Examining the Factor Structure and Incremental Utility of the Contrast Avoidance Questionnaires via Bifactor Analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Pathological worry is theorized to be maintained by avoiding negative emotional shifts, a concept assessed by the Contrast Avoidance Questionnaires (CAQ-Worry and CAQ-General Emotion).
• Previous research has raised questions regarding the factor structures of these questionnaires, their replicability in diverse populations, and the validity of their domain-specific factors for independent use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factor structures of the CAQ-Worry and CAQ-General Emotion using bifactor analysis in a large community sample.
• To examine the replicability and domain-specific factor validity of the CAQs in a non-undergraduate population.

Main Methods:

• Employed bifactor analysis on data from a large community sample (N=827).
• Conducted complementary analyses to explore the multidimensionality and factor structure of the CAQ-Worry and CAQ-General Emotion.

Main Results:

• Bifactor models provided support for the underlying structure of both the CAQ-Worry and CAQ-General Emotion.
• CAQ-Worry demonstrated a strong general factor and supported the independent use of two domain-specific factors, differing from the original three-factor structure.
• CAQ-General Emotion's general factor was robust; however, the Discomfort domain requires further investigation, and the Avoidance domain is not recommended for independent use.

Conclusions:

• The study provides empirical support for the bifactor structure of the CAQ-Worry and CAQ-General Emotion in a community sample.
• The findings suggest refining the interpretation and application of the CAQ-Worry, favoring a general factor and two specific factors.
• Further research is needed to clarify the utility of the CAQ-General Emotion's Discomfort and Avoidance subscales.