A factor analytic study of the state trait anxiety inventory utilized with preservice elementary teachers

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Abstract
The State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) has been widely used as a measure of anxiety in the psychological literature. A new form (STAI‐Y) has recently been developed and some psychometric data were available from one previous study of Air Force recruits. In order to validate the instrument's use with preservice elementary teachers, a factor analytic study was undertaken. Preservice elementary teachers (N = 103) were administered the self‐report instrument during a required science course. A restricted principal components analysis with iterations was employed as the factoring technique. A four‐factor solution accounting for 58.8% of the variance resulted, with a factor‐loading pattern very similar to the earlier study. This result, along with high‐interval consistency levels, supports the use of the instrument with preservice elementary teachers.