Factor Analysis of Deviance, Substance Use, and Risky Behaviors: A test of the “Generality” Hypothesis

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

“The meaning of concept measured by test scores is already constituted by internal content analysis and homogeneity analysis” (MacDonald, 1999, p. 222). Relevant to this methodological premise is the theoretical perspective, calling for the unified view of crime and crime analogous behaviors (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990). Specifically, Gottfredson and Hirschi found self-control, “conceptualized as a “latent trait,” “predisposition,” (Vazsonyi et al. 2001, pp. 92-94), as the most useful in determining the nature of generality across various behaviors. To examine the psychometric properties of deviance, risk taking behaviors, and alcohol use, to assess dimensionality, unique and shared contribution of each scale as well as of individual items to the variance in underlying construct, the second-order and bifactor CFA models were utilized on self-report data collected from a nationally representative sample of N = 9,498 youth, residing in the Republic of Georgia. We expected to find the structure that would indicate homogeneity and generality. Both models fitted the data well, producing a consistent structure and pattern coefficients. Based on omega coefficients and the ECV indices, a single general factor explained a sizeable amount of variance in a total score, across factors and items, as opposed to specific factors.

Authors

• Magda Javakhishvili, University of Kentucky

• Alexander T. Vazsonyi, University of Kentucky

• Helen Phagava, Tbilisi State Medical University & Institute of Medical Biotechnology, Georgia

• Karaman Phagava, Tbilisi State Medical University & Institute of Medical Biotechnology, Georgia

• Pierre-Andre Michaud, University of Lausanne, Switzerland