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A factor-analytic study of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory: An integration of theory and data

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Abstract

Restricted (confirmatory) and unrestricted (exploratory) factor analyses were used to investigate the factor structure of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI; D'Zurilla & Nezu, 1990). The SPSI is based on a theoretical model consisting of two general components (problem orientation and problem-solving skills) which are further divided into seven primary subcomponents (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of problem orientation and four specific problem-solving skills). Thus, both a two-factor model and a hierarchical model with seven first-order factors and two second-order factors were tested. The results provided only modest support for the two-factor model, and the hierarchical model failed to show substantial improvement over this model. Further analyses using exploratory as well as confirmatory methods found that an alternative five-factor model was best for the SPSI in the sense of goodness of fit, parsimony, and cross-validation. The implications of these results for social problem-solving theory and assessment are discussed.

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The participation of Albert Maydeu-Olivares in this research was supported by a Fulbright-La Caixa scholarship.

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Maydeu-Olivares, A., D'Zurilla, T.J. A factor-analytic study of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory: An integration of theory and data. Cogn Ther Res 20, 115–133 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02228030

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