Measurement Invariance in the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire: Implications for Culturally Inclusive Parenting Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110300
Author(s):  
Anne Shaffer ◽  
Violeta J. Rodriguez ◽  
David J. Kolko ◽  
Paul A. Pilkonis ◽  
Oliver Lindhiem
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Parenting Behaviors ◽  
Measurement Development ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Alabama Parenting Questionnaire ◽  
Partial Invariance ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Optimal Parenting

Questions persist in the parenting literature regarding how best to define positive and negative parenting behaviors. Are there optimal parenting behaviors shared by mothers and fathers, or among different racial and ethnic groups? This study draws from a nationally representative sample of US parents of school-age children, testing aspects of measurement invariance in the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) full and short forms. Our goal was to highlight psychometric approaches to enhancing cultural sensitivity and inclusivity in parenting research, by assessing whether self-reported parenting behaviors have similar conceptual structure across groups. Tests of measurement invariance revealed that the factor structure of the APQ was the same across parent gender, race, and ethnicity. While partial invariance was found in some instances, we did not find metric and scalar invariance in comparisons among these groups. We conclude with research- and practice-based implications, and provide recommendations for future measurement development and use.

Analyzing Observed Composite Differences Across Groups

Methodology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Steinmetz
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Monte Carlo Study ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Factor Loadings ◽  
Latent Mean Differences ◽  
Partial Invariance ◽  
Mean Differences

Although the use of structural equation modeling has increased during the last decades, the typical procedure to investigate mean differences across groups is still to create an observed composite score from several indicators and to compare the composite’s mean across the groups. Whereas the structural equation modeling literature has emphasized that a comparison of latent means presupposes equal factor loadings and indicator intercepts for most of the indicators (i.e., partial invariance), it is still unknown if partial invariance is sufficient when relying on observed composites. This Monte-Carlo study investigated whether one or two unequal factor loadings and indicator intercepts in a composite can lead to wrong conclusions regarding latent mean differences. Results show that unequal indicator intercepts substantially affect the composite mean difference and the probability of a significant composite difference. In contrast, unequal factor loadings demonstrate only small effects. It is concluded that analyses of composite differences are only warranted in conditions of full measurement invariance, and the author recommends the analyses of latent mean differences with structural equation modeling instead.

Does School Climate Mean the Same Thing in the United States as in Mexico? A Focus on Measurement Invariance

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathan D. Shukla ◽  
Tracy E. Waasdorp ◽  
Sarah Lindstrom Johnson ◽  
Mercedes Gabriela Orozco Solis ◽  
Amanda J. Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
School Climate ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Students ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Partial Invariance ◽  
The U.S

School climate is an important construct for guiding violence prevention efforts in U.S. schools, but there has been less consideration of this concept in its neighboring country Mexico, which has a higher prevalence of violence. The U.S. Department of Education outlined a three-domain conceptualization of school climate (i.e., safe and supportive schools model) that includes engagement, safety, and the school environment. To examine the applicability of this school climate model in Mexico, the present study tested its measurement invariance across middle school students in the United States ( n = 15,099) and Mexico ( n = 2,211). Findings supported full invariance for engagement and modified-safety scales indicating that factor loadings and intercepts contributed almost equally to factor means, and scale scores were comparable across groups. Partial invariance was found for the environment scales. Results of a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) consisting of all 13 school climate scales indicated significantly positive associations among all scales in the U.S. sample and among most scales in the Mexico sample. Implications of these findings are discussed.

A Response to the GAO Report, “Disparities Still Exist in Who Gets Special Education”

1983 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Charlie Lakin ◽  
Bradley K. Hill ◽  
Florence A. Hauber ◽  
Robert H. Bruininks
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Mentally Retarded ◽  
Public Law ◽  
Residential Facilities ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
School Programs ◽  
Severely Handicapped ◽  
Nationally Representative

A September, 1981, General Accounting Office (GAO) report concluded that among the central objectives of Public Law 94–142, the priorities of serving the previously unserved and the most severely handicapped “may have been realized.” However, data gathered on 401 school-age children who were part of a nationally representative sample of 2,271 individuals living in residential facilities for mentally retarded persons found that at the same time the GAO study was conducted, substantial numbers of sample members were not in school programs and 8% were in no day programs whatsoever.

A Systematic Review of Parenting Scales Measurement Invariance/Equivalence of by Race and Ethnicity: Recommendations for Inclusive Parenting Research

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110386
Author(s):  
Violeta J. Rodriguez ◽  
Dominique L. La Barrie ◽  
Miriam C. Zegarac ◽  
Anne Shaffer
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Weak Evidence ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Racial Ethnic

The limited inclusion of racial/ethnic minorities in the development and validation of parenting measures limits our understanding of whether parenting constructs are valid in racial and ethnic minorities. Tests of measurement invariance/equivalence (MI/E) of parenting measures can help evaluate the validity of parenting constructs among racial/ethnic minorities. This systematic review summarized studies on MI/E of parenting constructs by race/ethnicity and evaluated the strength of the evidence. A literature search was conducted using various databases and references to retrieve studies from the United States. Indeed, 10 studies were identified that tested for MI/E of eight parenting scales by race/ethnicity. Only one scale showed moderate evidence of MI/E, five showed weak evidence of MI/E, and two showed no evidence of MI/E. Most studies (80%) used factor analytic methods to test for MI/E, but only two studies (20%) examined all levels of invariance. These findings show that differences exist in how racial/ethnic minorities perceive parenting constructs. Further research is needed to develop more inclusive parenting measures, to protect against the ways in which biased measures may pathologize or misrepresent parenting practices among racial/ethnic minorities.

scholarly journals Individuals’ Experiences with Religious Hostility, Discrimination, and Violence: Findings from a New National Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 237802312096781
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Scheitle ◽  
Elaine Howard Ecklund
Keyword(s):  
National Survey ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
National Origin ◽  
Violent Victimization ◽  
Representative Survey ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
The Past ◽  
Anti Semitism ◽  
Nationally Representative

While concerns about the consequences of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of religious bias have grown in the past several years, the data available to examine these issues have been limited. This study utilizes new data from a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults featuring oversamples of key religious minority groups and an instrument dedicated to measuring the extent to which individuals experience hostility, discrimination, and violence due to their religion. Findings show that, while a sizable minority of Christian adults report such experiences, a much greater share of Muslim and Jewish adults report experiences with interpersonal hostility, organizational discrimination, and violent victimization due to their religion. Analyses show that these patterns are largely unchanged after accounting for individuals’ race and ethnicity, national origin, and other characteristics, suggesting that experiences with religious hostility are not epiphenomenal to other social locations.

scholarly journals Rapid face orienting in infants and school-age children with and without autism: Exploring measurement invariance in eye-tracking

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. e0202875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten A. Dalrymple ◽  
Natalie Wall ◽  
Michael Spezio ◽  
Heather C. Hazlett ◽  
Joseph Piven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age

Why Buy a Home? Race, Ethnicity, and Homeownership Preferences in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 452-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. McCabe
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Housing Quality ◽  
Revealed Preferences ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Nationally Representative

There are many reasons why Americans prefer homeownership to renting. Owning a home can serve as a vehicle for economic mobility or a marker of status attainment. Homeownership may deepen feelings of ontological security and enable families to move into more convenient neighborhoods. While previous research on race, ethnicity, and housing focuses on homeownership attainment, identifying structural barriers to explain persistent racial disparities, there has been little investigation of the reasons why Americans prefer to own their own homes. Drawing on the National Housing Survey, a nationally representative survey of American adults, I ask how these reasons vary by race and ethnicity. I report that African Americans and Latinos are more likely than whites to identify the social status of ownership and the importance of building wealth as reasons to buy a home. While African Americans are also more likely to pursue homeownership as a way to improve their housing quality, they are less likely to view ownership as a tool for accessing more convenient neighborhoods. As a contribution to research on racial stratification in homeownership, my findings push beyond existing studies of revealed preferences to explain why buying a home endures as such an important goal for many Americans. African Americans and Latinos are more deeply invested in the social status of homeownership, the importance of building wealth, and the promise of moving into a nicer home when they pursue ownership opportunities.

scholarly journals Television viewing and variations in energy intake in adults and children in the USA

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 609-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan B Sisson ◽  
Stephanie T Broyles ◽  
Candace Robledo ◽  
Lindsay Boeckman ◽  
Misti Leyva
Keyword(s):  
Energy Intake ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Tv Viewing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Nationally Representative

AbstractObjectiveExamine the association between energy intake and television (TV) viewing in Americans.DesignNationally representative, cross-sectional study of 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.SettingTotal energy intake was determined by two 24 h recalls. TV viewing was reported as low (≤1 h/d), middle (2–3 h/d), and high (≥4 h/d). Multivariate linear regression models were used to analyse TV viewing and energy intake, adjusted for BMI (percentile for children 2–18 years), age, ethnicity and physical activity.SubjectsPre-school children (2–5 years;n1369), school-age children (6–11 years;n1759), adolescents (12–18 years;n3233) and adults (≥19 years;n7850) in the USA.ResultsThere was a significant association between TV viewing and energy intake for adolescent girls (highv. low:β= 195·2,P= 0·03) and men (highv. low:β= −113·0,P= 0·02; middlev. low:β= −131·1,P= 0·0002). Mean adjusted energy intake for adolescent girls was 7801·0, 8088·5 and 8618·2 kJ/d for low, middle and high TV viewing, respectively. Mean adjusted energy intake for men was 9845·9, 9297·2 and 9372·8 kJ/d for low, middle and high TV viewing.ConclusionsTV viewing was associated with energy intake in US children and adults only in 12–18-year-old girls and men. For girls, the high TV viewing category consumed more energy daily (816·3 kJ (195 kcal)) than the low category. In men, the middle and high TV viewing categories consumed less energy daily (548·4 kJ (131 kcal) and 473·0 kJ (113 kcal), respectively) than the low category. Our findings support some, but not all previous research. Future research is needed to explore this complicated relationship with rigorous measures of energy intake and TV viewing.

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