Social cognition in schizophrenia : Factor structure of emotion processing and theory of mind

Factor analytic studies examining social cognition in schizophrenia have yielded inconsistent results most likely due to the varying number and quality of measures. With the recent conclusion of Phase 3 of the Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation (SCOPE) Study, the most psychometrically sound measures of social cognition have been identified. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to: 1) examine the factor structure of social cognition in schizophrenia through the utilization of psychometrically sound measures, 2) examine the stability of the factor structure across two study visits, 3) compare the factor structure of social cognition in schizophrenia to that in healthy controls, and 4) examine the relationship between the factors and relevant outcome measures including social functioning and symptoms. Results supported a one-factor model for the patient and healthy control samples at both visits. This single factor was significantly associated with negative symptoms in the schizophrenia sample and with social functioning in both groups at both study visits

Studying correlates and predictors of longitudinal change using structural equation modeling

This paper is concerned with the study of correlates and predictors of change in a multiwave design. A general structural modeling approach is discussed, which allows estimation of theoretically and empirically relevant interrelationship indexes between growth or decline in longitudinally assessed psychological constructs and additional variables. Several classical test theory-based structural models are discussed. The models permit consistent and efficient estimation of, and tests about, the degree of covariation between change in one or more repeatedly measured latent dimensions and other variables, such as studied or presumed correlates of growth or decline in the longitudinally observed constructs. These models are useful in developmental studies with multiple assessment points, in which variables that are correlated with, and can be used to predict, change in measured abilities in repeatedly assessed psychological characteristics are to be identified. The approach is illustrated with data from a cognitive intervention study of aged adults (Baltes, Dittmann-Kohli, & Kliegl, 1986). Index terms: correlates and predictors of growth or decline, longitudinal research design, measurement of change, multiple assessments, structural equation modeling

Examining Multidimensional Measuring Instruments for Proximity to Unidimensional Structure Using Latent Variable Modeling

A widely applicable procedure of examining proximity to unidimensionality for multicomponent measuring instruments with multidimensional structure is discussed. The method is developed within the framework of latent variable modeling and allows one to point and interval estimate an explained variance proportion-based index that may be considered a measure of proximity to unidimensional structure. The approach is readily utilized in educational, behavioral, and social research when it is of interest to evaluate whether a more general structure scale, test, or measuring instrument could be treated as being associated with an approximately unidimensional latent structure for some empirical purposes