Construction and psychometric evaluation of a short form of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire

Abstract

Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) represents a group of personality traits expressed in limitations in social relations and pragmatic speech dimension, and rigid behavior. The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) measures personality traits which are crucial in defining the BAP. In the present research, three studies were conducted with the general aim to create a short form of the BAPQ. Study 1 was carried out to determine the factor structure of the BAPQ in a sample of 501 students and to select items for the short form. Obtained components: Aloofness, Rigidity, and Pragmatics, corresponding to the structure of the instrument proposed by authors, accounted for 26.61% of variance. Study 2 was conducted to examine factor structure of the BAPQ short form (BAPQ-SF), in a sample of 298 students. This solution explained 45.76% of the total variance. The aim of Study 3 was to determine psychometric characteristics of the BAPQ-SF in a sample of students (N = 294). Three-factor model of the BAPQ-SF was confirmed. Correlations of the BAPQ-SF with the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Delta 10 suggest convergent and discriminant validity of the BAPQ-SF.

Širi autistički fenotip (eng. Broad Autism Phenotype - BAP) predstavlja grupu crta ličnosti koje se manifestuju u vidu ograničenja u socijalnim odnosima, na dimenziji pragmatičnog govora i u rigidnom ponašanju. Upitnik šireg autističkog fenotipa (The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire - BAPQ) meri crte ličnosti koje su ključne u definisanju šireg autističkog fenotipa. U ovom istraživanju su sprovedene tri studije sa opštim ciljem da se napravi kratka forma BAPQ. Prva studija je sprovedena da bi se utvrdila faktorska struktura upitnika na uzorku od 501 studenta i da se izaberu ajtemi za kratku formu. Dobijene su komponente Povučenost, Rigidnost i Pragmatika. Ove komponente odgovaraju strukturi instrumenta koju su predložili autori i objašanjavaju 26.61% varijanse. Druga studija je sprovedena da bi se ispitala faktorska struktura kratke forme BAPQ (BAPQ-SF) na uzorku od 298 studenata. Ovo rešenje objašnjava 45.76% ukupne varijanse. Cilj treće studije bio je da se utvrde psihometrijske karakteristike BAPQ-SF na uzorku studenata (N = 294). Potvrđena je trofaktorska struktura upitnika. Korelacije mera BAPQ-SF sa količnikom autističkog spektra (AQ) i Delta 10 merama govore u prilog konvergentne i diskriminativne validnosti upitnika.