The Beck Anxiety Inventory: Reexamination of factor structure and psychometric properties

• Published in: Journal of clinical psychology Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 7 - 14
• Main Authors: Osman, Augustine, Kopper, Beverly A., Barrios, Francisco X., Osman, Joylene R., Wade, Tray
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brandon Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-01-1997; Wiley; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnosis; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Cross-Sectional Studies; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Least-Squares Analysis; Male; Models, Psychological; Personality. Affectivity; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - standards; Psychological tests; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychometrics; Psychometrics - standards; Sex Distribution; Human; Test validation; Anxiety Inventory Beck; Factor analysis; Convergent validity; Psychometrics; Anxiety; Personality; Test reliability
• ISSN: 0021-9762; 1097-4679
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199701)53:1<7::AID-JCLP2>3.0.CO;2-S

Several exploratory factor‐analytic studies of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; Beck, Epstein, Brown, & Steer, 1988) have reported two, four, and five factors. This study evaluated the fit of four competing models to data provided by a sample of 350 undergraduates. Results of the initial confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) provided strong support for the fit of the four‐factor oblique model. Next, we respecified the four‐factor model as a single second‐order BAI. Results showed that the second‐order model also provided adequate fit to the data. Evidence also supported the psychometric indices of reliability and convergent validity. Finally, we examined the relation of the BAI to several demographic variables. Limitations of the study are discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.