Factor Invariance Of Premorbid Social Competence Across Multiple Population Of Schizophrenics

The social competence construct is important both in diagnosis and prognosis in schizophrenia. Empirical and theoretical work has examined the dimensionality of the construct as well as its invariance across different patient populations. Some recently published data by Zigler and Levine (1981) are re-analyzed through a simultaneous test of the factor structure of the Zigler-Phillips social competence scale across multiple samples. An invariant two-factor structure is established for groups varying as a function of patient gender and hospital type. Factor means differ across groups in a pattern consistent with previous evidence. Substantive interpretations of these results are discussed.