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Factor structure of the Private Self-Consciousness Scale
E M Anderson1, L M Bohon, L P Berrigan
1California State University, Sacramento, USA.
Journal of Personality Assessment
|February 1, 1996
Summary
This study confirms two substantive factors of the Private Self-Consciousness Scale (PRSC), one linked to mild psychopathology. These findings clarify PRSC
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- The Private Self-Consciousness Scale (PRSC) by Fenigstein et al. (1975) has faced scrutiny regarding its factor structure.
- Previous research has suggested the existence of two factors within the PRSC, but their nature and potential artifactuality remain debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine issues concerning the factors of the Private Self-Consciousness Scale (PRSC).
- To determine the substantive nature of the PRSC factors and resolve contradictory findings in the literature.
- To explore the relationship between PRSC factors and psychopathology.
Main Methods:
- Factor analysis of the Private Self-Consciousness Scale.
- Statistical examination of the nature and relationships of identified factors.
- Comparison of findings with previous research on PRSC and self-focused attention.
Main Results:
- Confirmation of the two-factor structure of the PRSC, consistent with prior studies.
- Evidence suggests these two factors are substantive and not artifactual.
- One PRSC factor is associated with mild psychopathology, while the other is not.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a clearer conceptualization of the PRSC's two substantive factors.
- Findings help reconcile conflicting results in the PRSC research.
- Implications for understanding self-focused attention and its relation to psychological well-being are discussed.