School Burnout Inventory: Factorial Validity, Reliability, and Measurement Invariance in a Chilean Sample of High School Students

This brief report assessed the psychometric validity and gender invariance of the School Burnout Inventory (SBI) –a measure of students’ exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy– in a convenience sample of 972 high school Chilean students ranging between 12 and 18 years old. The results showed that: (1) the SBI produces adequate scores in terms of reliability; (2) two models (one solution of three related factors and one of second-order and three first-order factors) fitted adequately fit to our sample and was invariant across gender; and (3) the SBI scores were significantly related to other related constructs (i.e., study-related emotions, academic psychological capital, and academic engagement). Overall, the SBI was found to be a reliable and valid inventory to assess school burnout in Chilean high school students.

Measuring Math Anxiety Among Predominantly Underrepresented Minority Undergraduates Using the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale

Many students experience math anxiety, which can negatively affect their academic achievement and even their career choices. One of the most commonly used methods to assess math anxiety is the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS). Despite the ubiquity of this measure, there is a lack of studies assessing its validity. Moreover, almost all studies have administered the AMAS to a predominantly (>75%) White sample. The present study assessed the validity of the AMAS in a largely underrepresented minority-student (Hispanics and Blacks) sample. The construct validity of the scale was established by showing that students’ AMAS was predictive of both their actual (objective) and predicted (subjective) performance on an arithmetic task. The factor structure of the measure was validated by confirming that the two-factor model was a better fit than the one-factor model. Gender invariance was supported using multi-group confirmatory factor analyses. Overall, the results of the present study provide further evidence on the validity of the AMAS and its use among underrepresented minority college students.

Employee Intrapreneurship Scale: adaptation and validation in the Romanian working population

The present article includes two studies that have tested the reliability and validity of the Romanian adaptation of the Employee Intrapreneurship Scale (EIS). Intrapreneurship is a relatively novel concept describing proactive behaviors through which employees contribute to the growth and development of organizations they are employed in. The factorial structure and gender invariance of the EIS have been tested in the first sample, including 307 employees with diverse occupational backgrounds. The factorial structure was cross-validated in a second sample, including 122 employees with a similar composition. The second study also established convergent validity of the scale through testing its’ associations to risk-taking, innovativeness, and proactive personality. Discriminant validity was tested using the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) procedure. The results have confirmed a factor structure whereby employee intrapreneurship is composed of two latent indicators: strategic renewal and corporate venturing. Reliability indices and factor loadings have shown a consistent and valid measure of intrapreneurship at the employee level. Furthermore, the concept showed significant positive associations to other constructs in the nomological network, and the AVE indicated satisfactory discriminant validity. Overall, these studies provide a psychometrically valid measure to be used in intrapreneurship research in Romanian organizations.

Does Usage of Islamic Microfinance Products Influence the Income, Education, and Health in Mauritania?

This paper attempts to determine the effect of the use of Islamic microfinance (IsMF) products on Mauritanians' income, education, and healthcare, as well as the gender invariance in the model. The article uses cross-sectional design data gathered through a questionnaire from a sample of 381 beneficiaries of the largest IsMF institution in Mauritania, PROCAPEC-Nouakchott. Using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method, the results found that the use of IsMF products has a significant impact on the income level; however, it did not significantly impact children's education and healthcare. Gender has no moderator effect on the relationships in the model.

Direct and indirect relationships between social media use and body satisfaction: A prospective study among adolescent boys and girls

Cross-sectional research suggests a small, inverse association between social media use and body satisfaction. However, less is known regarding prospective, bidirectional, or mediating effects. In line with sociocultural theory, this study used a three-wave design to examine direct and indirect effects between social media use and body satisfaction, via thin-ideal and muscular-ideal internalisation and social comparisons. Adolescents ( n = 1911; Mage = 14.27, SD = 1.08) were invited to complete three surveys over 1 year. Cross-lagged panel models indicated acceptable fit for two social media use operationalisations, with better fit statistics for the appearance-focused use rather than photo-based activities model. Despite largely no direct effects, indirect effects were found. Social comparisons mediated the relationships over time, whereby higher social media use predicted higher comparisons, which predicted lower body satisfaction. The reverse direction was also found. Gender invariance indicates that prevention aimed at reducing comparisons may be suitable for boys and girls.

Cross-Cultural and Gender Invariance of Five Common Symptom and Cognitive Vulnerability Measures in the United States and Singapore

Reliable and valid measurements of anxiety, chronic worry, depressive, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms is essential when seeking to draw cross-cultural and gender comparisons. Accordingly, the current study determined the psychometric properties of five widely used symptom measures in the United States (U.S.) and Singapore (SG) and across gender: Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ), Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A). Participants comprised college students (U.S.: n = 292; SG: n = 144). Strict measurement invariance (equal factor loadings, item thresholds, residual variances) was observed for all measures across cultures and genders, except for the BAI, which met partial Level 1 strict cross-gender invariance. Overall, findings suggest a strong degree of cross-cultural and cross-gender construct compatibility, but also point to some notable exceptions, thereby providing ample material for theory-building and future research on transdiagnostic symptom and cognitive vulnerability measures across diverse groups.

Direct and indirect relationships between social media use and body satisfaction A prospective study among adolescent boys and girls

Cross-sectional research suggests a small, inverse association between social media use and body satisfaction. However, less is known regarding prospective, bidirectional, or mediating effects. In line with sociocultural theory, this study used a three-wave design to examine direct and indirect effects between social media use and body satisfaction, via thin-ideal and muscular-ideal internalisation and social comparisons. Adolescents (N = 1,911; Mage = 14.27, SD = 1.08) were invited to complete three surveys over 1-year. Cross-lagged panel models indicated acceptable fit for two social media use operationalisations, with better fit statistics for the appearance-focused use rather than photo-based activities model. Despite largely no direct effects, indirect effects were found. Social comparisons mediated the relationships over time, whereby higher social media use predicted higher comparisons, which predicted lower body satisfaction. The reverse direction was also found. Gender invariance indicates that prevention aimed at reducing comparisons may be suitable for boys and girls.

The Relation Between Television Viewing Time and Reading Achievement in Elementary School Children: A Test of Substitution and Inhibition Hypotheses

Research has focused on the relations between television (TV) viewing time and children’s reading achievement. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain this relation. The substitution hypothesis proposes that TV viewing distracts students from activities that are important for their learning. The inhibition hypothesis proposes that watching television inhibits important affective/cognitive skills. In this study, we test both hypotheses by estimating the relation between TV viewing time and reading achievement. We use the frequency of students’ leisure reading and the frequency of interactions between students and their parents as potential mediators to test the substitution hypothesis, whereas for the inhibition one, we use students’ intrinsic motivation to read and their level of inattention. Data come from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD). Designed by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, QLSCD covers a wide range of themes. The QLSCD is representative of children in Québec and contains 2223 participants who were followed from 0 to 21 years old. The four structural models tested are built as follows: the TV viewing time at 6 years old predicts the four mediating variables at 8 years old, which in turn predicts reading achievement at 10 years old. In addition, we have tested models’ gender invariance. Results indicate that TV viewing time is not directly or indirectly associated with reading achievement. Specifically, it is not associated with the mediating variables of child-parent interactions, intrinsic motivation, and inattention. However, the frequency of leisure reading is negatively associated with the time spent watching TV. This association is very small (−0.07) and has no indirect effect on reading achievement. Finally, results do not vary according to the gender of the participants. Our results are in line with those of previous studies in the field and cast some doubts on the potential negative effects of TV viewing time on reading achievement.

The Caregiving System Scale

According to attachment theory, the propensity of human beings to care for others is governed by an inborn caregiving behavioral system that aims to promote welfare and reduce the distress of other people through effective provision of care. However, some individuals may develop non-optimal caregiving strategies, such as anxious hyperactivation and avoidant deactivation. These two non-optimal caregiving strategies can be evaluated in adults using the Caregiving System Scale (CSS). Recent findings suggested that the factor structure of the instrument may be more complex than was intended. The present work examines in-depth the factor structure of the CSS to provide a clearer understanding of the underlying dimensions. Gender invariance and the contribution of attachment orientations to CSS scores are also examined. Findings reveal that, whereas the CSS-deactivation subscale is unidimensional, the CSS-hyperactivation subscale is better represented by two distinct yet related constructs – caregiving-related worries/doubts and intrusive/coercive caregiving. Partial strict gender invariance is supported. The contribution of attachment orientations to non-optimal caregiving strategies is consistent with theoretical expectations. Results and future research directions are discussed in the final section.