The Factor Structure and Concurrent Validity of the Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire: Research Version

Early maladaptive schemas are stable, negative beliefs about oneself, others, or the environment that are formed early in
life and subsequently organize an individual’s experiences and behaviors. We evaluated the factor structure and validity of
the self-report Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire—Research version (EMSQ-R) that assesses 15 maladaptive schema identified
by Young (1991) within a sample of 908 individuals in treatment for substance use and personality pathology. We first employed confirmatory
factor analytic techniques and found the data fit this expected model poorly. We then utilized exploratory factor analysis
to examine the hierarchical structure of the EMSQ-R and then tested its concurrent validity using available chart data and
another self-report questionnaire. In contrast with previous research, we concluded that the schemas do not have a replicable
lower-order structure. However, we did retain a four-factor solution for the scales that demonstrated significant correlations
with expected variables and provided partial support for the higher-order structure of EMSQ-R.