Reliability estimation in a multilevel confirmatory factor analysis framework

Felt Security in Daily Interactions as a Mediator of the Effect of Attachment on Relationship Satisfaction†Some of the Results Reported in this Article Were Previously Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Interpersonal Theory and Research in Montreal, Canada (May 2012)

This study examined how felt security in interpersonal situations with one's romantic partner mediated the effect of global (dispositional) attachment on relationship satisfaction. Felt security was measured using an event–contingent recording (ECR) methodology with a sample of 93 cohabiting couples who reported their social interactions with each other during a 20–day period. Global attachment was measured at the beginning of the ECR procedure. Relationship satisfaction was measured at the end of the ECR procedure (T1) and approximately 7 months after the ECR procedure (T2). Results confirmed the established links between attachment and relationship satisfaction such that higher attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were associated with decline in satisfaction over time. Results also indicated that attachment avoidance but not attachment anxiety was negatively related to felt security, both within–partner and across–partners. As expected, lower felt security exerted a negative effect on relationship satisfaction at T1 and T2, and partly mediated the effect of attachment avoidance on relationship satisfaction at T1 and T2, both within–partner and across–partners. Partners’ gender emerged as a moderator of these results. Findings suggest higher attachment avoidance leads to less felt security in daily social interactions, which leads to less satisfaction with the romantic relationship. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology

Effects of marijuana use on impulsivity and hostility in daily life

BACKGROUND

Marijuana use is increasingly prevalent among young adults. While research has found adverse effects associated with marijuana use within experimentally controlled laboratory settings, it is unclear how recreational marijuana use affects day-to-day experiences in users. The present study sought to examine the effects of marijuana use on within-person changes in impulsivity and interpersonal hostility in daily life using smartphone administered assessments.

METHODS

Forty-three participants with no substance dependence reported on their alcohol consumption, tobacco use, recreational marijuana use, impulsivity, and interpersonal hostility over the course of 14 days. Responses were analyzed using multilevel modeling.

RESULTS

Marijuana use was associated with increased impulsivity on the same day and the following day relative to days when marijuana was not used, independent of alcohol use. Marijuana was also associated with increased hostile behaviors and perceptions of hostility in others on the same day when compared to days when marijuana was not used. These effects were independent of frequency of marijuana use or alcohol use. There were no significant effects of alcohol consumption on impulsivity or interpersonal hostility.

CONCLUSIONS

Marijuana use is associated with changes in impulse control and hostility in daily life. This may be one route by which deleterious effects of marijuana are observed for mental health and psychosocial functioning. Given the increasing prevalence of recreational marijuana use and the potential legalization in some states, further research on the potential consequences of marijuana use in young adults' day-to-day life is warranted.

Detecting Misspecified Multilevel Structural Equation Models with Common Fit Indices: A Monte Carlo Study

This study investigated the sensitivity of common fit indices (i.e., RMSEA, CFI, TLI, SRMR-W, and SRMR-B) for detecting misspecified multilevel SEMs. The design factors for the Monte Carlo study were numbers of groups in between-group models (100, 150, and 300), group size (10, 20, 30, and 60), intra-class correlation (low, medium, and high), and the types of model misspecification (Simple and Complex). The simulation results showed that CFI, TLI, and RMSEA could only identify the misspecification in the within-group model. Additionally, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA were more sensitive to misspecification in pattern coefficients while SRMR-W was more sensitive to misspecification in factor covariance. Moreover, TLI outperformed both CFI and RMSEA in terms of the hit rates of detecting the within-group misspecification in factor covariance. On the other hand, SRMR-B was the only fit index sensitive to misspecification in the between-group model and more sensitive to misspecification in factor covariance than misspecification in pattern coefficients. Finally, we found that the influence of ICC on the performance of targeted fit indices was trivial.

Extraversion and Agreeableness: Divergent Routes to Daily Satisfaction With Social Relationships

We examined the unique effects of extraversion and agreeableness (and honesty-humility) on everyday satisfaction with family, friends, romantic life, and acquaintances, and explored potential mediators of these effects. Three diary studies (Ns = 206, 139, 185) were conducted on Singaporean university students. In Studies 1 and 2, participants rated their satisfaction with different relationship categories. In Study 3, participants rated their satisfaction and social interactions with 10 target individuals each day for a 1-week period. Both extraversion and agreeableness predicted relationship satisfaction. However, the effect of extraversion was mediated by greater levels of trust in others, whereas the effect of agreeableness was mediated by less frequent negative exchanges (e.g., criticism, perceived anger, and perceived neglect). The effect of honesty-humility on negative exchanges was similar to agreeableness. When both were entered as predictors, only the effect of honesty-humility was significant. We discuss how the processes by which personality affect relationship satisfaction vary depending on the trait as well as the particular measure that is used (IPIP NEO PI-R, California Q-Set, and IPIP-HEXACO).

Ignoring Clustering in Confirmatory Factor Analysis: Some Consequences for Model Fit and Standardized Parameter Estimates

In many situations, researchers collect multilevel (clustered or nested) data yet analyze the data either ignoring the clustering (disaggregation) or averaging the micro-level units within each cluster and analyzing the aggregated data at the macro level (aggregation). In this study we investigate the effects of ignoring the nested nature of data in confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The bias incurred by ignoring clustering is examined in terms of model fit and standardized parameter estimates, which are usually of interest to researchers who use CFA. We find that the disaggregation approach increases model misfit, especially when the intraclass correlation (ICC) is high, whereas the aggregation approach results in accurate detection of model misfit in the macro level. Standardized parameter estimates from the disaggregation and aggregation approaches are deviated toward the values of the macro- and micro-level standardized parameter estimates, respectively. The degree of deviation depends on ICC and cluster size, particularly for the aggregation method. The standard errors of standardized parameter estimates from the disaggregation approach depend on the macro-level item communalities. Those from the aggregation approach underestimate the standard errors in multilevel CFA (MCFA), especially when ICC is low. Thus, we conclude that MCFA or an alternative approach should be used if possible.

Optimizing prediction of binge eating episodes: a comparison approach to test alternative conceptualizations of the affect regulation model

BACKGROUND

Although a wealth of studies have tested the link between negative mood states and likelihood of a subsequent binge eating episode, the assumption that this relationship follows a typical linear dose-response pattern (i.e., that risk of a binge episode increases in proportion to level of negative mood) has not been challenged. The present study demonstrates the applicability of an alternative, non-linear conceptualization of this relationship, in which the strength of association between negative mood and probability of a binge episode increases above a threshold value for the mood variable relative to the slope below this threshold value (threshold dose response model).

METHODS

A sample of 93 women aged 18 to 40 completed an online survey at random intervals seven times per day for a period of one week. Participants self-reported their current mood state and whether they had recently engaged in an eating episode symptomatic of a binge.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, the threshold approach was a better predictor than the linear dose-response modeling of likelihood of a binge episode. The superiority of the threshold approach was found even at low levels of negative mood (3 out of 10, with higher scores reflecting more negative mood). Additionally, severity of negative mood beyond this threshold value appears to be useful for predicting time to onset of a binge episode.

CONCLUSIONS

Present findings suggest that simple dose-response formulations for the association between negative mood and onset of binge episodes miss vital aspects of this relationship. Most notably, the impact of mood on binge eating appears to depend on whether a threshold value of negative mood has been breached, and elevation in mood beyond this point may be useful for clinicians and researchers to identify time to onset.

Thought self-leadership and effectiveness in self-management teams

This study empirically examines the multilevel nature of thought self-leadership at work. Furthermore, this study tests the relationship between team level thought self-leadership and team effectiveness (i.e. performance and viability) through collective efficacy. A total of 103 self-management teams (453 individuals), enrolled in a five-week management competition participated in the study. The results from multilevel confirmatory factor analysis suggest that thought self-leadership is functionally equivalent across levels of analysis (i.e. individuals and teams). In addition, we found an indirect effect of team level thought self-leadership on team effectiveness criteria, through collective efficacy. These findings extend previous work on thought self-leadership and team effectiveness, and open new roads for research in self-managing work teams. Finally, this study also provides guidelines for organizations in case they wish to foster team performance and viability in their work force.

Relationship satisfaction moderates the associations between male partner responses and depression in women with vulvodynia: a dyadic daily experience study

Vulvodynia is a prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that interferes with women's psychological health. Given the central role of sexuality and relationships in vulvodynia, relationship satisfaction may be an important moderator of daily partner responses to this pain and associated negative sequelae, such as depression. Sixty-nine women (M age=28.12 years, SD=6.68) with vulvodynia and their cohabiting partners (M age=29.67 years, SD=8.10) reported their daily relationship satisfaction, and male partner responses on sexual intercourse days (M=3.74, SD=2.47) over 8 weeks. Women also reported their depressive symptoms. Relationship satisfaction on the preceding day moderated the associations between partner responses and women's depressive symptoms in several significant ways: (1) On days after women reported higher relationship satisfaction than usual, their perception of greater facilitative male partner responses was associated with their decreased depression; (2) on days after women reported lower relationship satisfaction than usual, their perception of greater negative male partner responses was associated with their increased depression; (3) on days after men reported higher relationship satisfaction than usual, their self-reported higher negative responses were associated with decreased women's depression, and higher solicitous responses were associated with increased women's depression, whereas (4) on days after men reported lower relationship satisfaction than usual, their self-reported higher negative responses were related to increased women's depression, and higher solicitous responses were associated with decreased women's depression. Targeting partner responses and relationship satisfaction may enhance the quality of interventions aimed at reducing depression in women with vulvodynia.

The concept of mental toughness: tests of dimensionality, nomological network, and traitness

Mental toughness has received increased scholarly attention in recent years, yet conceptual issues related to its (a) dimensionality, (b) nomological network, and (c) traitness remain unresolved. The series of studies reported in this article were designed to examine these three substantive issues across several achievement contexts, including sport, education, military, and the workplace. Five studies were conducted to examine these research aims-Study 1: N = 30; Study 2: calibration sample (n = 418), tertiary students (n = 500), athletes (n = 427), and employees (n = 550); Study 3: N = 497 employees; Study 4: N = 203 tertiary students; Study 5: N = 115 army candidates. Collectively, the results of these studies revealed that mental toughness may be best conceptualized as a unidimensional rather than a multidimensional concept; plays an important role in performance, goal progress, and thriving despite stress; and can vary and have enduring properties across situations and time. This series of studies provides a foundation for further basic and applied research of mental toughness across various achievement contexts.

Differences in within- and between-person factor structure of positive and negative affect: analysis of two intensive measurement studies using multilevel structural equation modeling

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a widely used measure of emotional experience. The factor structure of the PANAS has been examined predominantly with cross-sectional designs, which fails to disaggregate within-person variation from between-person differences. There is still uncertainty as to the factor structure of positive and negative affect and whether they constitute 2 distinct independent factors. The present study examined the within-person and between-person factor structure of the PANAS in 2 independent samples that reported daily affect over 7 and 14 occasions, respectively. Results from multilevel confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a 2-factor structure at both the within-person and between-person levels, with correlated specific factors for overlapping items, provided good model fit. The best-fitting solution was one where within-person factors of positive and negative affect were inversely correlated, but between-person factors were independent. The structure was further validated through multilevel structural equation modeling examining the effects of cognitive interference, daily stress, physical symptoms, and physical activity on positive and negative affect factors.

Differences in within- and between-person factor structure of positive and negative affect: analysis of two intensive measurement studies using multilevel structural equation modeling

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a widely used measure of emotional experience. The factor structure of the PANAS has been examined predominantly with cross-sectional designs, which fails to disaggregate within-person variation from between-person differences. There is still uncertainty as to the factor structure of positive and negative affect and whether they constitute 2 distinct independent factors. The present study examined the within-person and between-person factor structure of the PANAS in 2 independent samples that reported daily affect over 7 and 14 occasions, respectively. Results from multilevel confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a 2-factor structure at both the within-person and between-person levels, with correlated specific factors for overlapping items, provided good model fit. The best-fitting solution was one where within-person factors of positive and negative affect were inversely correlated, but between-person factors were independent. The structure was further validated through multilevel structural equation modeling examining the effects of cognitive interference, daily stress, physical symptoms, and physical activity on positive and negative affect factors.