Assessment

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) scales that are designed to assess various forms of externalizing psychopathology have received relatively little research attention to date. The goal of this investigation was therefore to examine the validity of these MMPI-3 scales in the measurement of the externalizing spectrum. A community sample (n = 206) with high levels of externalizing psychopathology and a university sample (n = 645) were used. The former sample was administered structured clinical interviews for various forms of externalizing psychopathology, whereas the student sample completed the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory-160. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to operationalize the externalizing spectrum using each set of measures. The results indicated that the externalizing MMPI-3 scales were associated with a general externalizing factor and an expected pattern of associations, while systematic residuals of individual disorder symptoms also emerged. Moreover, in the university sample, specific MMPI-3 scales hypothesized to assess antagonistic-externalizing (Aggressiveness, Aggression, and Cynicism) emerged as key predictors of a callous-aggression residual group factor. The Substance Abuse scale was unsurprisingly the best predictor of such dysfunction. These findings provide guidance for mental health practitioners who use the MMPI-3 for the assessment of externalizing psychopathology symptoms.

Experimental cognitive tests are designed to measure particular cognitive domains, although evidence supporting test validity is often limited. The Consortium for Neuropsychiatric Phenomics test battery administered 23 experimental and traditional neuropsychological tests to a large sample of community volunteers (n = 1,059) and patients with psychiatric diagnoses (n = 137), providing a unique opportunity to examine convergent validity with factor analysis. Traditional tests included subtests from the Wechsler and Delis–Kaplan batteries, while experimental tests included the Attention Networks Test, Balloon Analogue Risk Task, Delay Discounting Task, Remember–Know, Reversal Learning Task, Scene Recognition, Spatial and Verbal Capacity and Manipulation Tasks, Stop-Signal Task, and Task Switching. Several experimental cognitive measures were insufficiently related to other tests and were excluded from factor analyses. In the remaining 18 tests, exploratory factor analysis and subsequent multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure broadly corresponding to domains of verbal/working memory, inhibitory control, and memory. In sum, several experimental measures of inhibitory control had weak relationships with all other tests, while the convergent validity of most tests of working memory and memory was supported.

The 24-item Social Provision Scale is among the most frequently used self-report scales to assess perceived social support. A shortened 10-item version (SPS-10) with promising psychometric properties has been proposed. However, so far only a few studies in specific cultural contexts investigated its psychometric properties. Thus, the aim of the current study was an extensive investigation of the psychometric properties of the SPS-10 among 38 countries (N = 88,857 respondents) using the COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey data. Item response theory bifactor analysis revealed that the general factor accounts for the largest part of the covariance among the items in all countries (explained common variance ≥ .75) and that the mean/sum score of the SPS-10 can be used as a total score of perceived general social support. Reliability was high for all countries (ρ_{unidimensional GRM} ≥ .89). Measurement invariance and differential item/test functioning analysis of the unidimensional graded response model indicated negligible differential test functioning across countries. The association with the external criteria mainly supported its construct validity. The SPS-10 is a psychometrically sound measure of perceived social support for large-scale cross-cultural studies.

With the advent of the new diagnostic model for personality disorders in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), researchers and practitioners in World Health Organization signatory countries are urged to implement it. This study aims to develop a brief, reliable, and valid scale for assessing maladaptive personality traits according to the ICD-11 model, using the item pool of the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory (IDCP-2). Quantitative and qualitative criteria for item selection were applied to a sample of 251 Brazilian adults. As a result, the 25 items (five items per factor) were selected, demonstrating promising evidence of validity based on the internal structure with a database of 1,659 Brazilian adults. In addition, we found good evidence of validity based on relationships with external variables, particularly those related to personality pathology, in a sample of 617 Brazilian adults. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The Multidimensional Jealousy Scale is the standard instrument to assess cognitive, emotional, and behavioral jealousy. We examined competing factor models and external correlations with broad and narrow traits. Across two studies, we analyzed four samples (N_total = 2,117). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement model of three correlated factors in comparison to unidimensional, second-order, and bifactor models. Thus, speaking against the use of a total score. Furthermore, we found measurement invariance between romantic partners. We extended the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale (MJS)’ nomological net to personality pathology and replicated prior findings of associations with broad and narrow traits. Study 2 examined longitudinal data (5- to 9-month lag) from couples. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model analyses showed that the MJS predicts facets of relationship satisfaction in actors and partners. We discuss potential avenues for revising the MJS (e.g., heteronormative item wordings).

Computerized neuropsychological test batteries (CNTs), such as Central Nervous System Vital Signs (CNS VS), are increasingly used for measuring cognitive functioning, but empirical evidence of how they measure cognition is scarce. We investigated the factor structure of CNS VS using exploratory factor analyses four samples: healthy adults (n = 169), patients with meningioma (392), low-grade glioma (99), and high-grade glioma (247). We tested model fit and investigated measurement invariance. Differences in factor interpretation existed between healthy participants and patients. Factor structures among patient groups were approximately the same but differed in non-zero loadings. Overall, factor structures largely did not support the “clinical domains” provided by CNS VS for clinical interpretation. Confirmatory models did not have a good fit, and measurement invariance could not be established. Our results indicate that (weighted) sum scores of CNS VS results may lack validity. We recommend researchers and clinicians to use scores on individual test measures.

The Self-Referent Encoding Task (SRET) can be used to measure self-concept via endorsement of trait words, a robust metric associated with depression severity. Our study is the first to investigate the structural validity and item functioning of SRET endorsement scores using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory. Community-dwelling preadolescent youth (N = 508; M_age = 12.39 years, SD_age = .72) were shown a list of positive and negative trait adjectives and made binary ratings of whether words were self-descriptive. The SRET exhibited a two-factor structure, comprising positive and negative factors. Positive items were endorsed by most children and best estimated information about positive self-concepts below average levels of positivity. Conversely, negative items were unendorsed by most children and best estimated information about negative self-concepts above average levels of negativity. We identify standardized, psychometrically sound, and developmentally sensitive SRET items for assessing youth self-concept and its associations with depression risk.

In this study, we aimed to expand the domain specificity of grit by exploring it in the realm of parenting. Parental grit was defined as parents’ inclination to demonstrate perseverance, sustained passion, and adaptability in pursuing long-term parenting goals. With longitudinal data from 1,373 U.S. parents, we developed and validated the Parental Grit Scale (PGS) in three phases: item development and revision, establishment of factor structure, and examination of criterion-related and incremental validity. The PGS exhibited a three-factor structure and (partial) scalar measurement invariance across genders, the status of the child’s special needs, and measurement occasions. The PGS demonstrated moderate temporal stability. We found evidence of its validity in predicting parental emotional exhaustion, self-efficacy, autonomy support, and parents’ perceptions of children’s school well-being. Parental grit explained variance in these outcomes beyond domain-general grit and conscientiousness. The PGS has sound psychometric properties and is a valuable measure in the parenting domain.

Despite the Heterosexist Harassment, Rejection, and Discrimination Scale (HHRDS) being a routinely used measure of discrimination, there is no current consensus regarding its fundamental psychometric properties. This study sought to: (a) test the dimensionality of the scale using a classical test theory approach, and (b), if lacking a clear multidimensional structure, use an item response theory approach to develop a concise unidimensional measure and examine differential item and test functioning across various identity factors. In a sample of sexual minority adults (N = 1,243), evaluation of the HHRDS supported a reduced 11-item unidimensional measure. Assessment of differential item functioning suggested differences for some items between cisgender men and cisgender women, cisgender men and gender-diverse individuals, gay/lesbian and bi+ individuals, and white/non-Latine individuals and people of color. However, differential item functioning had minimal impact on total test scores, supporting the use of the revised 11-item HHRDS across groups.

In LGBTQIA+ adults, 36% are parents, but there are a limited number of parenting scales that have undergone psychometric evaluation in LGBTQIA+ parents. This study assessed the Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS) in LGBTQIA+ parents, addressing a gap in parenting scales considering both positive and negative aspects for this group. Our study includes two racially and ethnically diverse national samples of parents (n = 2,299, mean age = 37.05 years, 32.84% LGBTQIA+). We explored measurement invariance between LGBTQIA+ and non-LGBTQIA+ parents. The analysis revealed a modest fit for configural and metric invariance, indicating the MAPS structure and item loadings were consistent across groups, although scalar invariance was only partially supported. Subscales showed good internal consistency for both parent groups. Importantly, following false discovery rate corrections, interactions between LGBTQIA+ status and specific MAPS subscales (supportiveness, physical control) were significantly, but differentially, related to various child psychopathology dimensions, suggesting parenting impacts may differ for LGBTQIA+ families. These findings underscore the importance of including LGBTQIA+ perspectives in parenting research to develop tailored interventions that address their unique strengths and challenges. Acknowledging and supporting the diverse experiences of LGBTQIA+ parents can enhance targeted resources and interventions, contributing to better outcomes for all families.