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Evidence for a general factor of behavioral activation system sensitivity

Evidence for a general factor of behavioral activation system sensitivity
Evidence for a general factor of behavioral activation system sensitivity
Individual differences in one’s propensity to engage the behavioral activation system (BAS) and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) have primarily been studied with Caver and White’s (1994) BIS/BAS scale. Whereas, Carver and White identified the BIS as a unidimensional scale, they identified three separable BAS group factors - drive, fun seeking, and reward responsiveness -which Carver urged against combining into a BAS total score. Despite this, a BAS total score has been used extensively although researchers have yet to test whether a BAS general factor exists and, if so, whether a BAS total score can be interpreted as primarily being a measure of the general factor. The current study observed that the best fitting BAS factor model of those we tested was a hierarchical model with three group facets and a general factor. This model was largely invariant across both sex and race/ethnicity. We show, for the first time, that a general factor accounts for the majority of the variance in BAS total scores. Due to the superior fit of the hierarchical model and variance accounted for by the general factor, we conclude that researchers are psychometrically justified in using a BAS total score.
0092-6566
30-39
Kelley, Nicholas
445e767b-ad9f-44f2-b2c6-d981482bb90b
Kramer, Amanda
313c7464-8b01-4a07-ac27-e42d44d057e5
Young, Katherine
76971321-c471-43a2-a5ba-8d3aa59e0d01
Echiverri-Cohen, Aileen
8dfa2253-cd96-409b-89dd-17910eb9c46b
Chat, Iris
8ac93488-c25c-4022-b0b5-6520daa3c1db
Bookheimer, Susan
67061695-1099-4e7a-95e7-6e3c79acb9ef
Nusslock, Robin
e254120f-5efa-4ab7-81c6-5f85d510aaee
Craske, Michelle G.
73ebe43a-d149-4bd1-a1ce-8cc69e8c3929
Zingbarg, Richard
8691c623-9844-41db-83a5-f0c545c35989
Kelley, Nicholas
445e767b-ad9f-44f2-b2c6-d981482bb90b
Kramer, Amanda
313c7464-8b01-4a07-ac27-e42d44d057e5
Young, Katherine
76971321-c471-43a2-a5ba-8d3aa59e0d01
Echiverri-Cohen, Aileen
8dfa2253-cd96-409b-89dd-17910eb9c46b
Chat, Iris
8ac93488-c25c-4022-b0b5-6520daa3c1db
Bookheimer, Susan
67061695-1099-4e7a-95e7-6e3c79acb9ef
Nusslock, Robin
e254120f-5efa-4ab7-81c6-5f85d510aaee
Craske, Michelle G.
73ebe43a-d149-4bd1-a1ce-8cc69e8c3929
Zingbarg, Richard
8691c623-9844-41db-83a5-f0c545c35989

Kelley, Nicholas, Kramer, Amanda, Young, Katherine, Echiverri-Cohen, Aileen, Chat, Iris, Bookheimer, Susan, Nusslock, Robin, Craske, Michelle G. and Zingbarg, Richard (2019) Evidence for a general factor of behavioral activation system sensitivity. Journal of Research in Personality, 79 (4), 30-39. (doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2019.01.002).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Individual differences in one’s propensity to engage the behavioral activation system (BAS) and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) have primarily been studied with Caver and White’s (1994) BIS/BAS scale. Whereas, Carver and White identified the BIS as a unidimensional scale, they identified three separable BAS group factors - drive, fun seeking, and reward responsiveness -which Carver urged against combining into a BAS total score. Despite this, a BAS total score has been used extensively although researchers have yet to test whether a BAS general factor exists and, if so, whether a BAS total score can be interpreted as primarily being a measure of the general factor. The current study observed that the best fitting BAS factor model of those we tested was a hierarchical model with three group facets and a general factor. This model was largely invariant across both sex and race/ethnicity. We show, for the first time, that a general factor accounts for the majority of the variance in BAS total scores. Due to the superior fit of the hierarchical model and variance accounted for by the general factor, we conclude that researchers are psychometrically justified in using a BAS total score.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 29 January 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 30 January 2019
Published date: April 2019
Additional Information: Funding Information: Preparation of this manuscript was supported by Grant R01-MH100117-01A1 from the National Institute of Mental Health to RN, REZ, SYB, and MGC and Grant T32 NS047987 from the National Institute of Health to NJK. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Elsevier Inc.

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 432984
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/432984
ISSN: 0092-6566
PURE UUID: 95e1aaf1-0791-4083-a412-9076eaabbce3
ORCID for Nicholas Kelley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2256-0597

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Date deposited: 05 Aug 2019 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:41

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Contributors

Author: Nicholas Kelley ORCID iD
Author: Amanda Kramer
Author: Katherine Young
Author: Aileen Echiverri-Cohen
Author: Iris Chat
Author: Susan Bookheimer
Author: Robin Nusslock
Author: Michelle G. Craske
Author: Richard Zingbarg

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