Dimensionality of the repression sensitization scale.

Abstract

Study of the internal structure of the R-S Scale failed to support a finding of unidimensionality or bipolarity, as theory suggests. A factor analysis of the item matrix revealed a poorly defined multifactor structure that contained five relatively weak unipolar factors (N = 200). Guttman's Reproducibility and the Kuder-Richardson Coefficient adjusted for test length similarly failed to support the presence of a unifactor structure. The relatively high Coefficient of Dimensionality was rejected as evidence of unidimensionality given the uncertainty over what psychometric properties this index reflects. The high proportion of S-item interaction variance showed considerable equivocal item content, which suggested marked error factors due to Ss' idiosyncratic interpretation of items.