Psychometric characteristics and factor structure of risky, impulsive and self-destructive behavior questionnaire and emotional motivations of risky behavior

Considering the serious consequences of high-risk behavior for the individual and society and the importance of investigating these behaviors with valid tools, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the psychometric properties and factor structure of the high-risk, impulsive, and self-destructive behavior questionnaire and the emotional measures of high-risk behavior. In a cross-sectional analytical study, 401 adults were selected from the general population of Kermanshah (201 people) and Sanandaj (200 people) and were measured using the risky, impulsive and self-destructive behavior questionnaire and the impulsive behavior scale. The data were analyzed by applying correlation tests and confirmatory factor analysis and using SPSS-26 and Mplus-7 software. Cronbach's alpha and halving coefficient of three parts of risky behavior, negative emotional motivation and positive emotional motivation were 0.91, 0.91, 0.93, 0.91, 0.93 and 0.92, respectively. The factor structure of risky behavior part (RMSEA=0.02, CFI=0.98, TFI=0.98), negative emotional motivation (RMSEA=0.05, CFI=0.93, TFI=0.93) and positive emotional motivation (RMSEA=0.03, CFI=0.96, TFI= 0.96) was confirmed. Positive correlations between high-risk behavior domains and impulsivity dimensions indicated the criterion validity of the questionnaire. The obtained results indicate the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, and considering that this tool measures a wide range of high-risk behaviors despite being relatively short, it can be a suitable tool for use in research and screening.