George J. Huba

Depression and Physical Illness: A Multiwave, Nonrecursive Causal Model

Causal influence has frequently been assumed, but rarely demonstrated, in studies documenting a positive association between physical illness and psychological distress. The present study assesses a latent variable causal model of subjectively experienced physical illness and depression in order to disentangle reciprocal patterns of influence. The data consist of interviews from a community sample of adults (N = 744) interviewed four times over one year. For the total sample, the exogenous variables of socioeconomic status, age, and sex are shown to affect both constructs of physical illness and depression. Illness has a large, contemporaneous effect of increasing depressive symptomatology over previous levels, and depression is found to have a smaller, 4-month lagged effect of increasing levels of physical illness. Multiple group analyses reveal some differences by age and sex, but demonstrate an overall consistency in the reciprocal relationship between depression and physical illness.

A comparison of two latent variable causal models for adolescent drug use.

The competing simplex (involvement) and common factor models for youthful drug use are statistically compared using causal modeling with latent variables methods in a sample of 1,634 young adolescents. Latent variables of alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drug use were confirmed and causally interconnected in a set of states. The confirmatory factor and the simplex stage models were found to be acceptable representations of the observed data according to both statistical and psychometric criteria. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for theories of emerging lifestyles including drug use, methodology, and policy about psychoactive substances.

Comparison of canonical correlation and interbattery factor analysis on sensation seeking and drug use domains

The relationships between different types of sen sation-seeking tendencies and the use of 26 sub stances are studied for a group of 1,068 adoles cents. The methods of canonical correlation analy sis with dimension rotation and maximum likeli hood interbattery factor analysis are contrasted in the data set. Several major patterns are found, and it is concluded that the relationship between drug use and sensation-seeking tendencies is not a gen eral one.

Determinants of sexual and dating behaviors among adolescents.

The study of adolescent sexual development has typically focused on the incidence and age of onset of particular behaviors. Recent developments in the analysis of covariance structures permit more powerful simultaneous tests of the determinants of adolescent sexual behavior. These new methods allow the assessment and evaluation of the interrelatedness between unobserved, latent constructs. Data were obtained from 183 males and 193 females ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old, selected from three birth cohorts using a stratified random sample. Eight latent constructs--Sexual and Dating Involvement, Self-Acceptance, Feminist Sex Role Attitudes, Deviant Social Network, Importance of Dating, Lack of Heterosexual Competence, Sexually Active Social Network, and Stressful Change Events--were hypothesized to explain the variance in 26 observed variables. Several causal models were tested that specified structural relationships among the latent constructs. A theoretically meaningful model was arrived at that linked the eight, error-free factors.

Drugs, daydreaming, and personality : a study of college youth

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Development Of Scales For Three Second-Order Factors Of Inner Experience

Short 15 item scales are developed to measure three second-order factors found within the domain of inner experience, daydreaming, and fantasy encompassed by the Imaginal Processes Inventory. Scales are presented for Positive-Constructive Daydreaming, Guilt-Fear of Failure Daydreaming, and Poor Attentional Control. The measures are derived from a sequential factor analytic, discriminant/convergent validity process guided by accumulated theoretical knowledge in the fields of daydreaming and fantasy. The factor pattern of items is shown stable across sexes and then different ethnicity and sex groups are contrasted on the three second-order factor scales. The distribution of daydreaming scores was also studied.

On the usefulness of latent variable causal modeling in testing theories of naturally occurring events (including adolescent drug use): A rejoinder to Martin.

This paper considers the arguments raised by Martin (1982) against the methodologies used by Huba, Wingard, and Bentler (1981) and their subsequent conclusions. Several of Martins criticisms are the result of a misreading of our paper and selective citations, whereas other criticisms were discussed in the original paper and resolved through alternate forms of data analysis. Further analyses are presented to address issues raised by Martin. Martins arguments against latent variable models are refuted.

Life change events among adolescents. An empirical consideration of some methodological issues.

Recent critiques in the stress literature have identified several methodological shortcomings, including control over event occurrence, the confounding of life event and outcome measures, the lack of consistent and reliable measures, and few cross-validational studies. Each of these problems is addressed empirically by examining two independent samples of adolescents. A 39-item life event measure, devolped previously in one sample of 1018 adolescents, was adminitered to a second sample of 376 teenagers. Second-order factors of six stress scales were clustered into controllable and uncontrollable events, both of which were related to psuchological distress. Poor health was significantly related to an uncontaminated factor of uncontrollable events. Poor health was significantly related to an uncontaminated factor of uncontrollable events. Means and covariances of the seven stress factors were compared between the derivation sample and an age-matched subset of the cross-validation sample. Correlates of the scales with drug use and personality revealed interpretable associations within the cross-validation sample and were quite similar to these in the original sample. Finally, few sex differences were evident, whereas scores on controllable events scales increased with age.

Desirability of various life change events among adolescents: Effects of exposure, sex, age, and ethnicity ☆

Abstract Adolescence is a time when lifelong competencies and coping strategies develop. As a consequence, teenagers may be particularly vulnerable to stressful events. This study examines the impact (or desirability) of life change events in relation to demographic differences and previous exposure. The perceived desirability of 39 life events was reported by 1018 adolescents in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Females typically gave more extreme responses, either positively or negatively, than males. Several small age effects were obtained, and there were ethnic differences in perception of stressfulness. Previous exposure increased the perceived desirability (or decreased undesirability) of the event relative to those who had not experienced the event. Event clusters differentially predicted averaged cluster desirabilities. Implications of these results for the development of adolescent and adult coping strategies and the efficient integration of stressful life change are discussed.

Longitudinal Analysis Of The Role Of Peer Support, Adult Models, And Peer Subcultures In Beginning Adolescent Substance Use: An Application Of Setwise Canonical Correlation Methods

A confirmatory, longitudinal design was used with a setwise partial canonical correlation methodology to determine whether indicators of a deviant adolescent peer culture contain information about the subsequent drug use beyond that which may be obtained from knowledge of present drug use and perceived sources of supply and support. Peer culture measures did not increase prediction over a one year period. Adolescent drug use was quite stable over one year, and perceived sources of supply and support served to predict those portions of subsequent drug use not explained by present use. The results suggest that general nonconformity among peers is not a strong precursor of adolescent drug use.