Measurement Invariance of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) in Peruvian and Spanish Older Adults

Although the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) has been validated in some European and American countries, there are no studies that evaluate its factorial invariance among different nations. In this sense, the objective of the study is to evaluate the factorial invariance of the BRCS in samples of older adults in Peru and Spain, using multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis. 236 older adults from Peru participated (Mean age = 72.8, SD = 6.90) and 133 older adults from Spain (Mean age = 71, SD = 7). In the Peruvian sample 78.4% were women and 21.6% men; while in the Spanish sample the majority were women (69.9%). The BRCS was scalar invariant but not strictly invariant between Spain and Peru. Our results found invariance of the structure, factor loadings and intercepts in both countries. These results support the use of BRCS in studies that compare the resilience between samples of older adults in both countries, and encourage applied research for the development of resilience in older adults in Spain and Peru.

Criteria for Teaching Performance in Psychology: Invariance According to Age, Sex, and Academic Stage of Peruvian Students

The use of scales to assess the performance of professors from the students' standpoint is a generalized practice in higher education systems worldwide. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factorial structure and measure the invariance of the Scale of Teaching Performance of the Psychology Professor (EDDPsic) among groups according to gender, age, and academic stage. The sample of participants was composed of 316 Psychology students from the fourth and sixth semesters (basic cycles), and from the eighth and tenth semesters (disciplinary-professional cycles) of two renowned public universities in Lima, Peru. Two hundred and thirty-one participants were women (73%), and the mean age of students was 21.5 years old (SD = 2.37). The measurement invariance of the scale in the three study variables was underpinned by a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) conducted using a five-factor model that showed the best fitness indices. It is concluded that significant differences in measuring teaching performance areas of the professor depend on the students' age difference and on their academic stage (to attend the disciplinary-professional cycles).

The Psychology of Sharing: Multigroup Analysis among Users and Non-Users of Carsharing

The present study investigates the determinants of intention to use carsharing services by an integrated model of psychological predictors of travel behavior. The model proposed is tested by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) in structural equation modeling (SEM) with further discussion about analysis of invariance and its relevance for comparisons between groups. The sample was classified into four groups: Italian users, Italian non-users, Swedish users, and Swedish non-users of carsharing. The users were respondents who have used or are currently using carsharing, while non-users reported never using the carsharing services. The analysis of data from 6072 respondents revealed that control was the main predictor of intention to use carsharing; driving habits had stronger negative effects for users of carsharing than for non-users; subjective norms positively predicted the intention to use carsharing among all groups; trust was a predictor of intention only for the Italian groups; and climate morality had a small negative effect on the Swedish groups only. The outcomes of this investigation will increase the knowledge about the use of carsharing and help to identify the behavioral and psychological factors that primarily influence people’s intention to use it.

Online vs. offline course evaluation revisited: testing the invariance of a course evaluation questionnaire using a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis framework

Survey-based formats of assessing teaching quality in higher education are widely used and will likely continue to be used by higher education institutions around the world as various global trends contributing to their widespread use further evolve. Although the use of mobile devices for course evaluation continues to grow, there remain some unresolved aspects of the classic paper and web-based modes of evaluation. In the current study, the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis approach (MGCFA), an accepted methodological approach in general mixed-method survey research, was chosen to address some of the methodological issues when comparing these two evaluation modes. By randomly assigning one of the two modes to 33 continuing training courses at a Swiss higher education institution, this study tested whether the two different modes of assessing teaching quality yield the same results. The practical implications for course evaluation practice in institutions of higher education as well as the implications and limitations of the chosen methodological approach are discussed.

Differential Item Functioning Effect Size From the Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis for a Meta-Analysis: A Simulation Study

This study presents a new approach to synthesizing differential item functioning (DIF) effect size: First, using correlation matrices from each study, we perform a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) that examines measurement invariance of a test item between two subgroups (i.e., focal and reference groups). Then we synthesize, across the studies, the differences in the estimated factor loadings between the two subgroups, resulting in a meta-analytic summary of the MGCFA effect sizes (MGCFA-ES). The performance of this new approach was examined using a Monte Carlo simulation, where we created 108 conditions by four factors: (1) three levels of item difficulty, (2) four magnitudes of DIF, (3) three levels of sample size, and (4) three types of correlation matrix (tetrachoric, adjusted Pearson, and Pearson). Results indicate that when MGCFA is fitted to tetrachoric correlation matrices, the meta-analytic summary of the MGCFA-ES performed best in terms of bias and mean square error values, 95% confidence interval coverages, empirical standard errors, Type I error rates, and statistical power; and reasonably well with adjusted Pearson correlation matrices. In addition, when tetrachoric correlation matrices are used, a meta-analytic summary of the MGCFA-ES performed well, particularly, under the condition that a high difficulty item with a large DIF was administered to a large sample size. Our result offers an option for synthesizing the magnitude of DIF on a flagged item across studies in practice.

TARGETING SMART SHOPPERS: A CROSS-COUNTRY MODEL

The purpose of this article is to provide a robust and consistent cross-country measurement of the smart-shopper self-concept. Drawing on existing single-country studies, our work extends research by validating a pioneer cross-country scale that measures the smart-shopping mechanism in a holistic manner. Survey data were collected from 1,233 shoppers from six different Western countries. Cross-country equivalence was assessed using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis using configural, metric, and factor variance invariance tests. The results indicate that the smart-shopper self-concept is a second-order construct comprising two dimensions: smartshopper-attributed behavior and smart-shopper feelings. Our findings also reveal that consumers in the different countries exhibit different degrees of smart-shopper self-concept and differ in their perceptions of the affective and behavioral responses generated during a smart purchase process. Marketing practitioners looking to target smart shoppers across multiple countries could build on the findings of this study to develop effective international segmentation and positioning strategies.

Higher-Order Factors and Measurement Equivalence of the Spectrum of Teaching Styles’ Questionnaire Across Two Cultures

Purpose: This study aimed to test the invariance of perceptions of the Spectrum teaching styles across Turkish and Greek preservice physical education teachers and to examine whether the styles could be classified into two clusters through self-determination theory. Greek (n = 298) and Turkish (n = 300) preservice teachers participated. Method: Cothran, Kulinna, and Ward’s questionnaire based on teachers’ use of and beliefs about teaching styles was used to examine their perceptions of the styles. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed 11 factor indices and parameter estimates, suggesting that the 11-factor model fit the data. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis established metric measurement invariance across samples. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that, for all higher-order models, the minimum requirement for invariance factor loading was met. The model comparison revealed that the styles could be categorized into four clusters from less to more autonomy-oriented. Conclusion: These findings might be useful to practitioners who want to use teaching styles in the promotion of students’ motivation in physical education.

Measurement Invariance of the ADHD Rating Scale–IV Home and School Versions Across Age, Gender, Clinical Status, and Informant

The present study aimed to investigate the measurement invariance across age, gender, clinical status, and informant of the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale–IV (ADHD-RS-IV) Home and School versions. The participants were 1,106 Romanian children and adolescents (mean age = 12.74 years, standard deviation = 2.84, age range 6-18 years). Both parents and teachers assessed ADHD symptoms. The factorial structure of the scale was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, and measurement invariance was assessed using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The results supported the reliability of the ADHD-RS-IV, with high internal consistency coefficients for both versions. Confirmatory factor analysis validated a two-factor model. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the measurement invariance of ADHD-RS-IV across age, gender, clinical status, and informant. ADHD-RS-IV had good psychometric properties in a sample of Romanian children and adolescents. It is a reliable instrument given its strong invariance. Implications for evidence-based assessment of ADHD are discussed.