A check on the factor-analytic structure of four O-A kit source traits, independence, evasiveness, realism and dissofrustance, found diagnostic of depression

Abstract

Four source trait factors (U.I.19, 20, 25, and 30) that have been shown significantly to differentiate depressive from normals have been taken out of the O-A Kit and subjected to factor analysis, to check their patterns on a different kind of population, and thrown light on the relative validity of their sub-tests. After simple structure rotation the hypothesis was tested that the four largest had the same loading pattern as U.I.19, Independence, U.I.20, Evasiveness, U.I.25, Realism-vs-Loss of Contact, and U.I.30, Somindence-vs-Dissofrustance, as found in previous research. Congruence and salient variable similarity coefficients were highly significant for U.I.19 and U.I.20, moderately for U.I.25, but uncertain (because of one atypical score) for U.I.30. The existing theoretical interpretation of these factors are therefore (except perhaps for U.I.30) supported, but are also given some new slants by new variables having significant loadings. Thus general steadiness as well as reality contact characterizes U.I.25, and dynamic character of "rejection" is seen in the slowness, and uncooperativeness of the depression in somidence (acronym for, descriptively, "somnolent independence"), U.I.30. It is suggested that, with this demonstration of four distinct and independent factors in depression, psychiatry needs to find out, by clinical use of measures, what diagnostic potency and predictive value could arise from such analysis into four components.