The construct of behavioral undercontrol is often assessed as a potential risk
factor in studies of health-risk behaviors, but few studies have examined
psychometric properties of measures of behavioral undercontrol. The present
study tested the factor structure of the Behavioral Undercontrol Questionnaire
(BUQ), a 20-item self-report measure, across gender and racial/ethnic
groups, using a college sample (N = 648). We hypothesized that
the factor structure would vary by both gender and race/ethnicity. A
single-factor solution was identified and confirmed within each group. However,
analyses yielded differences across gender and racial/ethnic groups.
Findings support the overall validity of the BUQ, but also suggest that caution
should be exercised in making comparisons across gender and
racial/ethnic groups. These data also highlight the importance of
assessing the psychometric properties of measures of behavioral undercontrol and
other externalizing constructs.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Article
- Pages 145-152
- DOI 10.1027/1015-5759/a000060
- Authors
- Neal Doran, University of California, San Diego, CA,
USA - Arianna Aldridge, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA,
USA - Scott Roesch, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA,
USA - Mark Myers, University of California, San Diego, CA,
USA
- Neal Doran, University of California, San Diego, CA,
- Journal European Journal of Psychological Assessment
- Online ISSN 2151-2426
- Print ISSN 1015-5759
- Journal Volume Volume 27
- Journal Issue Volume 27, Number 3 / 2011