Datset for Internal structure of Beck’s Hopelessness Scale: Analyzing method effects using the CT-C(M–1) model

The factor structure of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) has long been a topic of debate in psychometrics. Recently, studies have examined the method factor’s role in the factor structure of the BHS, but the models used to study the method’s effect have severe limitations and new models are needed. One such model is the correlated trait–correlated methods minus one (CT-C(M-1)), a powerful modeling approach that gives the trait factor an unambiguous meaning and avoids anomalous results associated with fully symmetrical bifactor modeling. The present work compares the fit of the CT-C(M-1) model to that of the models proposed in the previous literature to verify the convergent validity of the CT-C(M-1) model and its discriminatory capacity by taking suicidal ideation as the criterion variable. This study used a large and heterogeneous open-mode online sample of Argentinian people (N = 2,164). The results indicated that the CT-C(M-1) model with positive words as referenced items achieves the best fit. The factorial scores derived from this model demonstrate good predictive and discriminating capabilities.