Factor structure of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire: examination of a method factor.
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) was originally designed as a unifactorial measure of pathological trait worry. However, recent studies supported a two-factor solution with positively worded items loading on the first factor and reverse-scored items loading on a second factor. The current study compared this two-factor model to a negative wording method factor solution among college students. A method factor model with all PSWQ items loading on a single worry factor and reverse-scored items loading on a negative wording method factor provided as good a fit as the two-factor model. This method factor alone did not predict a generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis. Finally, the psychometric properties of an abbreviated scale containing only positively worded items were examined. The PSWQ appears to measure a single unitary construct, but response patterns differ between positively worded and reverse-scored items. Theoretical implications for pathological worry and assessment-related issues are discussed.
Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA. hhazlett@unr.nevada.edu.
Holly
H
Hazlett-Stevens
Jodie B
JB
Ullman
Michelle G
MG
Craske
D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires