Capturing age-group differences and developmental change with the BASC Parent Rating Scales

Estimation of age-group differences and intra-individual change across distinct developmental periods is often challenged by the use of age-appropriate (but non-parallel) measures. We present a short version of the Behavior Assessment System (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1998) Parent Rating Scales for Children (PRS-C) and Adolescents (PRS-A), which uses only their common-items to derive estimates of the initial constructs optimized for developmental studies. Measurement invariance of a three-factor model (Externalizing, Internalizing, Adaptive Skills) was tested across age-groups (161 mothers using PRS-C; 200 mothers using PRS-A) and over time (115 mothers using PRS-C at baseline and PRS-A five years later) with the original versus short PRS. Results indicated that the short PRS holds a sufficient level of invariance for a robust estimation of age-group differences and intra-individual change, as compared to the original PRS, which held only weak invariance leading to flawed developmental inferences. The importance of test–content parallelism for developmental studies is discussed.     

A penalized likelihood method for multi-group structural equation modelling

In the past two decades, statistical modelling with sparsity has become an active research topic in the fields of statistics and machine learning. Recently, Huang, Chen and Weng (2017, Psychometrika, 82, 329) and Jacobucci, Grimm, and McArdle (2016, Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 23, 555) both proposed sparse estimation methods for structural equation modelling (SEM). These methods, however, are restricted to performing single-group analysis. The aim of the present work is to establish a penalized likelihood (PL) method for multi-group SEM. Our proposed method decomposes each group model parameter into a common reference component and a group-specific increment component. By penalizing the increment components, the heterogeneity of parameter values across the population can be explored since the null group-specific effects are expected to diminish. We developed an expectation-conditional maximization algorithm to optimize the PL criteria. A numerical experiment and a real data example are presented to demonstrate the potential utility of the proposed method.     

ITC Guidelines for Translating and Adapting Tests (Second Edition)

The second edition of the International Test Commission Guidelines for Translating and Adapting Tests was prepared between 2005 and 2015 to improve upon the first edition, and to respond to advances in testing technology and practices. The 18 guidelines are organized into six categories to facilitate their use: pre-condition (3), test development (5), confirmation (4), administration (2), scoring and interpretation (2), and documentation (2). For each guideline, an explanation is provided along with suggestions for practice. A checklist is provided to improve the implementation of the guidelines.     

SWLS网络测验中可靠性变量的测量不变性检验

测量不变性在自我报告问卷或量表的心理测量应用中非常重要,是跨组比较的前提条件。测量不变性检验模型包括无任何约束的分组验证性因素分析(M_group)、形态的不变性(M1)、负荷的不变性(M2)、截距的不变性(M3)、严格不变性(M4)、因子方差-协方差的不变性(M5)以及潜均值的不变性(M6)。以生活满意度量表(SWLS)为例,针对1343名大学生(年龄17-25岁,20.01±1.53),进行有急事需要处理(否vs.是),答题时感受(积极情绪vs.消极情绪),噪音水平(无噪音vs.有噪音),答题用时(长vs.短),性别(男vs.女),户口(非农业户口vs.农业户口)等不同组别的生活满意度量表(SWLS)完全因素不变性检验。结果表明:(1)是否有急事需要处理的不变性成立(Δχ²=0.49～10.59,p>0.05);(2)答题时感受不变性部分成立,M5、M6模型不变性不成立(Δχ²₍₁=3.96、20.89,p<0.05);(3)噪音水平不变性部分成立,M3与M4模型不变性检验不成立(Δχ²₍₄₎=14.75,Δχ²₍₅₎=23.91,p<0.05);(4)答题用时不变性不成立(Δχ²=11.01～41.95,均p<0.05);(5)性别的不变性部分成立,M4模型不变性检验不成立(Δχ²₍₅₎=64.40,p<0.05);(6)户口的不变性部分成立,M6模型不变性检验不成立(Δχ²₍₁₎=11.49,p<0.05)。     

Factor structure and initial validation of a brief measure of perceived emotional and physical distress tolerance in post-9/11 US Veterans

Distress tolerance (i.e., perceived or actual capacity to tolerate aversive internal states) has received considerable research attention as a transdiagnostic risk-factor underlying the development and maintenance of psychopathology. Lower levels of emotional distress tolerance have been linked to psychopathology (e.g. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) within Military populations; however, the association of physical distress tolerance to psychopathology in this population has been under-researched. This research gap may be due in part to a paucity of comprehensive, temporally stable and brief measures of distress tolerance that have been validated within Military populations, which may hinder further examination and refinement of the construct. Addressing this problem, the current study evaluates the psychometric properties of a novel and brief measure of emotional and physical distress tolerance in a sample of United States post-9/11 Veterans. Participants were 307 Veterans (M_age = 38.9, 67.7% male) who completed the 10-item Distress Tolerance Inventory at baseline and annual follow-up. Exploratory structural equation modeling was used to examine the optimal latent factor structure and longitudinal invariance of the DTI measurement model, along with correlational analyses to examine the convergent properties of the DTI subscales. The DTI reflected a longitudinally invariant two-factor structure (emotional and physical distress tolerance), with excellent internal consistency and preliminary evidence of convergent validity. Thus, the DTI represents a brief, reliable and temporally stable measure of physical and emotional distress tolerance.     

Factor structure and measurement invariance of a short measure of the Big Five personality traits

The main purpose of this study is to assess the factor structure and the measurement invariance of the Mini-International Personality Item Pool (Mini-IPIP; Donnellan, Oswald, Baird, & Lucas, 2006). The Mini-IPIP is a brief instrument evaluating personality traits according to the Big Five models. Two samples were collected comprising nearly 800 participants. Confirmatory factor analyzes revealed a five-factor solution consistent with the Big Five model. Measurement invariance analyses showed that the Mini-IPIP was reasonably invariant across samples, genders and age groups. Overall, results pointed to a satisfactory factorial structure and an adequate invariance of the measure.     

Measurement invariance of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) across three cultural groups

This study investigated the factorial structure and invariance of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) across cultural groups from three nations, namely, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Iran (N = 1120). The three-dimensional structure of mental well-being was supported in all the groups. The results of measurement invariance testing confirmed the full metric and partial scalar invariance of the MHC-SF. The study also compared the latent means for the aspects of mental well-being in the three cultural groups, and found significant differences. The significance and implications of the results are discussed.     

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.     

Big Five personality dimensions in Italian and Dutch adolescents: A cross-cultural comparison of mean-levels, sex differences, and associations with internalizing symptoms

In the present cross-national comparison, self-reported Big Five personality data on large samples of Dutch (N = 1521) and Italian (N = 1975) adolescents were employed. Results suggest that the personality of Dutch and Italian adolescents can be described by the same Big Five traits, but that these might have slightly different meanings to the Dutch and Italian adolescent respondents. Supplementary analyses uncovered that sex differences are largest among Italian adolescents. Further comparisons reveal subtle cross-national differences in personality-psychopathology relationships, with stronger associations of Emotional Stability with depression for Italian when compared to Dutch adolescents. Results underscore that cross-national comparisons of personality may be alluring to use in research, however the findings of these comparisons should be interpreted with caution.     

Measuring current achievement motivation with the QCM: Short form development and investigation of measurement invariance

This article explores the measurement properties of the Questionnaire on Current Motivation (QCM; Rheinberg, Vollmeyer, & Burns, 2001), which measures four factors of current achievement motivation (anxiety, challenge, interest, and probability of success) in the context of taking an abstract reasoning test. Two studies were conducted. In study 1, the measurement model of the QCM was tested, and a short form consisting of 12 of the original 18 QCM items was derived. Data were obtained from N = 350 students completing the QCM in anticipation of working on a test of Latin Square Tasks. In study 2, the measurement properties of the short form were replicated with data from a sample of N = 509 students. Measurement invariance with respect to gender was investigated using multigroup CFA models. The results showed that the assumptions of equal numbers of factors, factor loadings, and residual variances could be confirmed, but evidence for full intercept invariance was not obtained. There were significant differences in the latent means for anxiety and probability of success between female and male test takers, but none of these two factors had an influence on actual test performance, which was instead significantly predicted by interest in the task.