Citation

Ruiz MA, Edens JF. J. Pers. Assess. 2008; 90(6): 585-592.

Affiliation

Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, University of South Florida.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Society for Personality Assessment, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00223890802388574

PMID

18925500

Abstract

In this study, we examined the internal structure of 13 Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991, 2007) scales in a corrections sample (N = 1,099). Previous findings regarding the PAI internal structure have been somewhat inconsistent. We investigated the utility of a 2-dimensional model comprised of internalization and externalization to organize the 11 PAI clinical scales and 2 additional scales, Suicidal Ideation and Aggression. We randomly divided the sample, and a factor analysis revealed a 2-dimensional model representing internalization and externalization. Confirmatory factor analyses conducted with an independent subsample revealed acceptable fit when the model was revised to include correlated error terms between mood and anxiety disorder scales. The revised model exhibited acceptable fit when cross-validated, had better fit than a 1-dimension model, and demonstrated preliminary construct validity in relation to extratest variables.

Language: en