A Factor Analytic Evaluation of the Concern over Negative Consequences of Success Scale

Abstract

Ho and Zemaitis constructed a measure of fear of success called Concern Over Negative Consequences of Success Scale on the basis of American data. In the present study, data from 188 male and 161 female Australian college students were used to evaluate the factor structure of the scale in the Australian context. The five-factor solution produced three common factors for the two sexes and indicated some differences in their factor structures as well. The assumption of unidimensionality underlying the measure was not supported, and many factors appeared to tap dimensions unrelated to fear of success. Because the measure was factorially complex, scores of men and women were not considered comparable. Sex differences in over-all factor structure and in interfactor correlations suggested need for further refinement of the scale to be used in the Australian context.

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