scholarly journals A Mokken Scale Analysis of the Kessler-6 Screening Measure among Chinese Older Population: Findings from a national survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisong Zhang ◽  
Zhongquan Li
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Old Chinese ◽  
Mokken Scale Analysis ◽  
Screening Measure ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
Public Data

Abstract BackgroundThe aging population increases rapidly across the world. Timely and effective screening of their mental health problems is important to individuals, families, and the whole society. The Kessler-6 screening measure (K6) is a very popular instrument for non-specific psychological distress. However, few studies have focused on the psychometric properties of this instrument in the older population.MethodsThe present study employed Mokken scale analysis to evaluate its dimensionality and structure, and used differential item functioning (DIF) to examine whether the same structure existed across sex in a national representative sample of old Chinese people. Data were drawn from a public data set, the 2010 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS2010), and responses from a total of 6450 participants aged 60 years old and above (3136 males and 3314 females) were included in the final analysis.ResultsMokken scale analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the K6. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis revealed that two of the six items ("Hopeless" and "Everything was an effort") were marked for DIF based on the Chi-square. However, their impacts were negligible in terms of McFadden's pseudo R 2.ConclusionsThe K6 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties in the old Chinese population. The sum of all six items can be used as an indicator of non-specific psychological distress. Differences in the indicator across sex should be considered as a real difference in psychological distress between the female and the male.

scholarly journals A Mokken scale analysis of the Kessler-6 screening measure among Chinese older population: findings from a national survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisong Zhang ◽  
Zhongquan Li
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Older Population ◽  
Old Chinese ◽  
Mokken Scale Analysis ◽  
Screening Measure ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
Public Data

Abstract Background The aging population increases rapidly across the world. Timely and effective screening of their mental-health problems is important to individuals, families, and the whole society. The Kessler-6 screening measure (K6) is a very popular instrument for non-specific psychological distress. However, few studies have focused on the psychometric properties of this instrument in the older population. Methods The present study employed Mokken scale analysis to evaluate its dimensionality and structure. This study also used differential item functioning (DIF) to examine whether the same structure existed across sex in a national representative sample of old Chinese people. Data were drawn from a public data set, the 2010 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS2010), and responses from a total of 6450 participants aged 60 years old and above (3136 males and 3314 females) were included in the final analysis. Results Mokken scale analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the K6. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis revealed that two of the six items (“Hopeless” and “Everything was an effort”) were marked for DIF based on the Chi-square. However, their impacts were negligible in terms of McFadden’s pseudo R2. Conclusions The K6 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties in the old Chinese population. The sum of all six items can be used as an indicator of non-specific psychological distress. Differences in the indicator across sex should be considered as a real difference in psychological distress between the female and the male.

scholarly journals A Mokken Scale Analysis of the Kessler-6 Screening Measure among Chinese Older Population: Findings from a national survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisong Zhang ◽  
Zhongquan Li
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Older Population ◽  
Old Chinese ◽  
Mokken Scale Analysis ◽  
Screening Measure ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
Public Data

Abstract Background The aging population increases rapidly across the world. Timely and effective screening of their mental-health problems is important to individuals, families, and the whole society. The Kessler-6 screening measure (K6) is a very popular instrument for non-specific psychological distress. However, few studies have focused on the psychometric properties of this instrument in the older population. Methods The present study employed Mokken scale analysis to evaluate its dimensionality and structure. This study also used differential item functioning (DIF) to examine whether the same structure existed across sex in a national representative sample of old Chinese people. Data were drawn from a public data set, the 2010 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS2010), and responses from a total of 6450 participants aged 60 years old and above (3136 males and 3314 females) were included in the final analysis.Results Mokken scale analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the K6. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis revealed that two of the six items ("Hopeless" and "Everything was an effort") were marked for DIF based on the Chi-square. However, their impacts were negligible in terms of McFadden's pseudo R2.Conclusions The K6 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties in the old Chinese population. The sum of all six items can be used as an indicator of non-specific psychological distress. Differences in the indicator across sex should be considered as a real difference in psychological distress between the female and the male.

scholarly journals A Mokken Scale Analysis of the Kessler-6 Screening Measure among Chinese Elderly Population: Findings from a national survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisong Zhang ◽  
Zhongquan Li
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Old Chinese ◽  
Mokken Scale Analysis ◽  
Screening Measure ◽  
Item Functioning

Abstract Background The ageing population increases rapidly across the world. Timely and effective screening of their mental health problems is important to individuals, families and the whole society. The Kessler-6 screening measure (K6) is a very popular instrument for non-specific psychological distress. However, few studies have focused on the psychometric properties of this instrument in the elderly population. Methods The present study employed Mokken scale analysis to evaluate its dimensionality and structure, and employed differential item functioning (DIF) to examine whether the same structure existed across sex in a national representative sample of old Chinese people. Data were drawn from a public data set, the 2010 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS2010), and responses from a total of 6450 participants aged 60 years old and above (3136 males and 3314 females) were included in the final analysis. Results Mokken scale analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the K6. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis revealed that two of the six items ("Hopeless" and "Everything was an effort") were marked for DIF based on the Chi-square. However, their impacts were negligible in term of McFadden's pseudo R2. Conclusions The K6 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties in the old Chinese population. The sum of all six items can be used as an indicator of non-specific psychological distress. Differences in the indicator across gender should be considered as a real difference in psychological distress between the female and the male.

scholarly journals Item response analysis of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory among the elderly in China: dimensionality and differential item functioning test

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongquan Li ◽  
Xia Zhao ◽  
Ang Sheng ◽  
Li Wang
Keyword(s):  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Mokken Scale Analysis ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
Bifactor Modeling ◽  
Somatic Diseases

Abstract Background Anxiety symptoms are pervasive among elderly populations around the world. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (the GAI) has been developed and widely used in screening those suffering from severe symptoms. Although debates about its dimensionality have been mostly resolved by Molde et al. (2019) with bifactor modeling, evidence regarding its measurement invariance across sex and somatic diseases is still missing. Methods This study attempted to provide complemental evidence to the dimensionality debates of the GAI with Mokken scale analysis and to examine its measurement invariance across sex and somatic diseases by conducting differential item functioning (DIF) analysis among a sample of older Chinese adults. The data was from responses of a large representative sample (N = 1314) in the Chinese National Survey Data Archive, focusing on the mental health of elderly adults. Results The results of Mokken scale analysis confirmed the unidimensionality of the GAI, and DIF analysis indicated measurement invariance of this inventory across individuals with different sex and somatic diseases, with just a few items exhibiting item bias but all of them negligible. Conclusions All these findings supported the use of this inventory among Chinese elders to screen anxiety symptoms and to make comparisons across sex and somatic diseases.

Mokken Scale Analysis: Discussion and Application

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 672-695
Author(s):  
Thomas DeVaney
Keyword(s):  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Guttman Scale ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mokken Scale Analysis ◽  
Irt Models ◽  
Guttman Scaling

This article presents a discussion and illustration of Mokken scale analysis (MSA), a nonparametric form of item response theory (IRT), in relation to common IRT models such as Rasch and Guttman scaling. The procedure can be used for dichotomous and ordinal polytomous data commonly used with questionnaires. The assumptions of MSA are discussed as well as characteristics that differentiate a Mokken scale from a Guttman scale. MSA is illustrated using the mokken package with R Studio and a data set that included over 3,340 responses to a modified version of the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale. Issues addressed in the illustration include monotonicity, scalability, and invariant ordering. The R script for the illustration is included.

scholarly journals Sensitivity Of Differential Item Functioning Detection Methods On National Mathematics Examination In North Sumatera Province, Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5C) ◽  
pp. 1538-1549
Keyword(s):  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Likelihood Ratio ◽  
Classical Test Theory ◽  
Test Theory ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Ratio Method ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
Mathematics Examination

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in sensitivity of three methods: IRT-Likelihood Ratio (IRT-LR), Mantel-Haenszel (MH) and Logistics Regression (LR), in detecting gender differential item functioning (DIF) on National Mathematics Examination (Ujian Nasional: UN) for 2014/2015 academic year in North Sumatera Province of Indonesia. DIF item shows the unfairness. It advantages the test takers of certain groups and disadvantages other group test takers, in the case they have the same ability. The presence of DIF was reviewed in grouping by gender: men as reference groups (R) and women as focus groups (F). This study used the experimental method, 3x1 design, with one factor (i.e. method) with three treatments, in the form of 3 different DIF detection methods. There are 5 types of UN Mathematics Year 2015 packages (codes: 1107, 2207, 3307, 4407 and 5507). The 2207 package code was taken as the sample data, consisting of 5000 participants (3067 women, 1933 men; for 40 UN items). Item selection was carried out based on the classical test theory (CTT) on 40 UN items, producing 32 items that fulfilled, and item response theory selection (IRT) produced 18 items that fulfilled. With program R 3.333 and IRTLRDIF 2.0, it was found 5 items were detected as DIF by the IRT-Likelihood Ratio-method (IRTLR), 4 items were detected as DIF by the Logistic Regression method (LR), and 3 items were detected as DIF by the MantelHaenszel method (MH). To test the sensitivity of the three methods, it is not enough with just one time DIF detection, but formed six groups of data analysis: (4400,40),(4400,32), (4400,18), (3000,40), (3000,32), (3000,18), and generate 40 random data sets (without repetitions) in each group, and conduct detecting DIF on the items in each data set. Although the data lacks model fit, the 3 parameter logistic model (3PL) is chosen as the most suitable model. With the Tukey's HSD post hoc test, the IRT-LR method is known to be more sensitive than the MH and LR methods in the group (4400,40) and (3000,40). The IRT-LR method is not longer more sensitive than LR in the group (4400,32) and (3000,32), but still more sensitive than MH. In the groups (4400,18) and (3000,18) the IRT-LR method is more sensitive than LR, but not significantly more sensitive than MH. The LR method is consistently tested to be more sensitive than the MH method in the entire analysis groups.

A Bifactor Multidimensional Item Response Theory Model for Differential Item Functioning Analysis on Testlet-Based Items

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 604-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirotaka Fukuhara ◽  
Akihito Kamata
Keyword(s):  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Multidimensional Item Response Theory ◽  
Multidimensional Item Response ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Item Functioning

A differential item functioning (DIF) detection method for testlet-based data was proposed and evaluated in this study. The proposed DIF model is an extension of a bifactor multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) model for testlets. Unlike traditional item response theory (IRT) DIF models, the proposed model takes testlet effects into account, thus estimating DIF magnitude appropriately when a test is composed of testlets. A fully Bayesian estimation method was adopted for parameter estimation. The recovery of parameters was evaluated for the proposed DIF model. Simulation results revealed that the proposed bifactor MIRT DIF model produced better estimates of DIF magnitude and higher DIF detection rates than the traditional IRT DIF model for all simulation conditions. A real data analysis was also conducted by applying the proposed DIF model to a statewide reading assessment data set.

scholarly journals The psychometric properties of a short version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale: A Rasch analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A M S Steigen ◽  
H S F Finbråten ◽  
A L K Kleppang
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Measurement Theory ◽  
School Level ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
General Self Efficacy

Abstract Background Self-efficacy is important in adolescence and is found to affect adolescents’ physical activity, risk-taking behaviour and health decisions. Self-efficacy describes a person’s belief in own coping abilities. Having good measures of self-efficacy may contribute to more valid knowledge about the potential role of self-efficacy as a health promoting factor in adolescents lives. Several scales measuring self-efficacy exists. One of these is the General Self-Efficacy Scale comprising 10-items. However, there exists several short versions of the scale. In a large cross-sectional study among adolescents in secondary schools in Norway, five of the items from the General Self-Efficacy Scale are used. The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of this short version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale applying Rasch measurement theory. Methods This study is based on cross-sectional data from the Youth Data Survey. The data collection was carried out in lower and upper secondary schools in Norway during 2018. In total, 6646 adolescents responded to a web-based questionnaire. The data were analysed using the partial credit parameterization of the unidimensional Rasch model. Results Preliminary results indicated that the short version had acceptable reliability (person separation index: 0.78). However, the targeting could have been better (mean person location: 1.441). All items had ordered thresholds. One under-discriminating item and three over-discriminating items were identified. Three items displayed differential item functioning with regard to gender and one item displayed differential item functioning for school level. Conclusions Based on our preliminary findings this short version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale has the potential to measure self-efficacy among adolescents, but there are room for improvements. The scale has some shortcomings related to targeting and differential item functioning that needs to be further explored. Key messages The short version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale has the potential to measure self-efficacy in adolescents. The scale has some shortcomings that needs to be further judged.

Geriatric Anxiety Scale: item response theory analysis, differential item functioning, and creation of a ten-item short form (GAS-10)

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 1099-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne E. Mueller ◽  
Daniel L. Segal ◽  
Brandon Gavett ◽  
Meghan A. Marty ◽  
Brian Yochim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Anxiety Scale ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackground:The Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS; Segal et al. (Segal, D. L., June, A., Payne, M., Coolidge, F. L. and Yochim, B. (2010). Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24, 709–714. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.05.002) is a self-report measure of anxiety that was designed to address unique issues associated with anxiety assessment in older adults. This study is the first to use item response theory (IRT) to examine the psychometric properties of a measure of anxiety in older adults.Method:A large sample of older adults (n = 581; mean age = 72.32 years, SD = 7.64 years, range = 60 to 96 years; 64% women; 88% European American) completed the GAS. IRT properties were examined. The presence of differential item functioning (DIF) or measurement bias by age and sex was assessed, and a ten-item short form of the GAS (called the GAS-10) was created.Results:All GAS items had discrimination parameters of 1.07 or greater. Items from the somatic subscale tended to have lower discrimination parameters than items on the cognitive or affective subscales. Two items were flagged for DIF, but the impact of the DIF was negligible. Women scored significantly higher than men on the GAS and its subscales. Participants in the young-old group (60 to 79 years old) scored significantly higher on the cognitive subscale than participants in the old-old group (80 years old and older).Conclusions:Results from the IRT analyses indicated that the GAS and GAS-10 have strong psychometric properties among older adults. We conclude by discussing implications and future research directions.

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