The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory: Factorial invariance in problem behaviors across gender and age

The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) assesses problem behaviors in children, and is a widely used instrument in both clinical work and research. Evidence suggests that the short ECBI version, comprising 22 items, can be reduced into the three oblique factors: Oppositional defiant behavior; Conduct problem behavior; and Inattentive behavior. The present study aimed to evaluate this three‐factor model in a Norwegian sample of 554 children, and examine multi‐group invariance across gender and age. Consistent with previous research, results confirmed a tripartite model, with the same residual covariances and cross‐loading appearing across groups. Multi‐group confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated partial measurement invariance across gender and age. Overall, findings support a meaningful comparison of the short ECBI across gender and age. The study makes a contribution to the generalizability issue of the ECBI.     

Dimensional structure and measurement invariance of the BRIEF-2 across gender in a socially vulnerable sample of primary school-aged children

The present study aims to analyze, on the one hand, the dimensional structure of the BRIEF-2 and, on the other, its measurement invariance across gender in a sample of primary school-aged children. Participants were 168 students (51.8% girls) in conditions of social risk and in foster homes, with ages ranging from 6 to 15 years old (M = 10.08; SD = 2.09). The children’s executive functioning level was obtained from their parents or caregivers. The analysis of the internal structure using confirmatory factor analysis reveals that the model with three indexes (Behavioral, Emotional and Cognitive) and nine scales (Inhibit, Shift, Self-Monitor, Emotional Control, Initiate, Working Memory, Plan/Organize, Organization of Materials and Task-Monitor) showed a good fit to the sample. Likewise, the results support the measurement invariance of the BRIEF-2 across genders. The coefficient alpha values for the index scores ranged from .71 to .91, with coefficients for the individual scales ranging from .66 to .88. The findings support the factorial validity of the BRIEF-2 scores, suggesting that it is an adequate instrument to evaluate executive functioning reported by parents and caregivers. Future studies must continue to examine the structure and invariance of the BRIEF-2 in different populations and cultures.     

Personal assessment of intimacy in relationships: Validity and measurement invariance across gender

IntroductionIntimacy is central in close relationships and a variety of definitions and instruments exist in scientific literature, making this concept complex to investigate. Furthermore, gender differences were identified in the definition and experience of intimacy.ObjectivesThis study aims to confirm the three-factor structure of the personal assessment of intimacy in relationships (PAIR, Schaefer & Olson, 1981), commonly used in research and marital therapy, developed by Moore et al. (1998) and to examine the measurement equivalence of the scale across gender.MethodA confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on the responses of 313 women and 251 men in committed relationships in a French population. Measurement equivalence of the scale across gender was then conducted with the best-fitting model.ResultsThe results of CFA and post-hoc analyses revealed that the three-factor model revised with 18 items was the best fit to the data: (1) engagement (10 items), (2) communication (5 items), (3) shared friends (3 items). PAIR-18 displayed a lack of metric and scalar invariance across gender but estimated means of latent variables is not very different between the full invariant model and the unconstraint models.ConclusionNevertheless, consideration of gender differences in the construct of intimacy is very important for theoretical research on intimacy in romantic relationships and for the interventions of marital therapists based on intimacy.     

The Portuguese version of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES): Dimensionality and measurement invariance in a community adolescent sample

Empathy is the heightened ability to cognitively perceive and/or affectively share the emotions of others, which has been consistently associated with desirable social interactions. This paper aimed to test the bi-factorial structure of a Portuguese version of the Basic Empathy Scale and examine its variation by gender and age using a large community sample (n = 1029) of adolescents. The two-factor model, originally developed and supported by other cross-cultural validations, presented good fit indicators which was similar across genders and adolescent age groups. Girls were more empathic than boys and younger adolescents were more empathic than the older ones. Further support for the validity of the new scale comes from its relations to measures of social skills and aggression which were similar to theoretical predictions. In conclusion, the Portuguese version of the BES is a consistent and valid instrument for the assessment of empathy in samples of adolescents aged 12–18 years old in Portugal, which can now be used in cross-cultural studies of this important psychological construct.     

Stress assessment during adolescence: Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Student Stress Inventory-Stress Manifestations across gender and age

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties and measurement invariance across gender and age of the Student Stress Inventory-Stress Manifestations (SSI-SM) scores in a large sample of adolescents. The sample was comprised by a total of 1108 students (482 were male), with a mean age of 14.61 years (SD = 1.71). The results indicated that the SSI-SM scores presented adequate psychometric properties from both classical test theory and Item Response Theory (IRT). Confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA), showed that both the bifactor model and a three-factor model (emotional, physiological, and behavioural) were adequate. Multi-group CFA showed that the three-factor model had strong measurement invariance across gender and age. Statistically significant differences in gender were found between latent means as well as raw scores of SSI-SM. Ordinal alpha was .78 for Physiological, .90 for the Emotional, and .79 for the Behavioural subscales. Using IRT, the SSI-SM provides more accuracy information at the medium level of the latent trait. SSI-SM subscales were associated with emotional and behavioural problems. These results provided new sources of validity evidence of the SSI-SM scores in adolescents from general population. The SSI-SM appears to be a useful, brief, and easy to administrate self-report instrument for the screening of stress manifestations at school and educational settings.     

Factor structure and measurement invariance of the multidimensional driving style inventory across gender and age: An ESEM approach

The Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI) is the most comprehensive measure of typical driving behavior to date and has been frequently used to compare driving styles across different groups of drivers, particularly between gender- and age-related groups. However, the factor structure of MDSI has not been clearly established and its measurement invariance has not been demonstrated. The goal of the present study was to examine the internal structure and measurement invariance of the MDSI across gender and age. A sample of 1277 drivers from Argentina responded to the Argentinian version of the MDSI. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was used to test the factor structure and measurement invariance across females (n = 602) and males (n = 675), and across young (18–29, n = 558), adult (30–49, n = 395) and older (50 and older, n = 317) drivers. The results showed that a 36-item six-factor ESEM model represented by risky, angry, dissociative, anxious, distress-reduction and careful and patient driving styles was the best model based on fit indices and interpretability. Configural, weak and strong invariance of the six-factor ESEM model across gender and age was also supported. The MDSI in its Argentinian version is equivalent across gender and age, supporting the validity of previous research findings examining gender and age differences in driving styles. Future studies should examine the measurement invariance of the MDSI across other relevant driving-related variables.     

Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire and Weight Bias Internalization Scale in children and adolescents

Background/ObjectiveGiven the negative consequences of weight bias, including internalized weight stigma, on health outcomes, two instruments—the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) and Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS)—have been developed. However, their psychometric properties are yet to be tested for Asian pediatric populations. Method:Participants aged 8 to 12 years (N = 287; 153 boys) completed the WSSQ and the WBIS, and they were classified into either a group with overweight or a group without overweight based on self-reported weight and height. Results:Both WSSQ and WBIS had their factor structures supported by confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). The measurement invariance of two-factor structure was further supported for WSSQ across gender and weight status. The measurement invariance of single-factor structure was supported for WBIS across gender but not across weight status. Conclusions:WSSQ and WBIS were both valid to assess the internalization of weight bias. However, the two instruments demonstrated different properties and should be applied in different situations.     

The assessment of school engagement: examining dimensionality and measurement invariance by gender and race/ethnicity

The construct of school engagement has attracted growing interest as a way to ameliorate the decline in academic achievement and increase in dropout rates. The current study tested the fit of a second-order multidimensional factor model of school engagement, using large-scale representative data on 1103 students in middle school. In order to make valid model comparisons by group, we evaluated the extent to which the measurement structure of this model was invariant by gender and by race/ethnicity (European-American vs. African-American students). Finally, we examined differences in latent factor means by these same groups. From our confirmatory factor analyses, we concluded that school engagement was a multidimensional construct, with evidence to support the hypothesized second-order engagement factor structure with behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions. In this sample, boys and girls did not substantially differ, nor did European-American and African-American students, in terms of the underlying constructs of engagement and the composition of these constructs. Finally, there were substantial differences in behavioral and emotional engagement by gender and by racial/ethnic groups in terms of second-order factor mean differences.     

The Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ): A psychometric evaluation of the 36-item Norwegian version

The Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) was designed specifically to study possible changes that occur during menopause. The purpose of this study was to perform a psychometric evaluation of the Norwegian version of the WHQ by examining the factor structure and construct validity of the instrument. Data used for the evaluation were collected at baseline of the ACUFLASH study, a randomized, controlled clinical trial that evaluated the effect of acupuncture treatment on menopausal symptoms. Altogether, 267 women with a very high frequency of hot flushes were included in the study. Some deficiencies in the WHQ questionnaire were observed when applied to this sample, including an unclear factor structure, low alpha values for some dimensions, and a strong floor effect in the vasomotor symptoms dimension. The total scale score appears reliable, but care should be taken when interpreting some of the subscales.     

The perceived vulnerability to disease scale: Cross-cultural measurement invariance and associations with fear of COVID-19 across 16 countries

Using cross-sectional data from N = 4274 young adults across 16 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) scale and tested the hypothesis that the association between PVD and fear of COVID-19 is stronger under high disease threat [that is, absence of COVID-19 vaccination, living in a country with lower Human Development Index (HDI) or higher COVID-19 mortality]. Results supported a bi-factor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling model where items loaded on a global PVD factor, and on the sub-factors of Perceived Infectability and Germ Aversion. However, cross-national invariance could only be obtained on the configural level with a reduced version of the PVD scale (PVD-r), suggesting that the concept of PVD may vary across nations. Moreover, higher PVD-r was consistently associated with greater fear of COVID-19 across all levels of disease threat, but this association was especially pronounced among individuals with a COVID-19 vaccine, and in contexts where COVID-19 mortality was high. The present research brought clarity into the dimensionality of the PVD measure, discussed its suitability and limitations for cross-cultural research, and highlighted the pandemic-related conditions under which higher PVD is most likely to go along with psychologically maladaptive outcomes, such as fear of COVID-19.     

Measuring cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression in children: A parent-rating version of the emotion regulation questionnaire

The frequency of using cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression strategies to regulate emotions has been associated with social-emotional adjustment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the Parent-Rating Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (P-ERQ), a parent-rating version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) in children aged five to six years. Children from Germany (N = 112) and the U.S. (N = 59) participated. Confirmatory factor analyses of P-ERQ data from Germany indicated a two-factor structure that closely reflected the factor structure of the adult ERQ with adequate scale reliabilities. Correlations with a measure of coping strategies supported the convergent validity of the P-ERQ. Cross-country measurement invariance analyses between samples from Germany and the U.S. suggested partial scalar invariance for the cognitive reappraisal subscale and metric invariance for the expressive suppression subscale. Findings provide preliminary evidence that the P-ERQ can be recommended for use in developmental research.     

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 in women: a MACS approach to testing for invariance across racial/ethnic groups

This study used data from 3 sites to examine the invariance and psychometric characteristics of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 across Black, Hispanic, and White mothers of 5th graders (N = 4,711; M = 38.07 years of age, SD = 7.16). Internal consistencies were satisfactory for all subscale scores of the instrument regardless of ethnic group membership. Mean and covariance structures analysis indicated that the hypothesized 3-factor structure of the instrument was not robust across ethnic groups. It provided a reasonable approximation to the data for Black and White women but not for Hispanic women. Tests for differential item functioning (DIF) were therefore conducted for only Black and White women. Analyses revealed no more than trivial instances of nonuniform DIF but more substantial evidence of uniform DIF for 3 of the 18 items. After having established partial strong factorial invariance of the instrument, latent factor means were found to be significantly higher for Black than for White women on all 3 subscales (somatization, depression, anxiety). In conclusion, the instrument may be used for mean comparisons between Black and White women.     

The factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale

The current study examined the validity of the Italian version of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS; Henderson-King & Henderson-King, 2005) in a sample of 378 Italian adult women. A series of confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. A three-factor solution provided the best fit to the data and confirmed the Intrapersonal, Social, and Consider dimensions. The three factors were strongly inter-correlated. Cronbach's alphas were high (all alphas > .86). The scale showed good convergent and discriminant validity (estimated by Composite Reliability and the Average Variance Extracted). The nomological validity of the Italian version of the ACSS was confirmed by its significant correlations with participants’ body dissatisfaction and sociocultural influences (internalization of thin ideals and perceived media pressure). The ACSS seems to be a useful measure of acceptance of cosmetic surgery in the Italian context. This instrument can be used with Italian speakers for research, health promotion, and preventive interventions.     

Factorial validation and measurement invariance of the French version of the multidimensional competitive orientation inventory (FVMCOI) in the sport field

IntroductionLittle is known about the importance of the adaptive, maladaptive and neutral facets of competitive orientations among French athletes.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to test the factorial validation and measurement invariance of the French version of the multidimensional competitive orientation inventory (FVMCOI) from the original version (MCOI, Orosz et al., 2018), which included 12 items and four factors (i.e., hypercompetitive orientation, self-developmental competitive orientation, anxiety-driven competition avoidance, and lack of interest toward competition).MethodA series of three complementary studies was carried out with a total sample of 891 competitors.ResultsFollowing cross-cultural validation methods a preliminary version of the FVMCOI was constructed and the clarity of its items was established (study 1). Then, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) confirmed that the four-factor model for the FVMCOI was factorially valid, and consistent with the model of the original version. As such, the multiple-group invariance tests showed that the FVMCOI was partially invariant across both age and gender and fully invariant across type of sport, level of competition and over time (study 2). Finally, the concurrent validity of the FVMCOI was demonstrated through its expected relationships with achievement goals, competitive aggressiveness and anger in sport (study 3).ConclusionThe establishment of the FVMCOI extends the research in sport psychology by allowing an extensive psychometric study of the MCOI in the sport domain and providing deeper insights into the healthy, unhealthy, and neutral nature of competitive orientation in this context. The FVMCOI's potential practical applications in sport context, with some limitations and perspectives of this study, are also discussed.     

The spiritual well-being questionnaire: Testing for model applicability, measurement and structural equivalencies, and latent mean differences across gender

Fisher (1998) proposed a spiritual well-being model, comprising primary factors for the domains of personal, communal, environmental and transcendental well-being, that cohere to form a single higher order or global spiritual well-being dimension. In line with this model, Gomez and Fisher (2003) published the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBQ), with scales for measuring personal, communal, environmental and transcendental spiritual well-being. This study used multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine gender equivalencies of the measurement and structural models of the SWBQ, and the latent mean in the four SWBQ factors. A total of 3101 females and 1361 males, with age ranging from 15 to 32 years, completed the SWBQ. The statistical fit results supported the invariance of the measurement model, and some aspects of the structural model. The practical fit indices results provided support for the invariance of both the measurement and structural models. The results also showed little gender differences. Together, these findings support gender equivalencies for the SWBQ.     

Measuring adult indirect aggression: The development and psychometric assessment of the indirect aggression scales

This paper describes the development of a psychometric measure of indirect aggression for use in an adult population. Items were generated from a series of qualitative interviews. Two versions of the scale were developed; the Indirect Aggression Scale Aggressor version (IAS‐A) and Target version (IAS‐T). Both versions of the scale were administered to separate samples (n_A=294; n_T=294). Scales were analysed using item analysis of internal consistency, as well as exploratory factor analysis. Both versions were found to have the same consistent three sub‐scales: social exclusion, use of malicious humour, and guilt induction. Preliminary psychometric evaluation suggests that the scales are both sufficiently reliable (with Cronbach's alphas ranging from .81 to .89) and valid. There were no gender differences in either using or being the victim of indirect aggression, and the behaviour was significantly negatively correlated with age. Future validation and potential usage of the measures are discussed. Aggress. Behav. 31:1–14, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Meta-analytical review of teacher burnout across 36 societies: the role of national learning assessments and gender egalitarianism

Objective: Teacher burnout has hardly been compared across countries, although it has become a global health issue. This review aimed to examine teacher burnout (effect size) and its variation across countries by testing the effects of gender, gender egalitarianism, and national learning assessments (NLAs).

Design: A systematic literature search was carried out using keywords. In all, 156 studies from 36 countries were included that used quantitative methodology. Meta-analytical procedures were used to estimate effect sizes of three dimensions of burnout. Two-level multilevel mixed-effect model tested moderator variables at the country level.

Results: The overall effect size found for emotional exhaustion was 38.29 (95% CI = 35.26, 41.32), 29.45 (95% CI = 25.91, 32.99) for cynicism, and 68.75 (95% CI = 65.63, 71.87) for personal accomplishment, with significant differences across countries. Gender was negatively significant for personal accomplishment. Significant linear, curvilinear and interaction effects of NLAs and gender egalitarianism explained variations in burnout. Whereas more NLAs tends to increase burnout, more gender egalitarianism tends to decrease it, although this effect is not linear.

Conclusion: Teacher burnout, as a health issue, varies significantly across countries suggesting that programmes to prevent this problem should consider environmental (educational system) and cultural conditions for a greater impact.