How Universal Is a Construct of Loneliness? Measurement Invariance of the UCLA Loneliness Scale in Indonesia, Germany, and the United States

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110345
Author(s):  
Joevarian Hudiyana ◽  
Tania M. Lincoln ◽  
Steffi Hartanto ◽  
Muhammad A. Shadiqi ◽  
Mirra N. Milla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Loneliness Scale ◽  
The One

The UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-20) and its short version (ULS-8) are widely used to measure loneliness. However, the question remains whether or not previous studies using the scale to measure loneliness are measuring the construct equally across countries. The present study examined the measurement invariance (MI) of both scales in Germany, Indonesia, and the United States ( N = 2350). The one-, two-, and three-factor structure of the ULS-20 did not meet the model fit cut-off criteria in the total sample. The ULS-8 met the model fit cut-off criteria and has configural, but not metric invariance because two items unrelated to social isolation were not MI. The final six items (ULS-6) exclusively related to social isolation had complete MI. Participants from the United States scored highest in the ULS-6, followed by participants from Germany and then Indonesia. We conclude that the ULS-6 is an appropriate measure for cross-cultural studies on loneliness.

Culture, Gender, and Assessment of Fear of Fatness

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suman Ambwani ◽  
Cortney S. Warren ◽  
David H. Gleaves ◽  
Antonio Cepeda-Benito ◽  
Mari Carmen Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Measurement Equivalence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
American Women ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Fear Of Fat

To understand the relevance of the fear of fatness construct across culture and gender, we translated the Goldfarb Fear of Fat Scale (GFFS) and examined its psychometric properties in English and Spanish languages in a sample of Euro-American male (n = 111) and female (n = 100), and Spanish male (n = 114) and female (n = 544) college students in the United States and Spain. Confirmatory and exploratory analyses tested the measurement equivalence of the instrument across samples by gender and culture. Eight of the 10 items appeared to demonstrate measurement invariance. Mean comparisons on the eight-item version suggested that there was a gender by country interaction, with Euro-American women scoring substantially higher than the three other groups. Overall, these results highlight the need for additional examinations of cross-cultural instrument invariance and explorations of the fear of fatness construct.

scholarly journals Measuring (Non)Essentialist Beliefs About the Process of Aging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Weiss ◽  
Manfred Diehl
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Objectives We validated an aging mindset measure that captures beliefs about the process of aging. Specifically, we introduce a brief 4-item and an extended 10-item measure assessing (non)essentialist beliefs about aging. Methods We report findings from one longitudinal and one cross-cultural study, including young, middle-aged, and older adults between 18 and 88 years. The studies established (retest) reliability and measurement invariance as well as convergent and discriminant validity of the measures. Results First, in a longitudinal study (N = 124, 50–84 years) including 4 measurement occasions, we showed that the 4-item scale assessing (non)essentialist beliefs about aging has good retest reliability and convergent as well as discriminant validity (e.g., awareness of age-related change). Second, in a large cross-cultural sample (N = 1,080, 18–82 years) of participants in the United States and Germany, we established an extended 10-item measure of (non)essentialist beliefs about aging, providing support for a 2-factor structure as well as measurement invariance across samples within and across countries (the United States and Germany), age groups (young, middle-aged, and older adults), as well as across men and women. Discussion Our results highlight the importance of distinguishing between fixed versus malleable aging beliefs in research on aging and life-span development.

scholarly journals Development, Construct Validity, and Measurement Invariance of the Parasocial Relationship With Political Figures (PSR-P) Scale

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moh Abdul Hakim ◽  
James H. Liu
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Emotional Bonding ◽  
Parasocial Relationship

Abstract. Parasocial theory views ordinary people’s emotional bonding with political figures as a form of parasocial relationship (PSR). Despite the insights it offers, existing measures of PSR have been criticized conceptually and psychometrically. We developed a new scale of PSR with political figures (PSR-P) and examined the construct validity, factor replicability, and measurement invariance based on samples from culturally and politically diverse countries (i.e., Indonesia, New Zealand, and the United States). In three studies using a panel of experts ( N = 20; Study 1), a convenience adult sample ( N = 212; Study 2), and representative and cross-cultural samples ( N = 897; Study 3), we found that the four-item PSR-R scale provides satisfying construct validity, as well as a replicable factor structure and scalar invariance across countries. The PSR-P scale can be utilized to advance the measurement and application of parasocial theory in the field of social and political psychology. The policy implications of the findings are also discussed.

scholarly journals Measurement Invariance Analysis on the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale in a U.S. and Japanese College Sample

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-394
Author(s):  
Saki C. Nakai ◽  
Regan A. R. Gurung
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Behavioral Activation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Behavioral Inhibition System ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Cultural Validity ◽  
Configural Invariance

In the present study, we tested the factor structure of the 20-item Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS; Cheek & Melichor, 1985) in a U.S. sample and used measurement invariance analysis to explore its cross-cultural validity in a previously collected Japanese sample (Sato et al., 2018). We additionally measured related personality traits (Big Five; Locus of Control, LOC; and Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System, BIS/BAS) to examine whether each predicted shyness. Participants were undergraduate students in the United States (N = 525) and Japan (N = 508). Exploratory factor analysis (n = 261) revealed a unidimensional structure for shyness to be the best fit. Measurement invariance analysis (n = 256 for United States) showed that the RCBS did not establish configural invariance, the weakest level in measurement invariance, suggesting that it may not be a cross-culturally valid and reliable tool to assess shyness. We thus did not perform any cross-cultural comparisons of variables, as initially intended. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression in the U.S. sample foundextraversion to negatively predict shyness, β = −.59, p < .001, and neuroticism, β = .18, p < .001, LOC (external), β = .14, p < .001, and BIS, β = .19, p < .001, to positively predict shyness. Gender was not a significant predictor, β = .09, p = .075. Future work may focus on the development of a Japanese shyness measure independent from U.S. conceptualizations to improve the cross-cultural validity and reliability of shyness measures.

scholarly journals Measurement Invariance of Three Narcissism Questionnaires Across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany

Assessment ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-43
Author(s):  
Eunike Wetzel ◽  
Felix J. Lang ◽  
Mitja D. Back ◽  
Michele Vecchione ◽  
Radoslaw Rogoza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Pathological Narcissism ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Pathological Narcissism Inventory ◽  
The U.S

With a recent surge of research on narcissism, narcissism questionnaires are increasingly being translated and applied in various countries. The measurement invariance of an instrument across countries is a precondition for being able to compare scores across countries. We investigated the cross-cultural measurement invariance of three narcissism questionnaires (Brief Pathological Narcissism Inventory [B-PNI], Narcissistic Personality Inventory [NPI], and Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire [NARQ]) and mean-level differences across samples from the United States ( N = 2,464), the United Kingdom ( N = 307), and Germany ( N = 925). Overall, the B-PNI and NARQ functioned equivalently for the U.S. and U.K. participants. More violations of measurement invariance were found between Germany and the combined U.S. and U.K. samples, and for the NPI. In the B-PNI and NARQ, Americans scored higher than individuals from the United Kingdom regarding agentic aspects (self-sacrificing self-enhancement, admiration), while Germans scored lower than both Americans and U.K. individuals regarding antagonistic (entitlement rage, rivalry) and neurotic (hiding the self, contingent self-esteem) aspects. More inconsistent results were found for NPI facets. When noninvariance was present, observed means yielded biased results. Thus, the degree of measurement invariance across translated instrument versions should be considered in cross-cultural comparisons, even with culturally similar countries.

Measurement Invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience Across 13 Countries

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110214
Author(s):  
Veljko Jovanović ◽  
Mohsen Joshanloo ◽  
Marta Martín-Carbonell ◽  
Corrado Caudek ◽  
Begoña Espejo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Age Range

The Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) is widely used to measure emotional experiences, but not much is known about its cross-cultural utility. The present study evaluated the measurement invariance of the SPANE across adult samples ( N = 12,635; age range = 18-85 years; 58.2% female) from 13 countries (China, Colombia, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, and the United States). Configural and partial scalar invariance of the SPANE were supported. Three items capturing specific negative emotions (sad, afraid, and angry) were found to be culturally noninvariant. Our findings suggest that the SPANE’s positive emotion terms and general negative emotion terms (e.g., negative and unpleasant) might be more suitable for cross-cultural studies on emotions and well-being, whereas caution is needed when comparing countries using the SPANE’s specific negative emotion items.

A cross-cultural analysis of disagreements in classroom discourse: Comparative case studies from England, the United States, and Israel

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadar Netz ◽  
Adam Lefstein
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Comparative Case Studies ◽  
The One ◽  
Pedagogical Goals ◽  
Cross Cultural Analysis

AbstractHow do cultural and institutional factors interact in shaping preference structures? This paper presents a cross-cultural analysis of disagreements in three different classroom settings: (1) a year 6 (ages 11–12) mainstream class in England, (2) a fifth-grade class of gifted students in the United States, and (3) a fourth-grade mainstream class in Israel. The aim of the study is to investigate how disagreements are enacted in these settings, exploring the influence of cultural communicative norms on the one hand and pedagogical goals and norms on the other. The study highlights culture-specific discursive patterns that emerge as the teacher and students manage a delicate balance between often clashing cultural and educational motives.

Cross–cultural Validity of the Reactive–Proactive Aggression Questionnaire Among Adults Across Five Countries

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052096667
Author(s):  
Bojana M. Dinić ◽  
Adrian Raine ◽  
Aleksandar Vujić ◽  
Josanne D. M. van Dongen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Proactive Aggression ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
Marginal Model ◽  
Cultural Validity ◽  
Aggression Questionnaire

This study aims to test psychometric properties and factor invariance of the Reactive–Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) for adults across five countries: Serbia ( N = 409), Mauritius ( N = 400), the United States ( N = 389), the Netherlands ( N = 372), and China ( N = 325). The results supported the two–factor structure across country samples, with a marginal model fit in Mauritius. Results also supported the congruent factor structure of Reactive Aggression scale across countries, while the Proactive Aggression scale can be considered as equal across samples from Serbia, the United States, and China, but not from Mauritius and the Netherland. Among items from the Proactive Aggression scale, those referring to open aggression aimed at obtaining social status and dominance, frightening or harming others, obtained the highest loadings across all samples and could be considered as the good representatives of adult proactive aggression. This is the first study in which cross-cultural validation of the RPQ among adults has been tested and results suggested that there are some cultural differences in expression of proactive aggression.

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