When a self-report instrument includes a balanced number of positively and negatively worded items, factor analysts often use method factors to aid model fitting. The nature of these factors, often referred to as acquiescence, is still debated. Relying upon previous results (Alessandri et al., 2010; DiStefano & Motl, 2006, 2008; Rauch, Schweizer,…

A linear combination of a set of measures is often sought as an overall score summarizing subject performance. The weights in this composite can be selected to maximize its reliability or to maximize its validity, and the optimal choice of weights is in general not the same for these two optimality criteria. We explore several relationships…

How a cluster analysis is conducted, validated, and interpreted is illustrated using a 14-scale behavioral assessment instrument and a national sample of 1,228 elementary school students. Method, cluster typology, validity, cluster structure, and prediction of cluster membership are discussed. (Author/SLD)

This overview of the field of personality theory evaluates the important features of Raymond Cattell's work. While there are many areas of agreement between Cattell and other personality theorists, his rejection of traditional clinical methods for measurement and experimentation has created controversy as well as an extraordinarily rich…