Psychometric properties of a weeping propensity scale.

Abstract

The Weeping Propensity Scale is a 24-item questionnaire using a nine point Likert-type scale to query the intensity of a subject's weeping response to a variety of potentially crying-inducing situations. Results indicated that the measure has substantial reliability, both internal consistency (Cronbach alpha= .95) and test-retest reliability (r = .90). The study examined the stability of the factor structure of a revision of the Weeping Propensity Scale (WPS) and examined expected relationships with gender, instrumentality/expressiveness measured by the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1974),empathy measured by the Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy (Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972), and the domain scales of the NEO-FFI (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Attitudes toward weeping were also assessed through a short questionnaire constructed for this study. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the revised version of the WPS was an adequate model. In a series of simultaneous multiple regressions, weeping propensity was most effectively predicted by gender, empathy, neuroticism, extraversion (for men but not for women), and attitudes toward weeping. Implications of the results are discussed.