Construct validity of the Polish version of the reinforcement sensitivity theory-personality questionnaire

Psychometric Properties and Network Analysis of the Arabic Version of Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Scale-Short Version in Patients with Anxiety Disorders

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of a short version of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ-S) among a sample of 700 patients with anxiety disorders (53.1% were female). Participants completed the RST-PQ-S, NEO-FFI, Positive Mental Health (PMH), and Kessler Psychological Distress scale. Both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were employed to test the construct validity of the scale. This study also utilized a network perspective, incorporating Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) and centrality measures. As a result of the EFA and CFA, it was determined that the scale consists of 22 items and six subdimensions. These subdimensions were named as follows: "Flight Fight-Freeze System", "Behavioral Inhibition System", "Reward Interest", "Reward Reactivity", "Goal-Drive Persistence", and "Impulsivity". Additionally, the network analysis's findings confirmed the six-factor structure derived from the construct validity assessment. The results of this study demonstrated that the Arabic version of the personality scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing personality in Arabic-speaking individuals with anxiety disorders. It has the potential to serve as an important diagnostic instrument in clinical and research settings. These findings may assist psychologists and clinicians in Arabic-speaking countries to better understand how the personality traits and anxiety disorders are related.

Mediating role of reinforcement sensitivity systems in the relationship between psychological courage and well-being at work

Psychological courage (PC) is believed to help individuals in dealing with fear and anxiety, allowing them to confront obstacles and discover purpose in their careers. This study investigated the relationship between PC, job satisfaction, meaning in work, perceived stress, and behavioral systems: the behavioral inhibition system (BIS), the flight-fight-freeze system (FFFS), and the behavioral activation system (BAS). A sample of 805 employees from various industries participated in the study. Results revealed a positive correlation between PC and both job satisfaction and meaning in work, while a negative correlation was found with perceived stress. SEM analysis further indicated that BAS mediates the relationship between PC and positive well-being outcomes. Conversely, the BIS was associated with increased stress and decreased job satisfaction and meaning in work. These findings highlight the importance of PC in promoting positive work experiences. By activating the BAS and inhibiting the BIS, PC can contribute to greater job satisfaction, increased meaning in work, and reduced stress. Organizations can benefit from implementing interventions that foster psychological courage among employees, leading to improved overall well-being and job performance.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ)

BACKGROUND

The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ) originated from the Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality. This study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the RST-PQ among a group of Iranian adults.

METHOD

The cross-sectional study was carried out among 600 Iranian adults utilizing a convenient sampling method, following specific participant selection criteria to enhance the study methodology's transparency (including the age range between 18 and 35 years' participants without major psychiatric diagnoses). Participants completed both the Iranian version of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ) and the Five-Factor NEO-FFI questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis, employing the multiple indicators model (MIMIC) approach, was utilized in this study to control for demographic variables such as age and gender.

RESULTS

The confirmatory factor analysis results showed an acceptable fit of the proposed six-factor model based on the English version of RST-PQ (CFI = 0.905; RMSEA = 0.053). Also, Cronbach's alpha values confirmed the internal consistency of the proposed structure. In addition, competing models were also used to select the best-proposed model. In this way, different models were evaluated, assuming a change in the correlation intensity between BIS and the Fight-Flight-Freeze System (FFFS).

CONCLUSIONS

The convergent validity results with the Five-Factor Personality measure provided further support and were consistent with previous research findings. It is crucial to have an Iranian-language version of the RST-PQ to promote RST research and show how this theoretical framework aids in explaining and predicting various actions, whether they are abnormal or healthy.

Construct validity of questionnaires for the original and revised reinforcement sensitivity theory

This study highlights psychometric properties and evidence of construct validity on parcel-level for questionnaires on the original and revised reinforcement sensitivity theory. Our data (N = 1,076) suggest good to very good psychometric properties and moderate to excellent internal consistencies. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models suggest a very good model fit for the first-order, four factor models of the Carver-White BIS/BAS scales, Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory - Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ), the two-factor model of revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory-Questionnaire (rRST-Q) and for the bifactor model of the Conflict Monitoring Questionnaire (CMQ-44). The CMQ-44 extends the psychometric measurement of previous trait-(r)BIS and trait-BAS scales. Factor scores of CMQ-44 cognitive demand correlate positively with factor scores of Carver-White BIS and all Carver-White BAS subfactors except RST-PQ-Impulsivity suggesting that CMQ-44 cognitive demand addresses Carver-White trait-BIS specifically and more generally the trait-BAS core. CMQ-44 anticipation of negative consequences and response adaptation correlate negatively with trait-BAS, whereas the second-order factor performance monitoring extends the rRST trait-space and correlates positively with trait-BAS.

Revealing the hierarchical structure of temperamental constructs distinguished in eight theories

The paper explores the hierarchical structure of temperament with the inclusion of a wide catalog of temperamental constructs derived from eight different theoretical models. Analyses were conducted on a group of 412 participants aged from 16 to 79 (M_age = 28.49, SD_age = 11.64), administrating nine well-established measures of temperament, with a representation of 34 different constructs. An eight-level hierarchical structure of temperament was obtained using a top-down procedure. The results are discussed twofold: (1) relating the subsequent levels of the obtained structure to the existing theories and models of temperament, and (2) regarding possible identification of the most general dimensions of temperament, that percolate the abundant catalogs of its specific constructs. The latter-considering both an empirical and theoretical perspectives-resulted in the emergence of the Big Two broad factors, being recognized as two fundamental dimensions of temperament. The first factor (Neuroticism/Emotionality) refers to general (negative) emotionality and susceptibility to react with negative affect, whereas the second (Extraversion/Sensation Seeking) is expressed in broadly understood activity and its diversity, as well as high stimuli value of functioning.

The Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory - Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ) and its Relationship with Everyday Behaviors

This study aimed to adapt and validate the Spanish version of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory-Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ; Corr & Cooper, 2016) and to demonstrate how RST constructs are associated with a variety of everyday behaviors. To achieve this goal, three studies have been conducted. In Study 1, a direct translation of the items from English to Spanish was pilot-tested in a sample of 139 students and a descriptive analysis of items was conducted. Moreover, a reverse translation and comparison between the two English versions were carried out by the lead author of the original questionnaire and the items were refined accordingly. In Study 2, the questionnaire's internal structure was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and the predictive validity was assessed using the Criterion Set of Act Clusters in a sample of 1,281 participants. Finally, a study of convergent validity with other measures of personality was performed in Study 3 with 190 participants. The obtained results suggested that the RST-PQ has adequate psychometric properties and the convergent validity results with other personality measures replicate findings from previous research. Having a Spanish language version of the RST-PQ is important, not only to advance RST research but also to demonstrate that this theoretical approach contributes to the prediction and explanation of different behaviors whether they are healthy or pathological ones.

Development and Validation of a Short Version of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ-S)

We conducted three studies (total n = 998) aimed at developing and validating a shortened version of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (i.e., the RST-PQ-S). In Study 1 (n = 341), twenty-two items were selected from the original RST-PQ, based on both theoretical and empirical criteria. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on this short-form supported the six-factor structure comprising: FFFS, BIS, and four BAS components (Reward Interest, Goal Drive-Persistence, Reward Reactivity, and Impulsivity). The six scale scores showed adequate levels of internal consistency. Construct validity was supported by correlations with established personality measures. In Study 2 (n = 340), CFA results were cross-validated in an independent sample and construct validity was supported by correlations with BIS/BAS scales. In Study 3 (n = 317) test-retest correlations showed acceptable-to-good levels of temporal stability over a four-week interval. Results revealed a substantial overlap with original, full-length RST-PQ, providing evidence for the comparability of the two versions. Latent State-Trait analyses showed that the items of the RST-PQ-S mostly capture interindividual differences that are stable across situations. Taken together, findings indicate that the RST-PQ-S provides an efficient, valid and reliable alterative to the longer RST-PQ.

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire: Factor Structure Based on CFA and ESEM, and Associations with ADHD

Revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST) of personality is a major neuropsychological theory of motivation, emotion and personality. This paper presents the results of a study examining: (1) the factor structure of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM); and (2) the relationships of the r-RST constructs in the RST-PQ with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom groups of inattention (IA) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI). A total of 572 (Sample 1) and 309 (Sample 2) adults completed the RST-PQ. Participants in Sample 2 also completed a questionnaire measuring ADHD symptoms. Results revealed more support for the ESEM model with six factors than the CFA model. For both the ESEM and CFA models, both IA and HI symptom groups were associated positively with the RST-PQ constructs of behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral approach system (BAS) Impulsivity, with IA also associated negatively with the BAS-Goal-Drive Persistence. The theoretical implications of these findings for understanding the factor structure of the RST-PQ, and for ADHD (IA and HI) in terms of r-RST, are discussed.

Reinforcement sensitivity, depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis and meta-analytic structural equation model

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) posits that individual differences in reward and punishment processing predict differences in cognition, behavior, and psychopathology. We performed a quantitative review of the relationships between reinforcement sensitivity, depression and anxiety, in two separate sets of analyses. First, we reviewed 204 studies that reported either correlations between reinforcement sensitivity and self-reported symptom severity or differences in reinforcement sensitivity between diagnosed and healthy participants, yielding 483 effect sizes. Both depression (Hedges' g = .99) and anxiety (g = 1.21) were found to be high on punishment sensitivity. Reward sensitivity negatively predicted only depressive disorders (g = -.21). More severe clinical states (e.g., acute vs remission) predicted larger effect sizes for depression but not anxiety. Next, we reviewed an additional 39 studies that reported correlations between reinforcement sensitivity and both depression and anxiety, yielding 156 effect sizes. We then performed meta-analytic structural equation modeling to simultaneously estimate all covariances and control for comorbidity. Again we found punishment sensitivity to predict depression (β = .37) and anxiety (β = .35), with reward sensitivity only predicting depression (β = -.07). The transdiagnostic role of punishment sensitivity and the discriminatory role of reward sensitivity support a hierarchical approach to RST and psychopathology.