Abstract

DOMINGUEZ-LARA, Sergio  and  MERINO-SOTO, César. Method Effects in State-Trait Depression Inventory (ST-DEP): A SEM Analysis. Av. Psicol. Latinoam. [online]. 2018, vol.36, n.2, pp.253-267. ISSN 1794-4724.  https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/apl/a.4151.

The aim of this instrumental study was to determine whether there is a method effect associated to the inverted items of the eutimia subscale of the State-Trait Depression Inventory. It featured an intentional sample of 357 college students, 147 men and 210 women, aged between 16 and 44 years (mean: 20.21). Four models were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis: a model of two correlated factors, eutimia and dysthymia; a model that includes all the items in one factor, an independent method factor associated to the items of eutimia (inverted items); a model that assesses the fit of state and trait sections simultaneously, maintaining the two oblique factors model, which served as a baseline for comparing the fourth model, which includes the common method factor to state-trait sections. The second and fourth model showed the best fit between the four proposed models, but were not definitely better than the models of oblique factors. In response, the determining presence of a method-factor associated to the inverted items of eutimia scale was not demonstrated. The implications of the results were discussed.

Keywords : depression; method effect; confirmatory factorial analysis; negatively worded items; assessment.

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