This study largely replicates the findings of a previous study reported by the authors. Further research involving the physical dimension as a possible facet of general self-concept is suggested. (Author/BW)

In an argument for orthogonal variables to explain intelligence, higher-order constructs, including "g" as a single thing in intelligence, are suggested to inevitably result from complex systems with interrelated parts. Biological reductionism and other arguments for the higher-order constructs as explanations of intellectual functioning…

The Schmid-Leiman (J. Schmid and J. M. Leiman, 1957) decomposition of a hierarchical factor model converts the model to a constrained case of a bifactor model with orthogonal common factors that is equivalent to the hierarchical model. This article discusses the equivalence of the hierarchical and bifactor models. (Author/SLD)

Demonstrates that traditional exploratory factor analytic methods, when applied to correlation matrices, cannot be used to estimate unattenuated factor loadings. Presents a mathematical basis for the accurate estimation of such values when the disattenuated correlation matrix or the covariance matrix is used as input. Explains how the equations…

Demonstrated that the extra-factor phenomenon (the two-dimensional solution produced when linear factor analysis is applied to a set of unfoldable items) arises because the metric unidimensional unfolding model is equivalent to the unidimensional quadratic factor model and the unidimensional quadratic factor model is not distinguishable from the…

Administered the Generalized Expectancy for Success-Revised (GESS-R) scale (B. Fibel and W. Hale, 1978) to 547 full-time employees in the United States. Exploratory factor analysis found four distinct factors, and scores on these four subscales were minimally related to the demographics of the subjects and had adequate internal consistency.…

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is a statistical procedure frequently used to test the fit of data to measurement models. Published CFA studies typically report factor pattern coefficients. Few reports, however, also present factor structure coefficients, which can be essential for the accurate interpretation of CFA results. The interpretation…

Bayesian factor analysis (BFA) assumes the normal distribution of the current sample conditional on the parameters. Practical data in social and behavioral sciences typically have significant skewness and kurtosis. If the normality assumption is not attainable, the posterior analysis will be inaccurate, although the BFA depends less on the current…

The author reviewed the use and interpretation of factor analysis in articles published in The Journal of Educational Research articles from 1992 to 2002. He found all major forms of factor analysis among the 25 articles that he reviewed. Exploratory factor analysis was the most common application that he found. He noted only 3 applications of…

This study assessed the factor structure of the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU), a commonly used assessment of cravings for cigarettes, with a sample of smokers presenting for treatment in a smoking cessation trial. On the basis of previous research, three confirmatory factor analytic models were tested. Model 1 hypothesized a 26-item,…

Background: Most previous studies in Western societies have demonstrated a general decline in school motivation. However, it is not clear whether motivational decline occurs uniformly for all students. The moderating effects of individual and cultural differences on students' motivational decline need to be further explored. Aims: This study aimed…

In this article, I specify a conceptual framework for test validity research on content assessments taken by English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools in grades K-12. This framework is modeled after one previously delineated by Willingham et al. (1988), which was developed to guide research on students with disabilities. In this framework…

This study was a preliminary examination of the psychometric properties of a newly developed Spanish translated version of the "Gifted Rating Scales-School Form (GRS-S)". Data was collected from elementary and middle schools in northeastern Puerto Rico. Thirty teachers independently rated 153 students using the "GRS-S" Spanish…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis of the Computer-Mediated Communication Questionnaire scores, using structural equation modeling, to assess the consistency between the empirical data and the hypothesized factor structure of the CMCQ in the proposed models, which is stipulated by the theoretical framework and…