{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/101098"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/101098","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"A pscyhometric investigation of the comprehensive assessment of sadistic tendencies (cast): Evidence from factor analysis and item response theory","abstract":"Sadism research has grown exponentially in recent years, establishing the trait as a key predictor of cruel behaviors (bullying, aggression, internet trolling). However, empirical validations of the most popular sadism measure are needed. To address this, we administered the comprehensive assessment of sadistic tendencies (CAST; Buckels & Paulhus, 2014) to 432 undergraduates to investigate the factor structure, item response theory item characteristics (Samejima graded response model and generalized graded unfolding model parameters), underlying response processes (dominance versus ideal point), and measurement invariance across gender using factor analytic methods. Factor analysis results validated the three-factor structure of sadism (physical, verbal, and vicarious), whereas item response theory models demonstrated that a dominance response process fit better than an ideal point response process. We observed that the CAST provides the most information in the high trait range (distinguishing moderately sadistic participants from those who were high in sadism). Results also indicate weak discriminant validity between the CAST and measures of Machiavellianism and Psychopathy. Data further support past research suggesting males are more sadistic than females across all CAST subscales. Further analyses of scalar measurement invariance across gender suggest a true gender gap in the underlying trait, rather than measurement bias. This study begins to answer how to best assess sadism by examining the construct’s most popular measure, while highlighting a number of weaknesses to be addressed in future scholarship.","abstract_html":"Sadism research has grown exponentially in recent years, establishing the trait as a key predictor of cruel behaviors (bullying, aggression, internet trolling). However, empirical validations of the most popular sadism measure are needed. To address this, we administered the comprehensive assessment of sadistic tendencies (CAST; Buckels & Paulhus, 2014) to 432 undergraduates to investigate the factor structure, item response theory item characteristics (Samejima graded response model and generalized graded unfolding model parameters), underlying response processes (dominance versus ideal point), and measurement invariance across gender using factor analytic methods. Factor analysis results validated the three-factor structure of sadism (physical, verbal, and vicarious), whereas item response theory models demonstrated that a dominance response process fit better than an ideal point response process. We observed that the CAST provides the most information in the high trait range (distinguishing moderately sadistic participants from those who were high in sadism). Results also indicate weak discriminant validity between the CAST and measures of Machiavellianism and Psychopathy. Data further support past research suggesting males are more sadistic than females across all CAST subscales. Further analyses of scalar measurement invariance across gender suggest a true gender gap in the underlying trait, rather than measurement bias. This study begins to answer how to best assess sadism by examining the construct’s most popular measure, while highlighting a number of weaknesses to be addressed in future scholarship.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Amrhein, Rachel Lynn"],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Newman, Daniel A."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-09-04T20:32:04Z","date_published":"2018-09-04T20:32:04Z","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:24:38Z","subjects":["Sadism","Sadistic tendencies","Dark Tetrad","Dark Personality","Measurement Equivalence","Measurement Invariance","Item Response Theory","Gender"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright 2018 Rachel Amrhein"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2142/101098","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Newman, Daniel A."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Amrhein, Rachel Lynn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2018-09-04T20:32:04Z","2018-04-27","2018-05"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Sadism","Sadistic tendencies","Dark Tetrad","Dark Personality","Measurement Equivalence","Measurement Invariance","Item Response Theory","Gender"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2018 Rachel Amrhein"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/101098"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Sadism research has grown exponentially in recent years, establishing the trait as a key predictor of cruel behaviors (bullying, aggression, internet trolling). However, empirical validations of the most popular sadism measure are needed. To address this, we administered the comprehensive assessment of sadistic tendencies (CAST; Buckels & Paulhus, 2014) to 432 undergraduates to investigate the factor structure, item response theory item characteristics (Samejima graded response model and generalized graded unfolding model parameters), underlying response processes (dominance versus ideal point), and measurement invariance across gender using factor analytic methods. Factor analysis results validated the three-factor structure of sadism (physical, verbal, and vicarious), whereas item response theory models demonstrated that a dominance response process fit better than an ideal point response process. We observed that the CAST provides the most information in the high trait range (distinguishing moderately sadistic participants from those who were high in sadism). Results also indicate weak discriminant validity between the CAST and measures of Machiavellianism and Psychopathy. Data further support past research suggesting males are more sadistic than females across all CAST subscales. Further analyses of scalar measurement invariance across gender suggest a true gender gap in the underlying trait, rather than measurement bias. This study begins to answer how to best assess sadism by examining the construct’s most popular measure, while highlighting a number of weaknesses to be addressed in future scholarship.","Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2018-08-31 without embargo terms","The student, Rachel Amrhein, accepted the attached license on 2018-04-27 at 10:53.","The student, Rachel Amrhein, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2018-04-27 at 10:57.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2018-04-27 at 11:53.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #12535 on 2018-08-31 at 17:15:14","Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-04T20:32:04Z (GMT). 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To address this, we administered the comprehensive assessment of sadistic tendencies (CAST; Buckels & Paulhus, 2014) to 432 undergraduates to investigate the factor structure, item response theory item characteristics (Samejima graded response model and generalized graded unfolding model parameters), underlying response processes (dominance versus ideal point), and measurement invariance across gender using factor analytic methods. Factor analysis results validated the three-factor structure of sadism (physical, verbal, and vicarious), whereas item response theory models demonstrated that a dominance response process fit better than an ideal point response process. We observed that the CAST provides the most information in the high trait range (distinguishing moderately sadistic participants from those who were high in sadism). Results also indicate weak discriminant validity between the CAST and measures of Machiavellianism and Psychopathy. Data further support past research suggesting males are more sadistic than females across all CAST subscales. Further analyses of scalar measurement invariance across gender suggest a true gender gap in the underlying trait, rather than measurement bias. This study begins to answer how to best assess sadism by examining the construct’s most popular measure, while highlighting a number of weaknesses to be addressed in future scholarship.","Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2018-08-31 without embargo terms","The student, Rachel Amrhein, accepted the attached license on 2018-04-27 at 10:53.","The student, Rachel Amrhein, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2018-04-27 at 10:57.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2018-04-27 at 11:53.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #12535 on 2018-08-31 at 17:15:14","Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-04T20:32:04Z (GMT). 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