Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Farm Size and Performance

Replaced with revised version of poster 08/03/10.Farm size, farm performance, SEM models, Agricultural Finance, Farm Management,

Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis of the flow state scale in exercise

In this study, we examined the factor structure and internal consistency of the Flow State Scale using responses of exercise participants.This self-report questionnaire consists of nine subscales designed to assess flow in sport and physical activity. It was administered to 1231 aerobic dance exercise participants. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to test three competing measurement models of the flow construct: a single-factor model, a nine-factor model and a hierarchical model positing a higher-order flow factor to explain the intercorrelations between the nine first-order factors. The single-factor model showed a poor fit to the data. The nine-factor model and the hierarchical model did not show an adequate fit to the data. All subscales of the Flow State Scale displayed acceptable internal consistency (alpha > 0.70), with the exception of transformation of time (alpha = 0.65). Collectively, the present results do not provide support for the tenability of the single-factor, nine-factor or hierarchical measurement models in an exercise setting

The application of multivariate statistical methods for understanding food consumer behaviour

Understanding consumer behaviour is a necessary precondition for a targeted communication strategy. The behaviour is a complex phenomenon and research needs to undertake a rigorously apply sophisticated methods. This article entails the combined utilisation of categorical principal component analysis and cluster analysis to determine the major, relatively homogenous consumer groups and this is coupled with confirmatory factor analysis and structural model building to understand consumer behaviour, based on Fishbein and Ajzent’s theoretic model.Categorical principal component analysis, cluster analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, consumers’ segmentation, structural model building, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Indonesian Version of Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences

The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) is a popular self-report questionnaire that measures lifetime psychotic experiences. However, despite being popular, a consistent factorial structure across nations has not been found. Furthermore, the factorial structure of the Indonesian version has not been examined questioning the types of symptoms that can be measured. Cross-sectional community sample from Indonesia (N = 844) was used in this study. Confirmatory factor analyses results showed that the original three dimensions and nine dimensions factorial structure of the CAPE were found to have an acceptable fit to the data. However, the nine dimensions factorial structure has significantly better fit than the three dimensions. Therefore, the Indonesian version of the CAPE consists of positive symptoms (bizarre experiences, hallucinations, paranoia, magical thinking and grandiosity), negative symptoms (affective flattening, social withdrawal, and avolition) and depressive symptoms

Development and initial validation of the Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire

Objectives: To develop a valid and reliable internet based lifestyle physical activity questionnaire suitable for use among the United Kingdom population. Methods: After a detailed content analysis and item generation using a panel of experts, an internet based measure of lifestyle physical activity behaviour was developed. Data were collected from 1369 subjects in total. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the two subscales of the Brunel lifestyle physical activity questionnaire among independent samples and by use of multisample analyses. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis showed the psychometric integrity of two subscales: planned physical activity and unplanned physical activity. Conclusion: The questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument designed to provide an online behavioural assessment to be used in conjunction with a 12 week personalised fitness programme delivered through the internet

Developing a validated instrument to measure pre-service teachers’ ICT competencies : meeting the demands of the 21st-century

The main objective of this study is to develop a self-report instrument to measure pre-service teachers’ ICT competencies in education. The questionnaire items of this instrument are based on an existing comprehensive framework and were created with input from experts in the field. The data were collected from a sample of 931 final-year pre-service teachers in Flanders (Belgium). A first subsample was used for an exploratory factor analysis, and a second one to verify the identified factor structure via confirmatory factor analysis. A two-factor structure of ICT competencies was identified: (a) competencies to support pupils for ICT use in class and (b) competencies to use ICT for instructional design. This two-factor structure was confirmed in the confirmatory factor analysis. Recommendations are made on how this reliable instrument can help assess the level and progress of pre-service teachers’ ICT competencies

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS) among adolescent athletes

The aim of the present study was to examine the factorial validity of the Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS; Thomas et al., 1999) among adolescent athletes using confirmatory factor analysis. The TOPS was designed to assess eight psychological strategies used in competition (i.e. activation, automaticity, emotional control, goal-setting, imagery, negative thinking, relaxation and self-talk,) and eight used in practice (the same strategies except negative thinking is replaced by attentional control). National-level athletes (n = 584) completed the 64-item TOPS during training camps. Fit indices provided partial support for the overall measurement model for the competition items (robust comparative fit index = 0.92, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.88, root mean square error of approximation = 0.05) but minimal support for the training items (robust comparative fit index = 0.86, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.81, root mean square error of approximation = 0.06). For the competition items, the automaticity, goal-setting, relaxation and self-talk scales showed good fit, whereas the activation, emotional control, imagery and negative thinking scales did not. For the practice items, the attentional control, emotional control, goal-setting, imagery and self-talk scales showed good fit, whereas the activation, automaticity and relaxation scales did not. Overall, it appears that the factorial validity of the TOPS for use with adolescents is questionable at present and further development is required