title: Perceived stigmatization and social comfort: validating the constructs and their measurement among pediatric burn survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study implemented a four-step process to evaluate the measurement properties of the Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire (PSQ) and the Social Comfort Questionnaire (SCQ) among long-term pediatric burn survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, a series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) compared the hypothesized four-factor model--3 perceived stigmatization factors (absence of friendly behavior, confused and staring behavior, and hostile behavior)--and one social comfort factor to three other models. Second, we tested the measurement invariance of the instruments between pediatric and adult burn survivor samples. Third, possible differences in structural parameters across groups were tested. Fourth, we tested whether the three perceived stigmatization factors and the social comfort factor loaded on one second-order factor. Participants included 369 pediatric and 347 adult burn survivors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The four-factor model was superior to the comparison models. The PSQ and SCQ demonstrated measurement invariance. Factor variance, factor covariance, and the latent means of the PSQ did not vary across groups. The adult group had a significantly lower latent mean on the SCQ than the pediatric group. The three factors of the PSQ and the one-factor SCQ loaded on one second-order factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study lend support to both the construct validity of perceived stigmatization and social comfort and the potential value of the PSQ and SCQ for studying the social experience of people with visible differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, 2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314, USA. John.Lawrence@csi.cuny.edu
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Ruth B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Rimmer
authors.forename: Brett D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Thombs
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fauerbach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011287:Prejudice; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult