Author:

Keywords:

Social Sciences, Psychology, Clinical, Psychology, older adults, personality assessment, behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, construct validity, factor structure, REINFORCEMENT SENSITIVITY THEORY, SYSTEM BAS SENSITIVITY, PERSONALITY-DISORDERS, PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES, CARVER, PUNISHMENT, EMOTION, INDEXES, ANXIETY, SAMPLE, Adolescent, Aged, Anxiety Disorders, Extraversion, Psychological, Female, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Personality, Psychometrics, 1701 Psychology, Clinical Psychology, 5201 Applied and developmental psychology, 5202 Biological psychology

Abstract:

Research on the validity of the behavioral inhibition system/behavioral approach system (BIS/BAS) scales focused on adolescent, student and adult populations. This study is the first to examine the psychometric properties of the BIS/BAS scales in a community (n = 368) and a clinical sample (n = 160) of older adults. Exploratory structural equation modelling with target rotation to the Carver and White model supported the construct validity of the BIS/BAS scales. Internal consistencies of the scales were generally satisfactory. Female participants scored higher on BIS and BAS-Reward Responsiveness compared with males. The community-dwelling sample scored higher on BAS-Drive and BAS-Reward Responsiveness compared with the clinical sample. Concerning the nomological net, BIS was positively related to Anxiety, Depression, maladaptive coping strategies, Neuroticism and Cluster C personality disorders. BAS was positively related to Openness, Extraversion, Active Confronting and Cluster B personality disorders and negatively related to the schizoid personality disorder. The BIS/BAS Scales are a useful instrument for measuring Gray’s theory of personality in older adults.