Further Evidence of the Construct Validity of the Transsexual Voice Questionnaire (TVQ) Using Principal Components Analysis.

Objectives: The Transsexual Voice Questionnaire (TVQ) is a population-specific self-report tool designed to capture the perceptions of male-to-female transsexual women (MtF women) regarding their vocal functioning and the voice-related impact on their everyday life. The aim of this study was to further the psychometric evaluation of the TVQ by examining its construct validity and confirming its reliability.

Study Design: This is a prospective validity and reliability study.

Methods: One hundred fifty-one MtF women provided data for principal components analysis with oblimin rotation. Data from 133 of these participants were also analyzed to evaluate the internal consistency of the TVQ.

Results: Principal components analysis identified a two-factor structure. The largest component (accounting for 51.99% of the variance) captured individuals' perceptions of their vocal functioning and included items related to the link between voice and gender identity. This component was labeled vocal functioning. The second component (5.82% of the variance) contained items that related to the impact of voice on the individual's participation in everyday life and was labeled social participation. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α = .97).

Conclusions: The findings support the construct validity of the TVQ. Additionally, the high internal consistency of the TVQ found in the current study confirms that the content of the TVQ reliably measures the self-perceptions of MtF women regarding their voice. The current findings also support the clinical utility of the TVQ providing a means of organizing TVQ responses to inform the voice training process.