Longitudinal Measurement Invariance of the Authoritative School Climate Survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 073428292110113
Author(s):  
Tim R. Konold ◽  
Kelly D. Edwards ◽  
Dewey G. Cornell

This study evaluated the longitudinal psychometric properties of the Authoritative School Climate Survey (ASCS) using a statewide sample of middle and high schools across 8 years. Multilevel confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the longitudinal measurement invariance of three scales on the ASCS: disciplinary structure, teacher respect for students, and students’ willingness to seek help. These scales demonstrated strong factorial invariance across all time points for both middle and high schools. Results support the use of these scales in evaluating longitudinal change in school climate.

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 771-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Piskernik ◽  
Barbara Supper ◽  
Lieselotte Ahnert

Abstract. While parenting research continues to compare similarities and differences in mothers’ and fathers’ behaviors based on mean values on the respective dimensions, measurement invariance as a prerequisite for these comparisons has seldom been assured. The present study thus subjected the well-known Parenting Stress Index (PSI), widely used in models of family functioning, to a rigorous measurement invariance analysis based on ( N = 214) Austrian couples with children younger than 3 years of age. We evaluated configural, metric, scalar, and uniqueness invariance on item and subscale levels, and tested for structural invariance of means and variances of the PSI parent and child domain by second-order confirmatory factor analyses. As a result, only measurement differences on the scalar levels affected the factor scores, though negligibly. On the structural levels, no differences were found on the PSI child domain across parents, but on the PSI parent domain, mothers reported more stress.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110360
Author(s):  
Qingsong Tan ◽  
Jilin Zou ◽  
Feng Kong

The 5-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-5) is one of the most commonly used instruments to measure dispositional gratitude in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to verify the longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) and gender measurement invariance (GMI) of the GQ-5 that was administered to an adolescent sample twice over the course of 18 months ( N = 669). Single-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was adopted to examine the LMI and multiple-group CFA was conducted to assess the GMI. The results showed that the GQ-5 had strong invariance (i.e., equality of factor patterns, loadings, and intercepts) across time and gender. Validation of latent factor mean differences showed that females had higher gratitude scores than males. In addition, the GQ-5 exhibited good internal consistency indices across time and a moderate stability coefficient was also found across an 18-month time interval in adolescents. In summary, our study showed that LMI and GMI of the GQ-5 are satisfactory and the GQ-5 is a reliable instrument for measuring gratitude in adolescents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth von Brachel ◽  
Angela Bieda ◽  
Jürgen Margraf ◽  
Gerrit Hirschfeld

Abstract. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI)-18 is a widely-used tool to assess changes in general distress in patients despite an ongoing debate about its factorial structure and lack of evidence for longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI). We investigated BSI-18 scores from 1,081 patients from an outpatient clinic collected after the 2nd, 6th, 10th, 18th, and 26th therapy session. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to compare models comprising one, three, and four latent dimensions that were proposed in the literature. LMI was investigated using a series of model comparisons, based on chi-square tests, effect sizes, and changes in comparative fit index (CFI). Psychological distress diminished over the course of therapy. A four-factor structure (depression, somatic symptoms, generalized anxiety, and panic) showed the best fit to the data at all measurement occasions. The series of model comparisons showed that constraining parameters to be equal across time resulted in very small decreases in model fit that did not exceed the cutoff for the assumption of measurement in variance. Our results show that the BSI-18 is best conceptualized as a four-dimensional tool that exhibits strict longitudinal measurement invariance. Clinicians and applied researchers do not have to be concerned about the interpretation of mean differences over time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-497
Author(s):  
Julia Haversath ◽  
Kathrin M. Gärttner ◽  
Sören Kliem ◽  
Christoph Kröger

Abstract. Spousal forgiveness is positively linked to aspects of relationship satisfaction, as well as to the physical and psychological health of both partners. Oftentimes, the respective values for men and women are compared under the untested assumption of measurement invariance of the assessment tool. In order to investigate the factorial invariance (configural, metric, scalar, and residual) of the German version of the Marital Offence-Specific Forgiveness Scale (MOFS; Paleari et al., 2009 ), we conducted several multigroup confirmatory factor analyses. In the context of comparing increasingly stringent models, tests of measurement invariance indicated at least partial measurement invariance. These findings suggest that the MOFS operates in a similar fashion among men and women, thus supporting the assessment of spousal forgiveness with the German MOFS.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 717-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil Mathur ◽  
Benny Barak ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Keun S. Lee ◽  
Boonghee Yoo ◽  
...  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale to measure social religiosity (SR) and assess its measurement invariance across different cultures. Design/methodology/approach – The research relied on samples from China (n=486), India (n=377), Japan (n=362), Korea (n=386), and the USA (n=580). The invariance process involved carrying out a series of confirmatory factor analyses with progressively more restrictive constraints. Findings – Results show the SR scale to be reliable and valid across culturally and religiously diverse countries. Implications of the findings are also discussed. Originality/value – Based on Katz (1988) this is a new scale to measure SR and its measurement invariance is assessed across culturally divergent countries.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 716-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leeann M. Lower ◽  
Tarkington J. Newman ◽  
Dawn Anderson-Butcher

The teamwork life skill is a critical outcome desired in many positive youth development interventions; however, limited versatile, user-friendly measures of this construct exist. Purpose: This study examines the psychometric properties of the Teamwork Scale for Youth, an assessment designed to measure youths’ perceptions of their teamwork competency. Methods: The Teamwork Scale for Youth was administered to a sample of 460 youths. Confirmatory factor analyses examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the scale across time. Correlations between teamwork and perceived social competence and commitment scores were also examined. Results: The revised 8-item Teamwork Scale for Youth was found to demonstrate acceptable factorial validity and measurement invariance across time. Additionally, strong reliability and concurrent and predictive validity of the scale were established. Discussion: The Teamwork Scale for Youth is a brief, easily administered, psychometrically sound tool that can be used with confidence in social work research and practice.


Assessment ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 107319112093633
Author(s):  
Corinna S. Martarelli ◽  
Alex Bertrams ◽  
Wanja Wolff

This article reports the translation into German and validation of two self-report measures of mind-wandering and boredom (the Spontaneous and Deliberate Mind-Wandering Scales and the Short Boredom Proneness Scale). Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the original conceptualization of the constructs. To evaluate measurement invariance across samples, data were collected in a German-speaking sample ( n = 418) and an English-speaking sample ( n = 364). The results indicated weak measurement invariance. To explore the interplay between mind-wandering and boredom, we performed an exploratory graph analysis in the entire sample ( N = 782), which revealed the structure of relationships between boredom and the two facets of mind-wandering. The results are discussed in the context of theoretical accounts of boredom and mind-wandering.


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