Factor structure of the Assessment of Qualitative and Structural Dimensions of Object Representations (AOR) scale

Abstract

The Assessment of Qualitative and Structural Dimensions of Object Representations assessment instrument (AOR; Blatt, Chevron, Quinlan, Schaffer, & Wein, 1992) is one measure of parental representations used in the literature that assesses nonconscious processes while minimizing self-presentation biases. However, only 2 studies have considered the latent factor structure, with mixed findings reported that raise questions about the constructs being assessed. This study used archival data from 4 previous studies containing clinical and nonclinical samples, totaling 722 participants. Individuals were divided into 2 groups in which an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was followed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results of both the EFA and CFA suggested that a 3-factor solution was best, with factors that were labeled Agency, Communion, and Punitive based on previous research. The implications of these findings are explored, particularly with regard to the punitive aspect of maternal representations, as well as a possible revision to the scoring rubric.