The usefulness of examining the structural validity of scores on multidimensional measures using nested hierarchical model comparisons was evaluated in two studies using the Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI). In Study 1, the authors systematically explored the factor structure of the measure using hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis, contrasting the results with past research using more traditional approaches. In Study 2, the authors developed and validated a shorter version of the SPSI based on the most promising items identified in the first study. Results from Study 2, using an independent sample, confirmed the stability of the structure and offered construct-related validity evidence for the new scales. Taken together, the results suggest that the modest fit of the SPSI measurement model reported in past research is principally the result of the inclusion of psychometrically poor items rather than a problem with the conceptual model itself. Implications are discussed as related to the organization of social problem-solving dimensions and strategies for evaluating structural validity.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bentler, P. (1989). Comparative fit indices. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 238-246.
2.
Bentler, P. , & Chou, C. -P. (1988). Practical issues in structural equation modeling. In S. Long (Ed.), Common problems/propersolutions: Avoiding errors in quantitative research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
3.
Buss, A. H. , & Durkee, A. (1957). An inventory for assessing differentkinds of hostility. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21, 343-349.
4.
Cattell, R. B. (1963). Theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence: A critical experiment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 54, 1-22.
5.
Cheek, J. M. , & Buss, A. H. (1981). Shyness and sociability. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 330-339.
6.
Christoff, K. A. , Scott, W.O.N., Kelley, M. L., Schlundt, D., Baer, G., & Kelly, J. A. (1985). Social skills and social problem-solving training for shy young adolescents. Behavior Therapy, 16, 468-477.
7.
D'Zurilla, T. J. , & Goldfried, M. R. (1971). Problem-solving and behavior modification. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 78, 107-126.
8.
D'Zurilla, T. J. , & Nezu, A. M. (1990). Development and preliminary evaluation of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory. PsychologicalAssessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2, 156-163.
9.
Gorsuch, R. (1983). Factor analysis (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
10.
Hoyle, R. H. (1994). Introduction to the special section: Structural equation modeling in clinical research. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 427-428.
11.
Hoyle, R. H. , & Smith, G. T. (1994). Formulating clinical research hypotheses as structural equation models: A conceptual overview. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 429-440.
12.
Jöreskog, K. G. , & Sorbom, D. (1993). LISREL 8: A guide to the program and applications. Chicago: SPSS.
13.
Lerner, M. S. , & Clum, G. A. (1990). Treatment of suicide ideators: Aproblem-solving approach. Behavior Therapy, 21, 403-411.
14.
Lochman, J. E. , & Curry, J. F (1986). Effects of social problem-solving training and self-instruction training with aggressive boys. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 15, 159-164.
15.
Loevinger, J. (1967). Objective tests as instruments of psychological theory. In D. N. Jackson & S. Messick (Eds.), Problenms in human assessment (pp. 78-123). New York: McGraw-Hill.
16.
Marsh, H. W. (1985). The structure of masculinity/femininity: An application of confirmatory factor analysis to higher-order factor structures and factorial invariance. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 20, 427-449.
17.
Marsh, H. W. , & Hocevar, D. (1985). Application of confirmatory factor analysis to the study of self-concept: First- and higher-order factor models and their invariance across groups. Psychological Bulletin, 97, 562-582.
18.
Maydeu-Olivares, A. , & D'Zurilla, T. J. (in press). A factor-analytic study of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory: An integration of theory and data. Cognitive Therapy and Research.
19.
Moon, J. R. , & Eisler, R. M. (1983). Anger control: An experimental comparison of three behavioral treatments. Behavior Therapy, 14, 493-505.
20.
Mulaik, S. A. (1987). A brief history of the philosophical foundations of exploratory factor analysis. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 22, 267-305.
21.
Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
22.
Rich, A. R. , & Bonner, R. L. (1987). Interpersonal moderators of depression among college students. Journal of College Student Personnel, 28, 337-342.
23.
Rindskopf, D. , & Rose, T. (1988). Some theory and applications of confirmatory second-order factor analysis. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 23, 51-67.
24.
Russell, D., & Cutrona, C. E. (1988). Development and evolution of the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Unpublished manuscript, Center for Health Services Research, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
25.
Sadowski, C. , & Kelley, M. L. (1993). Social problem-solving and suicidal adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 121-127.
26.
Sadowski, C. , Moore, L. A., & Kelley, M. L. (1994). Psychometric properties of the Social Problem Solving Inventory with normal and emotionally disturbed adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 22, 487-500.
27.
Shavelson, R. J. , Hubner, J. J., & Stanton, G. C. (1976). Self-concept: Validation of construct interpretation. Review of Educational Research, 46, 407-441.
28.
Steiger, J. H. (1990). Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 25, 173-180.
29.
Szymanski, J. , Christiansen, N. D., & Lovejoy, M. C. (1995, May). Affective symptomatology and specific components of social problem solving. Paper accepted for presentation at the 67th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
30.
Tisdelle, D. A. , & St. Lawrence, J. S. (1986). Interpersonal problem-solving competency: Review and critique of the literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 6, 337-356.
31.
Tryon, G. S. (1980). The measurement and treatment of test anxiety. Review of Educational Research, 50, 343-372.
32.
Wine, J. D. (1982). Evaluation anxiety: A cognitive attentional construct. In H. W. Krohne & L. Laux (Eds.), Achievement, stress, and anxiety (pp. 207-219). Washington, DC: Hemisphere.
33.
Zung, W. W. (1965). A self-rating depression scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 12, 63-70.
