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.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.