Investigation of initial validity evidence of responses to the coach precompetitive communication questionnaire-helpfulness

Bi-factor analysis is a form of confirmatory factor analysis originally introduced by Holzinger. The bi-factor model has a general factor and a number of group factors. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an exploratory form of bi-factor analysis. An advantage of using exploratory bi-factor analysis is that one need not provide a specific bi-factor model a priori. The result of an exploratory bi-factor analysis, however, can be used as an aid in defining a specific bi-factor model. Our exploratory bi-factor analysis is simply exploratory factor analysis using a bi-factor rotation criterion. This is a criterion designed to produce perfect cluster structure in all but the first column of a rotated loading matrix. Examples are given to show how exploratory bi-factor analysis can be used with ideal and real data. The relation of exploratory bi-factor analysis to the Schmid-Leiman method is discussed.

The first purpose of this study was to provide a brief and general case for the possible utility of the bifactor model in sport, exercise, and performance (SEP) psychology. The second purpose of this study was to demonstrate how exploratory and confirmatory forms of the bifactor model may be compared with each other and with more commonly used factor models in SEP psychology within a substantive-methodological synergy format. The substantive focus was the consideration of the bifactor model for the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale. The methodological focus was the bifactor model, which has a general factor, group factors, and a pattern matrix with a bifactor structure. The synergy was a demonstration of how exploratory and confirmatory bifactor analysis may be compared with each other and with more commonly used and more restrictive analyses (e.g., correlated first-order factor analysis, a second-order factor analysis), by reanalyzing existing data. A four-factor exploratory bifactor analysis on Psychological Need Thwarting Scale data produced an approximate bifactor structure that may offer a viable conceptualization for future research in this area. More broadly, when the underlying measurement theory is consistent with (a) a conceptually broad general factor, as well as (b) conceptually narrower group factors, there may be utility in comparing bifactor analysis to more commonly used and more restrictive factor analyses in SEP psychology.

Several methods of factor extraction have recently gained popularity as a procedure for dealing with estimation problems associated with small sample sizes, which can be found in the various behavioral science disciplines, such as comparative psychology and behavior genetics. Two popular approaches for particularly small samples (below 50) include unweighted least squares factor analysis (ULS-FA) and regularized exploratory factor analysis (REFA). However, it is unclear how well each of the approaches performs with small samples in the context of exploratory bifactor modeling. In the current study, a comprehensive simulation study was conducted to evaluate the small sample behavior of the two approaches in terms of bifactor structure recovery under different sample size, factor loading, number of variables per factor, number of factors, and factor correlation experimental conditions. The results show that REFA is recommended for use over ULS-FA, particularly in the conditions involving low factor loadings, few group factors, or a small number of variables per factor.

ObjectivesTo assess the validity of the WHO concept of intrinsic capacity in a longitudinal study of ageing; to identify whether this overall measure disaggregated into biologically plausible and clinically useful...

ABSTRACTThe multi-dimensionality of Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP) has been acknowledged by the use of correlated-factor model and second-order model. In this study, the authors critically endorse the bifactor model, as a substitute to address the multi-dimensionality of PSPP. To cross-validate the models, analyses are conducted first in exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) framework with a randomly selected subsample and then in confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) framework with a second subsample. Results from both ESEM and CFA analyses suggest that bifactor model is the best-fitted model. A general physical self-esteem factor and four domain specific factors are identified with the bifactor model. Coefficient omega hierarchical of the general factor is .86. The of the specific factors are .19, .20, .59, and .29, respectively. Gender difference at both general factor level and domain specific factor level is examined within the bifactor model. Discussions of the use and limitations of bifactor model as well as ESEM are provided.

Objective: Self-reported hearing quality of life (QoL) for pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients was examined, asking whether 1) children with CIs have similar QoL as those with less severe hearing loss (HL); 2) children with different bilateral CI (BCI) device configurations report different QoL; and 3) do audiological, demographic and spoken language factors affect hearing QoL?Design: One hundred four children (ages 7–11 years) using bimodal devices or BCIs participated. The Hearing Environments and Reflection of Quality of Life (HEAR-QL) questionnaire, receptive language and speech perception tests were administered. HEAR-QL scores of CI recipients were compared to scores of age-mates with normal hearing and mild to profound HL.Results: HEAR-QL scores for CI participants were similar to those of children with less severe HL and did not differ with device configuration. Emotion identification and word recognition in noise correlated significantly with HEAR-QL scores.Discussion: CI recipients reported that HL hinders social participation. Better understanding of speech in noise and emotional content was associated with fewer hearing-related difficulties on the HEAR-QL.Conclusions: Noisy situations encountered in educational settings should be addressed for children with HL. The link between perception of emotion and hearing-related QoL for CI recipients should be further examined.

Associations Between Brain Structural Alterations, Executive Dysfunction, and General Psychopathology in a Healthy and Cross-Diagnostic Adult Patient Sample

In relationship science, researchers have generated a wide array of constructs and corresponding self-report measures to characterize, explain, and predict relationship quality – the foremost studied outcome in the field. Collectively, however, the boundaries among these variables remain unclear. In the current research, we examined the extent to which measures of relationship quality and other important relationship constructs are empirically separable from one another. Across two studies of US census-matched participants (total N = 3,439), we applied latent variable techniques (e.g., exploratory bifactor analysis) on broad pools of items representing various prominent relationship-specific constructs. Results revealed robust evidence that a single general factor Q (representing global relationship sentiment) accounts for a vast majority of common variance across distinct relationship measures. Thus, respondents appear to draw primarily on their overall global relationship evaluations when reporting on an array of presumably-distinct relationship facets. This is consistent with a ‘sentiment override’ perspective. Our findings provide novel empirical evidence for a relationship-specific response bias that challenges prevailing assumptions and practice in the field, including the widespread use of self-report methods to capture meaningful aspects of relationship functioning.

Background: Sexual education is one of the required and challenging areas for empowering families. It seems necessary to use appropriate tools in identifying and promoting the sexual education of parents. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the construction and psychometric characterization of the Family-oriented and Developmental-based Sexuality Education Questionnaire for Iranian families. Methods: In this descriptive and survey research, the statistical population included all Iranian families in 2021. A number of 1,024 people throughout Iran were selected as the research sample using online sampling. The data were gathered through the Parental Sexual Education Style Questionnaire (PSESQ), Parental Self-efficacy Scale (PSES), and Family-oriented and Developmental-based Sexuality Education Questionnaire (F&DSEQ). The data were analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, correlation coefficient, and exploratory factor analysis in SPSS 26 and AMOS 24 software. Results: Three factors were extracted from the exploratory and factor analysis, including eleven factors in three general factors (sexuality education knowledge, attitude, and skills). These eleven factors could explain 58.319% of the variance in 58 items of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.92 for the whole questionnaire. Also, Cronbach's alpha of the components was in the range of 0.65 to 0.92. Conclusions: The Family-oriented and Developmental-based Sexuality Education Questionnaire has good reliability and validity and can be used to measure sexuality education knowledge, attitude, and skills. Therefore, F&DSEQ can be used in research, care, and educational interventions by specialists in the fields of nursing, midwifery, psychology, and family counseling.

The Working Alliance Inventory Short form (WAI-S) comprises 12 items that measure 3 subdomains (goal, task, and bond). In the present study, we evaluated the factor structure of WAI-S in a parent management training (PMT) context, by investigating a series of different factor models, including standard confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) models and more recent alternatives, like the exploratory structural equation model (ESEM), the bifactor-CFA, and the bifactor exploratory structural equation model (B-ESEM). The study sample consisted of 259 Norwegian parents receiving PMT – the Oregon model (PMTO). Alliance was rated by parents of children with emerging or present conduct problems after the first therapy session. Results showed that the B-ESEM model provided best model fit to the data. Estimated sources of variance and omega reliabilities supported a strong general alliance factor, but revealed poor quality of the specific factors. Overall, the present study implies that specific factors of working alliance should be interpreted with caution; rather one should rely on a general working alliance construct.Clinical or methodological significance of this article: Findings suggest that working alliance, as measured by WAI-S in a PMT context, is best reflected by a general construct that also take into account multidimensionality. However, only the general factors provide acceptable reliability. Consequently, practitioners should use the specific factors with caution. The indicators of the specific factors should be improved.

Preferential responses to faces in superior temporal and medial prefrontal cortex in three-year-old children

To evaluate the construct validity and model-based reliability of general and specific contributions of the subscales of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2) when evaluating motor skills across a range of psychiatric disorders. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bifactor analysis were conducted on BOT-2 data from 187 elementary school students (grades 1 to 6) (mean age: 113 ± 20 months; boys: n = 117, 62.56%) and on MABC-2 data from 127 elementary school students (grade 1) (mean age: 76 ± 2 months; boys: n = 58, 45.67%). The results of the CFA fit the data for multidimensionality for the BOT-2 and presented poor fit indices for the MABC-2. For both tests, the bifactor model showed that the reliability of the subscales was poor. The BOT-2 exhibited factorial validity with a multidimensional structure among the current samples, but the MABC-2 showed poor fit indices, insufficient to confirm its multidimensional structure. For both tests, most of the reliable variance came from a general motor factor (M-factor), therefore the scoring and reporting of subscale scores were not justified for both tests.

IntroductionThe evaluation of teaching performance in didactic interactions has generally been approached from the student’s perspective, with little literature on evaluation based on the teacher’s own perspective. Having an instrument that allows self-evaluation of teaching performance during didactic interactions will contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning at the university level.ObjectivesThe validity and reliability evidence for the scores of the self-evaluation questionnaire of the teacher’s didactic performance are examined. The self-assessment of didactic performance is analyzed and the general didactic performance of the teacher and of his interactive episodes is contrasted according to some socio-academic characteristics. Method: Methodological, instrumental, descriptive, comparative and predictive cross-sectional study. A total of 203 teachers participated, of whom 64 were professors from a public university in northwestern Mexico, and 139 professors from two public universities in Peru.ResultsSatisfactory evidence of content-based validity was found, Aiken’s V estimates were higher than 0.70 for all items in the criteria: clarity, pertinence and relevance. As for the evidence of validity based on the internal structure of the construct, satisfactory results were found with the confirmatory factor analysis strategy for a multidimensional model of seven oblique factors (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.06) and a second-order factor model made up of two general factors and seven specific first-order factors (CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.07). Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was also acceptable. The reliability for the overall score of the questionnaire as well as for the interactive episodes evidenced McDonald’s ordinal alpha and omega coefficients ≥0.94 and H coefficient ≥ 0.95. With respect to the comparative analyses according to the professional training discipline and the sex factor, differences were found for a small effect size (d > 0.20) in favor of education teachers and women both in general didactic performance and in the teaching and formative evaluation factors. Likewise, being an education teacher and a woman is more than twice as likely to have optimal teaching performance. As for the nationality of the teachers, no significant differences were found.

Intrinsic capacity (IC) is a core component of the World Health Organization's healthy aging framework. Yet, despite multiple validations of IC across various settings, there is still a lack of longitudinal cross-national analysis. To validate the IC construct, describe variance between key demographic groups, and create population centile curves across 15 countries using data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). In this population-based multicenter cohort study, data from SHARE wave 5 (January to November 30, 2013) were analyzed, and subsequent care dependence in wave 6 (January to November 30, 2015) was determined. Adults 50 years and older from SHARE wave 5 with at least 1 available measure and follow-up data in SHARE wave 6 were included. Data analyses were conducted between December 11, 2022, and June 7, 2024. SHARE waves 5 and 6. Changes in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Methods included structural equation modeling, bifactor analysis, and path analysis. Construct validity was tested through multiple linear regression and validity of estimates through mediation analysis. Centile curves were established using the generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape. The sample included 64 872 eligible participants aged 50 to 104 years, with a mean (SD) age of 67.24 (10.01) years, of whom 35 976 (55.46%) were women. The bifactor confirmatory factor analysis model achieved good fit (comparative fit index, 0.986; Tucker-Lewis index, 0.981), suggesting an IC structure consisting of 1 general factor and 5 subdomains. Mediation analysis indicated that IC was associated with subsequent declining performance in ADL (standard coefficient [SD], -0.213 [0.002]; P < .001) and IADL (standard coefficient [SD], -0.209 [0.002]; P < .001) after adjusting for age, gender, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, and country. Socioeconomic status was associated with IC both within and between countries. Centile curves for IC by gender and country (5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles) were constructed. Results of this cohort study of older adults suggest that IC was a valid and reliable measure that effectively captured individual-level aspects of functional ability. The centile curves developed during the study suggest that IC has the potential to serve as a benchmark for health status in older populations.

The Suicide Cognitions Scale (SCS) was developed to measure a broad spectrum of suicidogenic cognitions collectively referred to as the suicidal belief system. Prior confirmatory factor analyses have suggested both a unidimensional and multidimensional structure and high intercorrelations among identified factors, suggesting the possible influence of an underlying general factor. The present study used bifactor analysis in a clinical sample of 97 treatment-seeking Army personnel with recent suicide ideation and a nonclinical sample of 193 military personnel and veterans with a lifetime history of suicide ideation or attempts. Results supported the strong influence of a general factor in addition to several specific factors that aligned with constructs articulated by several theories of suicide, and suggested the SCS is best interpreted as a unidimensional measure. Results suggest that narrower suicidogenic cognitions are influenced in large part by a strong general latent variable.