Reconstruction and Validation of the Personal Style Inventory in a Flemish Clinical and Student Sample

Abstract

The Personal Style Inventory–II (Robins, Ladd, Welkowitz, Blaney, Diaz, & Kutcher, 1994) was constructed to assess sociotropy and autonomy; two personality dimensions associated with increased susceptibility to depression. In the present study, the authors used a confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the fit of the theoretical model of the Personal Style Inventory–II in a heterogeneous clinical sample (N = 266) and in a student sample (N = 799); construct validity was evaluated by correlating the Personal Style Inventory–II scales with the scales of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems–64 and the Symptom Checklist-90–R. Poor fit of the original Personal Style Inventory–II model was observed in both samples. Yet, after progressive elimination of 18 items, a good fit was obtained in the clinical sample and replicated in the student sample. This brief version demonstrated better construct validity than the long version, especially in a depressed clinical sample: sociotropy was associated with nonassertive, overly accommodating, and self-sacrificing interpersonal behaviour, depressive symptoms, phobic complaints, and anxiety and somatic symptoms; autonomy was associated with cold and vindictive interpersonal behaviour, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, and aggressive urges. In contrast to the long version, scores on the shortened version showed the predicted sex differences.