Internal Structure of the Cognitive Anxiety Scale (ECOGA)

Abstract This study aimed to investigate evidence of internal structure validity for the Anxiety Cognitive Scale (ECOGA) by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The sample consisted of 874 participants, 656 of the general population, 179 of health institutions and 39 of private practices with a diagnostic hypothesis of anxiety disorders. Men comprised 55% of the total sample, which was also mostly single (61.1%) and with incomplete higher education (46%). The parallel analysis of this scale, initially containing 73 items, showed the existence of up to 4 factores, the MAP with 3 and the Hull with 1 grouping of items. Analyses with 3 and 4 factors (theoretically acceptable) were performed, using factor loads above 0.40 and 0.50. The most appropriate theoretical and psychometric model comprised 31 items and 3 factors, with a minimum factor load of 0.50. Indexes of fit (CFI, GFI, RMSEA), unidimensionality (UNICO, MIREAL) and reliability (Orion, Cronbach) complemented the appropriate psychometric properties of this version.