Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Analysis of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index 3

Area of Science:

• Psychological assessment
• Psychometrics
• Mental health research

Background:

• Anxiety sensitivity is a risk factor for emotional disorders.
• The Anxiety Sensitivity Index 3 (ASI-3) measures anxiety sensitivity.
• Controversy exists regarding the ASI-3's factorial structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To resolve factorial structure controversies of the ASI-3.
• To utilize exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) for ASI-3 analysis.
• To examine the ASI-3 structure in a Korean college student sample.

Main Methods:

• Employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), ESEM, bifactor-CFA, and bifactor-ESEM.
• Administered the ASI-3 and Distress Intolerance Index to 300 Korean college students.
• Compared the fit of four different factorial models for the ASI-3.

Main Results:

• The bifactor-ESEM model demonstrated superior fit compared to alternative models.
• A significant general factor was identified, explaining substantial common variance in ASI-3 items.
• The general factor of the ASI-3 showed significant association with distress intolerance scores, supporting criterion-related validity.

Conclusions:

• The factorial structure of the ASI-3 is best represented by a bifactor-ESEM model in Korean college students.
• A robust global factor within the ASI-3 structure accounts for a large portion of item variance.
• Findings support the ASI-3's utility in assessing anxiety sensitivity and its link to distress intolerance.