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Complex factorial structure of Ellis' irrational beliefs
Author(s) -
Haase Richard F.,
Lee Dong Yul,
Hallberg Ernest T.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(197907)35:3<585::aid-jclp2270350320>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - psychology , internal consistency , scale (ratio) , exploratory factor analysis , reliability (semiconductor) , consistency (knowledge bases) , factorial , construct (python library) , construct validity , sample (material) , psychometrics , factorial analysis , irrational number , statistics , social psychology , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , mathematics , artificial intelligence , cartography , computer science , mathematical analysis , power (physics) , chemistry , physics , geometry , chromatography , quantum mechanics , programming language , geography
Previous research with a newly developed children's scale for measuring Ellis' constructs with regard to irrational beliefs showed that while the scale clearly reflected theoretically predicted developmental trends, the internal consistency reliability of the overal 11‐item scale was relatively low (.56). This low internal consistency suggested that the 11 items were in fact heterogeneous and were not measuring a single, univocal, construct. An exploratory factor analysis was performed on the responses of 788 fifth‐through thirteenthgrade students. Results of the Alpha factor analysis clearly indicate that the scale is multifaceted, i. e., comprised of four orthogonal, interpretable factors. Estimates of internal consistency reliabilities for the separate factors, when corrected for length, that each of the new factors was more reliable than the full score in this sample. Potential revisions of the scale, as well as cautions for its use in clinical applications in its present form are discussed.