Examining the factor structure of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) in emerging adults: An exploratory...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Addiction Science

Background:

• The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) assesses personality traits associated with heavy drinking.
• Existing research shows inconsistencies in the SURPS' factor structure.
• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) may be too restrictive for correlated constructs like those in the SURPS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) with CFA for determining the optimal SURPS factor structure in emerging adults.
• To test the measurement invariance of the ESEM model across sex and alcohol use groups.
• To evaluate the validity of SURPS subscales in identifying risky drinking motives and alcohol-related problems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized survey data from 6,397 emerging adults (ages 18-25) across five Canadian universities.
• Applied ESEM and CFA to analyze the SURPS factor structure.
• Conducted invariance testing across sex and alcohol use groups.

Main Results:

• ESEM demonstrated excellent model fit, outperforming the ill-fitting CFA.
• The SURPS ESEM provided evidence for equal measurement invariance across sex and alcohol use groups.
• Significant concurrent associations were found between SURPS subscales and various drinking motives and alcohol-related problems.

Conclusions:

• ESEM is a superior approach for analyzing the SURPS factor structure in emerging adults, especially with correlated constructs.
• The SURPS is a structurally valid measure for assessing personality vulnerabilities related to risky drinking.
• The findings support the utility of the SURPS in identifying individuals who may benefit from targeted interventions for alcohol misuse.