To investigate the effect of using negatively oriented items, we wrote semantic reversals of the items in the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the General Belongingness Scale and used them to create four experimental conditions. Participants (N = 2,019) were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Data were assessed for dimensionality, item functioning, instrument properties, and associations with other variables. Regarding dimensionality, although a two-factor model (positively vs. negatively oriented factors) exhibits better fit than a unidimensional model across all conditions, bifactor indices were used to argue that a unidimensional interpretation of the data can be employed. With respect to item functioning, factor loadings were found to be nearly invariant across conditions, but thresholds were not. Concerning instrument properties, inclusion of negatively oriented items results in lower mean scores and higher score variances. Instruments with both positively and negatively oriented items demonstrated lower reliability estimates than those with only one orientation. For associations with other variables, path coefficients in a model where loneliness mediates the effects of belongingness on life satisfaction and self-esteem were found to vary across conditions. Findings suggest that negatively oriented items have minor impact on instrument quality, but influence measurement model and path coefficients.

为了研究使用负面导向项目的影响，我们在罗森伯格自尊量表、加州大学洛杉矶分校孤独量表和一般归属感量表中编写了项目的语义反转，并使用它们创建了四个实验条件。参与者（N= 2,019) 是通过亚马逊的 Mechanical Turk 招募的。评估数据的维度、项目功能、仪器属性以及与其他变量的关联。关于维度，尽管双因子模型（正向与负向因子）在所有条件下都比一维模型表现出更好的拟合，但使用双因子指数来论证可以采用数据的一维解释。关于项目功能，发现因子负荷在不同条件下几乎是不变的，但阈值不是。关于仪器属性，包含负向项目会导致较低的平均分数和较高的分数方差。具有正向和负向项目的仪器比只有一个方向的仪器显示出更低的可靠性估计。对于与其他变量的关联，发现孤独感介导归属感对生活满意度和自尊的影响的模型中的路径系数因条件而异。研究结果表明，负向项目对仪器质量的影响较小，但会影响测量模型和路径系数。