NCJ Number
230276
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2010 Pages: 280-304
Date Published
April 2010
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This study examined the discriminant validity of physical and social incivilities measures through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.
Abstract
Exploratory factor analysis tested the extent to which measures of incivilities and measures of both crime perceptions and victimization had distinct factor loadings in one- and two-factor models. Confirmatory factor analysis tested the fit of one- and two-factor structural equation models. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed that perceptual incivilities measures and victimization reports tended to load on distinct factors, offering evidence of the discriminant validity of perceptual incivilities measures relative to victimization reports. Exploratory and confirmatory analysis of perceived incivilities measures and measures of perceptions of crime provided equivocal results. In exploratory factor analysis, perceived incivilities measures and measures of crime perceptions did not always load on distinct factors and confirmatory factor analysis models did not meet the specified thresholds for good model fit across all fit criteria. Tables, figures, and references (Published Abstract)