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http://epm.sagepub.com/content/37/2/535The online version of this article can be found at:

 DOI: 10.1177/001316447703700233

1977 37: 535Educational and Psychological MeasurementDennis O. Vidoni

Replicated Across Samples: Implications for ValidityFactor Analytic Scales of the Adjective Check List (ACL)

  

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- Jul 1, 1977Version of Record >>

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535

FACTOR ANALYTIC SCALES OF THE ADJECTIVECHECK LIST (ACL) REPLICATED ACROSS SAMPLES:

IMPLICATIONS FOR VALIDITY1,2

DENNIS O. VIDONI

Benedictine College

In the original item factor analysis of the ACL, evidence wasfound for seven main factors. In a cross-validation sample, itemfactor analysis using an altered procedure showed five of the sevenfactors were replicated. It was concluded that a somewhat stablefactor structure of the ACL does exist. However, more factor analy-ses of this instrument are needed before the factorial validity of theinstrument can be established.

EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT

1977, 37

PARKER and Veldman (1969) carried out a factor analysis of theentire set of 300 items of the Adjective Check List (ACL) (Gough andHeilbrun, 1965). The responses of a sample of 5,017 college freshmenwere used. The researchers identified seven main factors as follows: (a)social desirability, (b) interpersonal abrasiveness, (c) ego organization,(d) introversion/extroversion, (e) internal discomfort, (f) cognitiveindependence, and (g) social attractiveness. Table 1 illustrates the

items included in these seven factors.Pursuant to the previously mentioned factor analysis, Veldman and

Parker (1972) conducted a factor analysis of the 56 items included inthe seven main factors. The similarlity of the results of the two factoranalyses prompted Veldman and Parker to conclude that these factorswould make useful scales for a self-description inventory.

1 Supported by a grant from Marquette University School of Education.2 Request for reprints should be sent to Dennis O. Vidoni, Director, Counseling

Center at Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas 66002.

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536 EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT

TABLE I

Adjectives and Loadings from Parker and Veldman’s Study (1969)

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537DENNIS O. VIDONI

TABLE I (Contmued)

g Termed as &dquo;secondary adjectives.&dquo;

Purpose

The objective of this report was to study the findings of the originalfactor analyses. Of particular interest in this examination was the

subsequent replication of the seven factors extracted via these factoranalyses. Factor replication would suggest that there is reliability inthese seven factors as well as in the instrument as a whole.

Method

A geographically separate sample of more than 1,400 freshmen whohad been administered the ACL seven years subsequent to the originalanalysis, supplied the data for the item factor analysis of this study.Principal component analyses and varimax rotation were used.

Results

The results of this second factor analysis indicated that when exactmethodological replication of the original factor analysis was carriedout, obvious gross factor dissimilarities did occur (note Table 2).When the number of factors which were rotated was increased from

seven (as in the original study) to 20, five of the original factors

reemerged, essentially intact: (a) social desirability, (b) in-

troversion/extroversion, (c) internal discomfort, (d) cognitive inde-pendence, and (e) social attractiveness.

Implication for Factorial Validity

The reemergence of the five original factors lent some support to the

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538 EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT

TABLE 2

Adjectives and Loadmgs (40 or Higher) for 7 Factors Rotated m Current Study

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539DENNIS O. VIDONI

TABLE 2 (Continued)

a Item found on similar factor in Parker and Veldman study

existence of the factorial structure as reported by Parker and Veldman.However, since all factors were not replicable and methodologicalchanges were needed, more factor analyses should be conducted be-fore scales for a self-description inventory are constructed and pre-sumed to be valid.

REFERENCES

Gough, H. G. and Heilbrun, A. B. Adjective check list manual. PaloAlto, California: Consulting Psychologist Press, 1965.

Parker, G. C. and Veldman, D. J. Item factor structure of the Adjec-tive Check List. EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURE-MENT, 1969, 29, 605-613.

Veldman, D. J. and Parker, G. V. C. Adjective rating scale for self-description. Multivariate Behavior Research, 1970, 5, 295-302.

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