The utility of the bifactor model in understanding unique components of anxiety sensitivity in a South Korean sample

A preliminary examination of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 factor structure in older adults

BACKGROUND

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), as measured by the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3), exhibits three-factor and bifactor structures for younger adults. Less is known about the scale's structure within older adult samples.

METHODS

We explored the ASI-3's factor structure in a sample of 135 older adults who completed the ASI-3 alongside measures of anxiety, general worry, dementia worry, and depression as part of a larger study. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the factor structure of the ASI-3 in this sample.

RESULTS

A bifactor model was identified and factor loadings supported a general factor and specific physical and cognitive subfactors, but not the social concerns subfactor. Whereas the general factor was associated with anxiety, general worry, dementia worry, and depression, each subfactor had differential associations with these mood/anxiety variables. In particular, the cognitive concerns subfactor was strongly associated with depression and dementia worry.

LIMITATIONS

Generalizability of these findings is limited by a homogenous sample.

CONCLUSIONS

The observed factor structure of the ASI-3 in our sample aligns with increases in physical and cognitive health concerns during aging. Associations between the cognitive concerns subfactor and dementia worry suggest that this facet of the ASI-3 may be measuring age-related health concerns rather than concerns specific to anxiety symptoms. Future studies should examine whether AS cognitive concerns and dementia worry are overlapping constructs particularly for individuals concerned about their age-related cognitive changes. Age differences in AS and its correlates should be further studied to identify better methods of assessing for AS across the lifespan.

Examining the Factor Structure of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 in a Turkish Sample: The Factor Structure of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the factor structure of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) in a Turkey sample and to determine measurement invariance of the ASI-3 across gender and age groups. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on four different models to determine the best fit model for the structure. After the best structure was determined, different models were tested for measurement invariance across gender and age groups. To determine the reliability of the ASI-3, the hierarchical omega coefficient and correlations between the scores obtained from different scales for convergent validity were calculated. It has been determined that the bifactor model is the model that best fits the data, and this model shows invariance across gender and age groups. Besides, evidence regarding the reliability and convergent validity of the ASI-3 was also provided in the study. Current findings show that anxiety sensitivity consists of a general factor (anxiety sensitivity) and three independent specific factors (physical, cognitive, and social concerns). It was concluded that the general factor of anxiety sensitivity constitutes a dominant factor and special factors have a relatively low effect on explaining the structure. Considering the dominance of the general factor, it is recommended to use the ASI-3 total score as a measure of general anxiety sensitivity.

Measuring Test Anxiety in Primary and Middle School Children

Abstract. The increasing use of tests to assess academic competences has been associated with higher levels of test anxiety (TA) in children, underlining the importance of identifying this emotional problem and sustain academic achievement. This study aimed to contribute to the extant literature on the assessment of TA by examining the psychometric properties of the Test Anxiety Questionnaire for Children (TAQ-C), in primary and middle school children. In Study 1 ( N = 123), we selected 24 items from a wider initial pool, dividing them into scales measuring Thoughts, Autonomic Reactions, Off-Task Behaviors, and Social Derogation, to develop the TAQ-C. In Study 2 ( N = 899), the psychometric properties of this set of scales were assessed in students attending primary and middle school. Analyses supported the bifactor latent structure of the TAQ-C, invariance across educational levels and gender, concurrent and convergent validity, and test–retest reliability. Overall, the TAQ-C is a promising tool for assessing TA in primary and middle school students. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Towards a greater understanding of anxiety sensitivity across groups: The construct validity of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3

The present study examined the factor structure, invariance properties, reliability, and validity of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3, Taylor et al., 2007). Participants were recruited from a large, ethnically diverse southwestern university (n = 3651; 77.8% female; M_age = 22.06 years; 28% non-Hispanic White). Findings supported a bifactor structure for the ASI-3, which demonstrated measurement invariance across sex, race/ethnicity, age, and sexual minority status. Furthermore, the ASI-3 demonstrated strong reliability and validity, with the anxiety sensitivity general and specific factors (physical, cognitive, and social concerns) evidencing unique patterns of relations with symptoms of depression, suicidality, anxious arousal, and social anxiety. Clinically, these findings generally support the validity of the ASI-3 in measuring anxiety sensitivity across sex, age, race/ethnicity, and sexual minority status. Future work is needed to better understand the role anxiety sensitivity plays within specific demographic subgroups, particularly African-Americans, Asian Americans, and sexual minorities.

Reliability, validation and norms of the Chinese version of Anxiety Sensitivity Index 3 in a sample of military personnel

This study aimed to explore the properties of the Chinese version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index– 3 (ASI-3) in a sample of military personnel. Using non-probabilistic sampling, the Chinese version of the ASI-3 was administered to 3,077 valid participants aged 16 to 36 years old (M = 22.35, SD = 3.57) from nine military units. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to assess the construct validity. A one-way analysis of variance was conducted to compare the differences in the services and positions of the participants. It was found that ①The indices of confirmatory factor analysis met the standard values, which supported the hypothesis of the three-factor model of the original ASI-3; ②ASI-3 was significantly associated with DASS-21 in positive ways, which indicated the high convergent validity; on the other hand, the correlation between ASI-3 and TAI was relatively low, which indicated there was an empirical discrimination between anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety. ③The Cronbach’s α coefficients were 0.926 for the total scale and 0.828–0.841 for the three subscales; ④At a cut-off score of 16, the sensitivity and specificity levels were 71.1% and 76.7%, respectively, where the sum of sensitivity and specificity becomes the maximum, accompanied with improvement of PPV and NPV; ⑤There were significant findings in the ASI and subscales among the five services and four positions. This study provides new evidence that the Chinese version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 has good validity and reliability and could be applied as an effective tool to assess anxiety sensitivity in military personnel. Our recommendations to researchers and practitioners are that the three factor model should be replicated across some different special forces and the items and constructs could be modified on Chinese culture.