Factor Structure of the Greek Version of the Emotional Contagion Scale and its Measurement Invariance Across Gender and Cultural Groups

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars-Olov Lundqvist ◽  
Pantelis Kevrekidis

Theories regarding susceptibility to emotional contagion, which address the ease of “catching” the emotions expressed by others, have recently received growing interest in the field of social psychology and health. Despite the theoretical and empirical importance, reliable and valid instruments to assess emotional contagion in men and women from cultures outside the English-speaking world are not well developed. The present study examines the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Greek adaptation of the Emotional Contagion Scale (ECS), and is a first attempt to test its measurement invariance across gender and culture groups (Greece and Sweden). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of competing models supports a five-factor model that includes the five basic emotions of anger, fear, sadness, happiness, and love. Using multiple-group CFA and a sequence of nested tests, configural invariance and partial metric and partial scalar invariance across gender and culture groups of the five-factor model were demonstrated. The results show that meaningful comparisons of ECS can be made across men and women from different cultures and support the hypothesis that susceptibility to emotional contagion operates at a differential emotions level.

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-388
Author(s):  
Tutrang Nguyen ◽  
Stephanie M. Reich ◽  
Jade Marcus Jenkins ◽  
Jamal Abedi

This study reports an independent investigation of the psychometric properties of Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP), a teacher-rated measure of school readiness for preschool-aged children. In a sample of 2,031 low-income, 3- to 5-year-old children attending Head Start, we tested three measurement models: a higher order one-factor model, a seven-factor model, and a five-factor model. To explore the appropriateness of the DRDP for use with diverse populations of young children, we used multiple group and differential item functioning (DIF) analyses to determine whether the DRDP works differently for dual language learners (DLL) and non-DLLs. The proposed five-factor structure fits the data best, with greater face and statistical validity. Using this conceptually driven factor structure, the multiple group analyses were robust for DLL and non-DLL preschool students. More than half of the items on the DRDP displayed little DIF. Items measuring emergent language and literacy exhibited DIF favoring non-DLL children.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lishui Niu ◽  
Jiayue He ◽  
Chang Cheng ◽  
Jinyao Yi ◽  
Xiang Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CESD) was widely used for screening of depressive symptoms. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the factor structure and measurement invariance of the CESD across genders and groups in a sample of Chinese undergraduates and clinical patients. Methods Participants included 3093 undergraduates from the Hunan province and 336 patients from psychological clinics. The structure of the CESD scale was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Multiple sets of CFAs were used to test measurement invariance across genders among undergraduates and clinical patients. Internal consistency reliability was also evaluated. Results The five-factor model achieved satisfactory fit (in the undergraduate sample: WLSMVχ2 = 1662.385, df = 160, CFI = 0.973, TLI = 0.968, RMSEA = 0.055; in the clinical patients: WLSMVχ2 = 502.089, df = 160, CFI = 0.962, TLI = 0.955, RMSEA = 0.072). The measurement invariance of the five-factor model across genders was supported fully assuming different degrees of invariance. The CESD also showed acceptable internal consistency. Conclusion Due to its sound structure and measurement invariance, the five-factor model of the CESD is best suited for testing in Chinese mainland college students and clinical patients.


Assessment ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1059-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie D’Souza ◽  
Karen E. Waldie ◽  
Elizabeth R. Peterson ◽  
Lisa Underwood ◽  
Susan M. B. Morton

There is limited research on the preschool version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and comparisons between mothers and fathers as informants and whether the factor structure shows measurement invariance across parents is lacking. Our study involved mothers ( n = 6,246) and fathers ( n = 3,759) of 2-year-old children from the Growing Up in New Zealand birth cohort. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the factor structure of the SDQ and test for measurement invariance across mothers and fathers. For fathers, we found support for a modified five-factor model that accounts for a positive construal method effect. Internal consistency was good for measures except peer problems. Full measurement invariance of this modified model was found across mothers and fathers, and parents showed moderate agreement in their SDQ ratings (0.34 ≤ r ≤ 0.44). More research is needed on whether mother- and father-reports differ in sensitivity when screening for early childhood psychiatric disorders.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Joshanloo ◽  
Ali Bakhshi

Abstract. This study investigated the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Mroczek and Kolarz’s scales of positive and negative affect in Iran (N = 2,391) and the USA (N = 2,154), and across gender groups. The two-factor model of affect was supported across the groups. The results of measurement invariance testing confirmed full metric and partial scalar invariance of the scales across cultural groups, and full metric and full scalar invariance across gender groups. The results of latent mean analysis revealed that Iranians scored lower on positive affect and higher on negative affect than Americans. The analyses also showed that American men scored significantly lower than American women on negative affect. The significance and implications of the results are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
René Mõttus ◽  
Jüri Allik ◽  
Anu Realo

Personality researchers often supplement or substitute self-reports with ratings from knowledgeable informants, at least implicitly assuming that the same constructs are measured regardless of the source of ratings. However, measurement invariance (MI) of personality constructs across these rating types has rarely been empirically tested. Here, this was done for the Five-Factor Model domains and their 30 facets (N = 3,253). Four domains and 26 facets showed the level of invariance (metric MI) required for comparing the relative standings of individuals across self-reports and informant-ratings, which is what researchers mostly do. However, 28 of the 35 scales failed to achieve the level of invariance (scalar MI) recommended when comparing mean scores. Self-informant pairs who contributed to higher MI also tended to display higher cross-rater agreement. In conclusion, self-reports and informant-ratings appear to measure reasonably similar constructs for most research purposes, but poor MI may contribute to imperfect cross-rater agreement.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stavros I. Iliadis ◽  
Cathrine Axfors ◽  
Agnes Friberg ◽  
Hans Arinell ◽  
Ulrika Beckman ◽  
...  

Abstract The Transgender Congruence Scale (TCS) is a non-binary tool used in Sweden for gender dysphoria (GD) assessment; however, its Swedish version has not been validated. To investigate the psychometric properties of the TCS, its capacity to distinguish individuals with GD and its concurrent validity compared to other scales. Patients with GD (n = 135) and controls (n = 443) filled in a questionnaire containing sociodemographic questions, the TCS, the Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale (UGDS), and the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults (GIDYQ-AA). TCS had good discriminatory validity and internal consistency. Patients with GD, stratified by birth-assigned sex, had lower TCS scores compared to controls. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the two-factor model of the TCS. Multiple-group CFA suggested measurement invariance between birth-assigned sexes and configural invariance between patients with GD and controls. Area under the ROC curve for birth-assigned males was 0.991 and for females 0.994. A TCS mean value of three provided sensitivity 94.3% and 95.1% as well as specificity 98.6% and 98% for aM and aF, respectively. The TCS was significantly correlated to UGDS and GIDYQ-AA. The TCS may be a valuable tool in the clinical assessment of individuals with GD.


2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Stevanovic ◽  
R. Urbán ◽  
O. Atilola ◽  
P. Vostanis ◽  
Y. P. Singh Balhara ◽  
...  

Aims.This study evaluated the measurement invariance of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) self-report among adolescents from seven different nations.Methods.Data for 2367 adolescents, aged 13–18 years, from India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Serbia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Croatia were available for a series of factor analyses.Results.The five-factor model including original SDQ scales emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity–inattention problems, peer problems and prosocial behaviour generated inadequate fit degree in all countries. A bifactor model with three factors (i.e., externalising, internalising and prosocial) and one general problem factor yielded adequate degree of fit in India, Nigeria, Turkey and Croatia. The prosocial behaviour, emotional symptoms and conduct problems factor were found to be common for all nations. However, originally proposed items loaded saliently on other factors besides the proposed ones or only some of them corresponded to proposed factors in all seven countries.Conclusions.Due to the lack of a common acceptable model across all countries, namely the same numbers of factors (i.e., dimensional invariance), it was not possible to perform the metric and scalar invariance test, what indicates that the SDQ self-report models tested lack appropriate measurement invariance across adolescents from these seven nations and it needs to be revised for cross-country comparisons.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 785-785
Author(s):  
J Karr ◽  
G Iverson

Abstract Objective Multiple factor analyses have examined the dimensionality of physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms both before and after a sport-related concussion. The current study compared model fit and measurement invariance of five candidate factor models, including a one-factor model, original four-factor model (cognitive-sensory, vestibular-somatic, sleep-arousal, and affective), alternative four-factor model (cognitive, physical, sleep-arousal, and affective), five-factor model (cognitive-sensory separated), and bifactor model. Method Student athletes (N = 1,554; 56.7% boys; age: M = 16.1 ± 1.2) completed the Post-Concussion Symptoms Scale (PCSS) at preseason baseline and after a suspected concussion. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted at both time points, with pre-injury to post-injury measurement invariance models (configural, weak, strong, and strict) also examined. Model results were assessed via fit indices (CFI ≥ .90/RMSEA≤.08) and change-in-fit indices (∆CFI ≤ -.01). Results All models other than the one-factor model showed excellent fit before and after concussion (CFIs>.95/RMSEAs < .06). Based on pre-injury to post-injury invariance analyses, full weak invariance was established for both four-factor and the bifactor models, and partial strict invariance was established for each of these models following modifications. Conclusions Support for partial strict invariance indicates that meaningful comparisons can be made between factor means before and after concussion for the four-factor and bifactor models, evidencing the validity of a total symptom score and specific symptom subscales before and after concussion. The alternative four-factor model may offer an improved conceptual framework compared to the original four-factor model, which included a non-intuitive cognitive-sensory factor. These findings could support the development of normative scores for PCSS subscales for use in research and clinical practice.


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