title: New approaches on the study of the psychometric properties of the STAI.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The main purpose of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI1). Previous studies have indicated different factor solutions. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of consensus about the best dimensional model of STAI scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 417 participants, composed of 387 (29.71% male) healthy participants (comparison group: M=35.5 years; SD=8.40), and 30 (36.66% male) patient (clinical group M=35.8 years; SD=12.94).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The internal consistency evaluated through Ordinal Alpha was good, 0.98 and 0.94 in the non-clinical and the clinical samples, respectively. Test-retest reliability (two weeks) for Total Score was 0.81 for the non-clinical subsample, and 0.93 for the clinical subsample. Confirmatory factor analyses supported both a four factor model and bifactor model. Also, STAI scores showed statistically significant correlations with Burns Anxiety Inventory (Burns-A) scores. Furthermore, results showed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the STAI between the clinical and the non-clinical subsamples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The psychometric properties of the STAI were adequate. The present study contributes to better understand the STAI structure through the comparison of new approaches in the study of the STAI internal structure. The results found may contribute in the efforts to improve the evaluation and identification of anxiety symptoms and disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortuño-Sierra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, International University of La Rioja, Spain.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Velasco
authors.affiliation: Hospital Benito Menni of Elizondo, Spain.
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Inchausti
authors.affiliation: Office Médico-Pédagogique, Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Switzerland Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debbané
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Sciences, University of La Rioja, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM).
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fonseca-Pedrero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D013732:Test Anxiety Scale