Table 1.
Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Structure for the Personality Belief Questionnaire Short Form.
| Original Sub-scalea |
Personality Belief | EFAb | CFAc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent & Avoidant (alpha = 0.91) | |||
| Dependentd | I am helpless when I'm left on my own. | 0.77 | 0.81 |
| Dependentd | I am needy and weak. | 0.74 | 0.78 |
| Dependentd | I need somebody around available at all times to help me to carry out what I need to do or in case something bad happens. | 0.72 | 0.80 |
| Borderline | I can't cope as other people can. | 0.72 | 0.74 |
| Dependent | I need others to help me make decisions or tell me what to do. | 0.71 | 0.77 |
| Dependent | I am basically alone -- unless I can attach myself to a stronger person. | 0.67 | 0.76 |
| Dependent | The worst possible thing would be to be abandoned. | 0.66 | 0.72 |
| Avoidant | I should avoid situations in which I attract attention, or be as inconspicuous as possible. | 0.52 | 0.55 |
| Dependent | I must maintain access to him or her [significant other] at all times. | 0.50 | 0.73 |
| Avoidant | I should avoid unpleasant situations at all cost. | 0.49 | 0.71 |
| Avoidantd | Unpleasant feelings will escalate and get out of control. | 0.49 | 0.75 |
| Avoidant | I cannot tolerate unpleasant feelings. | 0.48 | 0.68 |
| Avoidant | If people get close to me, they will discover the “real” me and reject me. | 0.41 | 0.70 |
| Obsessive-Compulsive (alpha = 0.90) | |||
| Obs. Comp | It is necessary to stick to the highest standards at all times, or things will fall apart. | 0.91 | 0.83 |
| Obs. Comp | If I don't perform at the highest level, I will fail. | 0.77 | 0.87 |
| Obs. Comp | It is important to do a perfect job on everything. | 0.75 | 0.74 |
| Obs. Comp | Any flaw or defect of performance may lead to a catastrophe. | 0.75 | 0.90 |
| Obs. Comp | Flaws, defects, or mistakes are intolerable. | 0.73 | 0.90 |
| Obs. Comp | If I don't have systems, everything will fall apart. | 0.69 | 0.74 |
| Obs. Comp | Details are extremely important. | 0.63 | 0.62 |
| Narcissistic (alpha = 0.88) | |||
| Narcissistic | Since I am so superior, I am entitled to special treatment and privileges. | 0.76 | 0.76 |
| Antisocial | I should do whatever I can get away with. | 0.69 | 0.77 |
| Antisocial | If I don't push around other people, I will get pushed around. | 0.68 | 0.76 |
| Narcissistic | Other people should satisfy my needs. | 0.67 | 0.70 |
| Narcissistic | I don't have to be bound by the rules that apply to other people. | 0.65 | 0.75 |
| Narcissistic | Since I am so talented, people should go out of their way to promote my career. | 0.61 | 0.72 |
| Antisocial | If I want something, I should do whatever is necessary to get it. | 0.57 | 0.54 |
| Narcissistic | Only people as brilliant as I am understand me. | 0.57 | 0.68 |
| Narcissistic | Other people should recognize how special I am. | 0.56 | 0.71 |
| Antisocial | I have been unfairly treated and am entitled to get my fair share by whatever means I can. | 0.55 | 0.77 |
| Antisocial | Force or cunning is the best way to get things done. | 0.45 | 0.74 |
| Autonomous (alpha = 0.85) | |||
| Pass. Agg. | If I follow the rules the way people expect, it will inhibit my freedom of action. | 0.76 | 0.81 |
| Pass. Agg. | Rules are arbitrary and stifle me. | 0.70 | 0.76 |
| Pass. Agg. | Making deadlines, complying with demands, and conforming are direct blows to my pride and self- sufficiency. | 0.61 | 0.81 |
| Pass. Agg. | Authority figures tend to be intrusive, demanding, interfering, and controlling. | 0.52 | 0.73 |
| Pass. Agg. | If I regard people as too bossy, I have a right to disregard their demands. | 0.49 | 0.67 |
| Pass. Agg. | I have to resist the domination of authorities but at the same time maintain their approval and acceptance. | 0.44 | 0.79 |
| Paranoid (alpha = 0.94) | |||
| Paranoid | Others will try to use me or manipulate me if I don't watch out. | 0.98 | 0.89 |
| Paranoid | People will take advantage of me if I give them the chance. | 0.90 | 0.84 |
| Paranoid | If people act friendly, they may be trying to use or exploit me. | 0.86 | 0.85 |
| Paranoid | Other people have hidden motives. | 0.85 | 0.82 |
| Paranoidd | I have to be on guard at all times. | 0.81 | 0.90 |
| Borderline | I cannot trust other people. | 0.78 | 0.76 |
| Paranoid | Other people will deliberately try to demean me. | 0.67 | 0.82 |
| Paranoid | If other people find out things about me, they will use them against me. | 0.64 | 0.79 |
| Histrionic (alpha = 0.86) | |||
| Histrionic | If I don't keep others engaged with me, they won't like me. | 0.85 | 0.90 |
| Histrionic | Unless I entertain or impress people, I am nothing. | 0.84 | 0.90 |
| Histrionic | The way to get what I want is to dazzle or amuse people. | 0.74 | 0.85 |
| Histrionic | In order to be happy I need other people to pay attention to me. | 0.62 | 0.74 |
| Histrionic | If I entertain people, they will not notice my weaknesses. | 0.58 | 0.76 |
| Histrionic | It is awful if people ignore me. | 0.49 | 0.76 |
| Schizoid (alpha = 0.85) | |||
| Schizoid | I enjoy doing things more by myself than with other people. | 0.84 | 0.68 |
| Schizoid | In many situations, I am better off to be left alone. | 0.82 | 0.81 |
| Schizoid | It's better to be alone than to feel “stuck” with other people. | 0.62 | 0.64 |
| Schizoid | My privacy is much more important to me than closeness to people. | 0.59 | 0.65 |
| Schizoid | It is important for me to be free and independent of others. | 0.53 | 0.64 |
| Schizoid | Relationships are messy and interfere with freedom. | 0.43 | 0.84 |
Note. EFA = Exploratory Factor Analysis, CFA = Confirmatory Factor Analysis.
a
Entries refer to the original scales on the PBQ-short-form from which the beliefs originated. Some scales have been abbreviated (Pass. Agg. = Passive Aggressive; Obs. Comp. = Obsessive Compulsive).
b
Entries are factor loadings from the exploratory factor analysis using an oblique geomin rotation.
c
Entries are standardized loadings from the confirmatory factor analyses.
d
The belief also appeared on the original borderline subscale of the PBQ-short-form.