocarse en los recursos positivos de los estudiantes con el fin de que logren un mayor involucramiento en sus labores académicas.