Factor structure of the symptoms of alcohol use, gaming, and gambling addictions
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Brown, Taylor , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Vol. 21, no. 5 (2023), p. 3345-3361
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Alcohol use, gaming, and gambling addictions are recognized in some form by the major clinical classification symptoms. The current study applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models to compare four different models comprising the symptoms of these addictions. The four models were one-factor (all different types of addiction symptoms loading on a single factor), two-factor (alcohol use and internet/gambling latent factors), three-factor (alcohol use, internet gaming, and gambling symptoms loading only on their respective target latent factors), and bi-factor (alcohol use, internet gaming, and gambling symptoms loading on their respective target latent factor and also on the general addiction factor) models. A general community sample of 968 adults (males = 622, females = 315) completed rating scales with symptoms for the three addictions and also for drug use addiction and distress. Both the three-factor and bi-factor models showed a good fit. However, between these models, only the factors of the three-factor model showed good clarity, reliabilities, and external validities, thereby suggesting that this be the best model to represent ratings of alcohol use, internet gaming, and gambling together. The theoretical, taxonomic, and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Factor structure of ten psychoactive substance addictions and behavioural addictions : common psychoactive substance and behavioural addictions
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Brown, Taylor , Griffiths, Mark
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Psychiatry Research Vol. 313, no. (2022), p.
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- Description: Over the past two decades, many problematic/excessive behaviours have increasingly been conceptualized as addictions due to their similarity with more traditional psychoactive substance addictions. The primary aim of the present study was to simultaneously examine the factor structure of three psychoactive substance addictions (alcohol use, cigarette smoking, and substance use) and seven behavioural addictions (sex, social media use, shopping, exercise, online gambling, internet gaming, and internet use), using exploratory factor analysis (EFA; N = 481) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; N = 487). A total of 968 participants completed an online survey including ten psychometric scales assessing the ten different potentially addictive behaviours. EFA supported a two-factor solution, with different factors for the psychoactive substance and behavioural addictions (excluding exercise addiction). CFA supported the two-factor model in a separate sample. There was good support for the concurrent and discriminant validities of the CFA latent factors and the reliability of the behavioural latent factor in the two-factor CFA model. While there was support for the concurrent and discriminant validities of the psychoactive substance latent factor, there was insufficient support for its reliability. The taxonomic, theoretical, and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2022
Greek validation of the factor structure and longitudinal measurement invariance of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire-self report (SDQ-SR) : exploratory structural equation modelling
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Motti-Stefanidi, Frosso , Jordan, Scott , Stavropoulos, Vasileios
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Child Psychiatry and Human Development Vol. 52, no. 5 (2021), p. 880-890
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- Description: The study examined the factor structure and longitudinal measurement invariance over three time points (1-year apart) of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Self Report (SDQ-SR) for ratings provided by adolescents in Greece. It used exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) to achieve these two goals. At time point one, a total of 968 adolescents (males = 508, and females = 460) between 12 and 17.9 years completed the SDQ-SR. In relation to factor structure, ESEM tested the fit of one- to five-factor models. The findings were interpreted as indicating most support for the ESEM model with three factors (the factors being dysregulation, peer problems, and prosocial behaviour). This model showed support for configural invariance and full metric invariance across the three time points. Except for two thresholds, all other thresholds were also invariant across the three time points. Thus, there was good support for longitudinal measurement invariance. The implications of the findings for use of the SDQ-SR are discussed. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Measurement invariance across adult self-ratings of current and retrospective childhood ADHD symptoms
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment Vol. 42, no. 3 (2020), p. 475-487
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- Description: This study examined measurement invariance across adult self-ratings of current and retrospective childhood ADHD symptoms. A group of 265 adults (135 females and 130 males) from the general community completed ratings of their current and retrospective childhood ADHD symptoms presented in the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV (BAARS-IV; Barkley 2011). Initially, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the both sets of ratings provided more support for a bifactor ADHD model (a model with an orthogonal general factor and specific factors for inattention [IA] and hyperactivity/impulsivity [HI]) over a 2-factor oblique model (with factors for IA and HI). Using the bifactor model, chi-square difference test indicated non-invariance for 12 factor loadings on the general factor, and 13 thresholds. Differences in approximate fit indices indicated that only 4 factor loadings were not invariant. The clinical theoretical, and psychometric implications of the findings are discussed. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Test-retest measurement invariance of clinic referred children’s ADHD symptoms
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Vance, Alasdair , Stavropoulos, Vasileios
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment Vol. 40, no. 2 (2018), p. 194-205
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- Description: This study examined the test-retest measurement invariance of ratings of the ADHD symptoms. Mothers of a group of 217 clinic-referred children (boys = 169, girls = 49; age range = 7 to 17 years) completed ratings of the ADHD symptoms presented in a modified version of the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD-Symptoms and Normal Behavior Scale (SWAN-M) twice, 12 months apart. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of their ratings at both time points provided more support for the bifactor model of ADHD [orthogonal general and specific factors for inattention (IA) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI) symptoms] over the 2-factor oblique model (factors for inattention IA and HI symptoms). For the bifactor model, measurement invariance testing using multiple-group CFA indicated support for configural and full scalar test-retest invariance when the chi-square difference test was applied. For metric invariance, all but one symptom showed invariance. When the differences in approximate fit indices were applied, there was support for full measurement invariance (configural, metric and scalar). The findings indicate that observed scores (based on maternal ratings of the SWAM-M), twelve months apart, are comparable as they have the same measurement properties. Several practical, theoretical, research and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
The shame and guilt scales of the test of self-conscious affect-adolescent (TOSCA-A) : Factor structure, concurrent and discriminant validity, and measurement and structural invariance across ratings of males and females
- Authors: Watson, Shaun , Gomez, Rapson , Gullone, Eleonora
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Assessment Vol. 24, no. 4 (2015), p. 517-527
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- Description: This study examined various psychometric properties of the items comprising the shame and guilt scales of the Test of Self-Conscious Affect-Adolescent. A total of 563 adolescents (321 females and 242 males) completed these scales, and also measures of depression and empathy. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for an oblique two-factor model, with the originally proposed shame and guilt items comprising shame and guilt factors, respectively. Also, shame correlated with depression positively and had no relation with empathy. Guilt correlated with depression negatively and with empathy positively. Thus, there was support for the convergent and discriminant validity of the shame and guilt factors. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis comparing females and males, based on the chi-square difference test, supported full metric invariance, the intercept invariance of 26 of the 30 shame and guilt items, and higher latent mean scores among females for both shame and guilt. Comparisons based on the difference in root mean squared error of approximation values supported full measurement invariance and no gender difference for latent mean scores. The psychometric and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Factor structure of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale Short Forms
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 96, no. (2016), p. 83-87
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- Description: The study used frequentist confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and Bayesian CFA (BCFA) (one-factor, two-factor, and bifactor models) for Peters, Sunderland, Andrews, Rapee, and Mattick's (2012) short form Social Anxiety Interaction Scale (SAIS) and Fergus, Valentiner, McGrath, Gier-Lonsway, and Kim's (2012) short form Social Phobia Scale (SPS) Short Forms. Participants (N = 200) were adults from the general community who completed the full version of SIAS and SPS measures. For the different models tested, CFA provided moderate support for the two-factor model for Peters et al.'s Short Forms. BCFA showed good support for the two-factor and bifactor models for Peters et al.'s Short Forms, with the bifactor model showing better fit. This bifactor model showed high internal consistency reliability and had a high amount of explained common variance for its general factor. The SIAS and SPS specific factors of the bifactor model showed almost negligible internal consistency reliabilities and explained common variances. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales : Factor structure and differential item functioning across women and men
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 54, no. 6 (2013), p. 687-691
- Full Text: false
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- Description: This study examined the factor structure, and differential item functioning of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) across sex. The DASS was completed by 201 women and 165 men from the general community. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated support for the original 3-factor oblique model (factors for depression, anxiety and stress). There was however more support for a bifactor model, with four orthogonal factors: a general factor on which all the depression, anxiety and stress items load, and specific independent factors for depression, anxiety and stress items. None of the DASS items showed DIF. The practical, theoretical, research and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Can the severity of dependence scale be usefully applied to 'ecstasy'?
- Authors: Bruno, Raimondo , Matthews, Allison , Topp, Libby , Degenhardt, Louisa , Gomez, Rapson , Dunn, Matthew
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Neuropsychobiology Vol. 60, no. 3-4 (2009), p. 137-147
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Background/Aims: Although use of 'ecstasy' (drugs sold as containing 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is prevalent, it is typically infrequent, and treatment presentations involving ecstasy as a principal problem drug are relatively rare. Human case reports and animal literature suggest dependence potential, although there may be some unique aspects to this syndrome for ecstasy in comparison to other substances. The Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) was examined to determine whether this could usefully identify 'dependent' ecstasy consumers. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,658 frequent (at least monthly) ecstasy consumers across Australia, assessing drug use, associated harms and risk behaviours. Dependence was evaluated with the SDS, using a cut-off of ≥4 to identify potential 'dependence'. Results: One fifth of the participants were screened as potentially dependent. These individuals used ecstasy more frequently, in greater amounts, engaged more extensively in risk behaviours and reported greater role interference than other participants. These findings were independent of methamphetamine use or dependence. The underlying structure of the ecstasy SDS was bifactorial. Conclusions: The SDS has demonstrated construct validity as a screening tool to identify ecstasy users at elevated risk of experiencing adverse consequences, including features of dependence. The underlying structure of dependence symptoms differs for ecstasy compared to other drug classes, and some dependent consumers use the drug infrequently. The unique neurotoxic potential and entactogenic effects of ecstasy may require a distinct nosological classification for the experience of dependence associated with the drug. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.