Item Response Theory Analysis of a Brief Instrument for Assessing Antisocial Behaviors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-8623.2014.1.14501Keywords:
Antisocial behaviors. Personality. Item Response Theory. Confirmatory factor analysis.Abstract
Antisocial behaviors co-occur with several psychopathological conditions, such as personality disorders (e.g., antisocial, narcissistic) and affective disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder). Nevertheless, up to now Brazilian researchers have dealt with an important methodological shortcoming, as we found no available brief instruments for assessing antisocial behaviors of non-prisoner Brazilian adult individuals. Therefore, the present study had the aim of constructing and performing Item Response Theory analyses of a brief self-report instrument designed for use with adult individuals from the Brazilian general population. Analyses of data collected from 204 undergraduate students (mean age = 23.56 years; SD = 7.70; 60.6% females) yielded a 13-item unidimensional instrument with excellent psychometric properties. Items provided information on a general factor that may be understood as a propensity toward antagonism, non-cooperation, and aggression in a great diversity of social contexts. We further discuss limitations of the study and make suggestions for future investigations.
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