Recovery and Replication of Internalizing and Externalizing Dimensions Within the Personality Assessment Inventory

Abstract

In this study, we examined the internal structure of 13 Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991, 2007) scales in a corrections sample (N = 1,099). Previous findings regarding the PAI internal structure have been somewhat inconsistent. We investigated the utility of a 2-dimensional model comprised of internalization and externalization to organize the 11 PAI clinical scales and 2 additional scales, Suicidal Ideation and Aggression. We randomly divided the sample, and a factor analysis revealed a 2-dimensional model representing internalization and externalization. Confirmatory factor analyses conducted with an independent subsample revealed acceptable fit when the model was revised to include correlated error terms between mood and anxiety disorder scales. The revised model exhibited acceptable fit when cross-validated, had better fit than a 1-dimension model, and demonstrated preliminary construct validity in relation to extratest variables.

Personality Assessment Inventory internalizing and externalizing structure in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: Associations with aggression

“…Consistent with previous research (Hopwood & Moser, 2011;Ruiz & Edens, 2008), the PAI Anxiety Related Disorders Scale which contains the Traumatic Stress subscale (i.e., Anxiety-Related Disorders Traumatic Experiences [ARD-T]) loaded on the internalizing dimension. This replicates previous findings that PTSD as a diagnostic category tends to load on an internalizing factor with other disorders associated with heightened negative affect such as depression (Miller et al, 2008).…”

“…Interestingly, PTSD is associated with aggression in both males and female veterans, but that the targets of the aggressive behavior may differ (Dutra, de Blank, Scheiderer, & Taft, 2012;Kirby et al, 2012;Sullivan & Elbogen, 2014). Fourth, given that we reduced data from PAI profiles to underlying dimensional factors following the approach of Ruiz and Edens (2008) our results are not directly comparable to Van Voorhees et al Page 10 Aggress Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2015 August 11.…”

“…Following the precedent of other investigators (Ruiz & Edens, 2008), the 11 clinical scales of the PAI along with the Suicidal Ideation and Aggression scales were included for scale reduction. Consistent with other research (Hopwood & Moser, 2011), T-scores were calculated using the PAI census-matched standardization sample (Morey, 1991).…”

“…One such model has posited the existence of overarching, distinct but correlated higher-order latent dimensions labeled internalizing and externalizing, that broadly shape the directionality of the expression of distress or pathology (Krueger et al, 2000;Krueger & Markon, 2006a, b). Empirical support has been found for the utility of a dimensional model of internalizing/externalizing psychopathology (Markon, 2010) in studies using both diagnostic interviews as well as multi-dimensional measures of psychopathology (Kendler, Davis, & Kessler, 1997;Krueger, 1999) with samples ranging from undergraduate students (Hopwood & Moser, 2011) to incarcerated offenders (Ruiz & Edens, 2008). In these studies, internalizing disorders share a tendency toward expressing distress inwardly and are manifested by depression and anxiety disorders, while the externalizing dimension is defined by a tendency to express psychopathology outwardly and is manifested by anti-social personality characteristics, substance abuse and problems with inhibition and impulsivity (Hopwood & Moser, 2011;Kendler et al, 1997;Krueger, 1999;Krueger et al, 1998;Ruiz & Edens, 2008).…”

Interpersonal characteristics of male criminal offenders: Personality, psychopathological, and behavioral correlates.

“…Using both exploratory and confirmatory methods, Ruiz and Edens (2008) recently provided factor-analytic evidence in a large sample of offenders (n ϭ 553), suggesting that select clinical and treatment consideration scales of the PAI (independent of the DOM and WRM scales) can be aggregated to operationalize two broadband indicators of Internalizing (INT) and Externalizing (EXT) psychopathology. These factors are generally consistent with current dimensional formulations of personality and mental disorder (e.g., Krueger & Markon, 2006a, 2006bKrueger & Tackett, 2003).…”