José M. Tomás

Rosenberg's self‐esteem scale: Two factors or method effects

Self‐esteem is one of the most studied constructs in psychology. It has been measured with a variety of methods and instruments. Although Rosenbergs (1965) self‐report scale is one of the most widely used, empirical evidence on factor validity of this scale is somewhat contradictory, with either 1 or 2 factors. The results of this study suggest the existence of a global self‐esteem factor underlying responses to the scale, although the inclusion of method effects is needed to achieve a good model fit.

A cross-validation of a structural equation model of accidents: Organizational and psychological variables as predictors of work safety

A study to establish a structural equation model of accidents is presented. The eight variables included in the model were those associated with accidents in previous research. The reliability of questionnaires to measure those variables and a structural equation model relating them are provided. The model explaining the occurrence of accidents was cross-validated through three Spanish samples (n=123; 182; 124).The model presented a good fit to data in two samples, while a third had unclear fit indices. Therefore, most relationships among variables did not vary among these three samples. The role of the safety variables in the model is discussed. The discussion is also focused on risk measurement difficulties commonly reported in the literature. Finally, some suggestions for future safety research with structural equation modelling techniques are provided.

Psychological and physical dimensions explaining life satisfaction among the elderly: A structural model examination

The aim of the present paper is to analyze the effects of psychological well-being, physical functioning and socio-demographic factors on life satisfaction. Both a bivariate and a multivariate level of analyses have been used. Finally, a structural model explaining life satisfaction has been developed and validated. With respect to bivariate relations, there was evidence of significant positive relations between psychological well-being dimensions and life satisfaction and between physical conditions and life satisfaction as well. Also, as age increased there was a slow decrease in life satisfaction. Educational level was positively related to life satisfaction. A structural model gave valuable information about the pattern of multivariate relationships among the variables. A first result of the model was the large effect of physical and psychological well-being on life satisfaction, albeit it was psychological well-being the major predictor of life satisfaction. A second result was that the effects of socio-demographic variables on life satisfaction were low and they operated through the effects that maintain either on psychological well-being (or its individual indicators) or on physical conditions. The role gender or age played was indirect rather than direct.

Resilience and coping as predictors of general well-being in the elderly: A structural equation modeling approach

Objectives: The aims of this article are: (a) to test for the validity of the three constructs involved in the structural model; (b) to test for the effects of both coping strategies and resilient coping on well-being in a sample of elderly, by means of a structural model with latent variables; (c) to empirically study whether a brief scale of resilient coping could predict well-being over and above that predicted by the coping resources. Methods: The research is a survey design. The sample consisted of 225 non-institutionalized elderly people living in the city of Valencia (Spain). The three constructs measured were: well-being, resilient coping, and coping strategies. Results: The analyses consist of a series of alternative structural models with latent variables with resilience, problem-focused coping, and emotion-focused coping as the potential predictors of well-being as measured by Ryffs well-being scales. Due to parsimony reasons, the model retained is that with a single predictor of well-being: resilient coping. Conclusion: A latent variable measuring resilient coping is able to predict a significant and large part of the variance in well-being, without the need of including coping strategies. Results impact on well-being literature of the elderly is discussed.

Health and Safety Management in UK and Spanish SMEs: A Comparative Study

This paper reports on a survey carried out among United Kingdom (UK) and Spanish small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to establish their approach to health and safety management and determine views on participating in voluntary management accreditation schemes. The study revealed some key differences between the responding UK and Spanish SMEs. There was (a) an enhanced level of awareness of health and safety legislation; (b) a higher prevalence of safety and quality management systems, and (c) greater involvement of senior managers in managing health and safety in UK enterprises. Interest was expressed in a voluntary management accreditation scheme for health and safety by over half the UK and Spanish sample. Furthermore, those enterprises participating in a voluntary quality management accreditation scheme were more likely to be interested in a voluntary scheme for health and safety management.

Modelling Employee Attitudes to Safety

This paper describes the modeling of employee attitudes to safety in three industrial sectors operating in the UK. Gauging employee attitudes to safety has become an increasingly important method of appraising human factors issues in many organizations. This study is based on data collected from a large survey (n = 2429) of employee attitudes to safety. It attempts to describe the subjective architectures, or explicative model, of employee attitudes to safety in these sectors by relating these attitudes to their appraisals of commitment to safety in their organization. A comparison of models across sector models is also made. The data support the claim that the architecture of attitudes to safety is, at least in part, dependent on the industrial context, or work environment. Differences were found in factor mean scores as well as differences in the relationships between factors in structural equation models for each sector. The models showed that perceptions of management actions and safety training were ...

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the White Bear Suppression Inventory and the Thought Control Questionnaire

The White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) was developed to assess chronic thought suppression, whereas the Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ) measures different strategies to suppress unpleasant intrusive thoughts. The present study examines the latent factor structure of these instruments in a sample of 540 normal subjects using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Regarding the WBSI, the CFAs indicated that the tested models did not provide a good fit for the data. Data analysis showed that the TCQ with five factors and 30 items did not reach a reasonable fit. Therefore, in order to present a five-factor structure with an adequate fit, those items with problematic factor loadings were eliminated. Correlational analyses indicated that the WBSI had a significant association with depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and pathological worry, whereas only two TCQ subscales, punishment and worry, were related to these psychopathological symptoms.

Linear Confirmatory Factor Models to Evaluate Multitrait-Multimethod Matrices: The Effects of Number of Indicators and Correlation Among Methods

Two models for confirmatory factor analysis of multitrait-multimethod data (MTMM) were assessed, the correlated traits-correlated methods (CTCM), and the correlated traits-correlated uniqueness models (CTCU). Two Monte Carlo experiments (100 replications per cell) were performed to study the behavior of these models in terms of magnitude and direction of bias, and accuracy of estimates. Study one included a single indicator per trait-method combination, and it manipulated three independent variables: matrix type, from three traits-three methods to six traits-six methods; correlation among method factors, from zero to .6; and model type (CTCM and CTCU). Study two included simulated MTMM matrices with two or more indicators per trait-method combination. Again, three independent variables were manipulated: number of indicators per trait-method combination, from 2 to 5; correlation among methods; and model type, CTCM and CTCU. The results from study one showed that the CTCU model performed very well for MTMM designs with a single indicator per trait-method combination, and consistently better than the CTCM model. However, the results from study two showed that the CTCM model worked reasonably well and better than the CTCU model when more than two indicators per trait-method combination were available. Despite the CTCM models allowance for correlation between methods, results pointed to better estimates when methods were orthogonal. The main conclusion of the present article is that the use of CTCU models in the situations described in study one and the use of CTCM models in those represented in study two could be recommended.

Correlates of Victim-Blaming Attitudes Regarding Partner Violence Against Women Among the Spanish General Population

This article analyzes correlates of victim-blaming attitudes regarding partner violence against women (PVAW) among the Spanish general population (N = 1,006). Results showed that victim-blaming attitudes were more common among respondents who were older, less educated, and who placed themselves at the bottom of the social scale. Furthermore, the odds of expressing victim-blaming attitudes were higher among respondents who thought that PVAW was common in society, considered it more acceptable, and knew women victims of partner violence in their circle of friends and family. Implications for public education are discussed.

Factor structure, internal consistency and construct validity of the Sheehan Disability Scale in a Spanish primary care sample

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) is a three-item instrument that measures disability in three inter-related domains: work, family life/home responsibilities and social/leisure activities. The main objective of the present study was to examine the factor structure, reliability and construct validity of the SDS in a wide Spanish sample of primary care (PC) patients. METHODS One phase cross-sectional survey. A total of 3815 patients, aged 18 years or older attending PC for a medical visit, were interviewed between October 2005 and March 2006. The interviews included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders for depressive and anxiety disorders, the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for the rest of mental disorders, a medical conditions checklist, the 2.0 version of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) for measuring quality of life and the SDS. RESULTS The principal component analysis and the subsequent confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the SDS is one-dimensional (normed fit index = 0.990, non-normed fit index = 0.987, comparative fit index = 0.991, goodness-of-fit index = 0.993, standardized root mean-square residual = 0.037, root mean-square error of approximation = 0.053). The internal consistency of the scale was good (α = 0.83) and it was significantly associated with the physical and mental component of the SF-12. Concerning discriminative validity, patients with major depression or panic disorder scored higher on the SDS than patients with chronic medical conditions or with no chronic pathology. We also found that a cut-off point of 8 in the SDS adequately discriminated between patients with and without depression (area under the curve = 0.814, sensitivity = 81.60%, specificity = 70.60%). CONCLUSIONS The SDS seems a reliable, valid and useful clinical tool for measuring disability in Spanish PC patients.