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Factor structures of measures of cognitive distortions, emotional congruence, and victim empathy based on data from Irish child sex offenders
Date Issued
2006
Date Available
2014-01-27T15:54:08Z
Abstract
This study evaluated the factor structures of three instruments from the Sexual Offender Assessment Pack. The Children and Sex Cognitive Distortions Scale, the Children and Sex Emotional Congruence Scale, and the Child Victim Empathy Distortions Scale were administered to 203 sex offenders in Ireland. Confirmatory factor analyses did not support the proposed single factor structure for each of the three scales. Exploratory factor analyses suggested more complex factor structures. The Children and Sex Cognitive Distortions Scale was found to have two factors: (a) Perceptions of Children as Sexually Mature and (b) General Justifications for Sex With Children. The Children and Sex Emotional Congruence Scale was found to have three factors: (a) Positive Affect From Children, (b) Special Relationships With Children and (c) Preference for Relationships With Children. The Victim Empathy Scale was found to have two factors: (a) Positive Misattributions of Pleasure and (b) Denial of Negative Feelings in the Child. In clinical settings, the more complex factor structures identified in this study may used in scoring and interpreting responses to the three instruments investigated here. Our results require replication and further research should focus on the correlates of the factorial scales identified in this study.
Sponsorship
Other funder
Other Sponsorship
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
North Western Health Board
Type of Material
Journal Article
Publisher
Routledge (Taylor & Francis)
Journal
The Irish Journal of Psychology
Volume
27
Issue
3-4
Start Page
142
End Page
149
Copyright (Published Version)
2006, Routledge
Language
English
Status of Item
Peer reviewed
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
File(s)
Owning collection
Scopus© citations
9
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