A Test and Cross-Validation of the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire Factor Structure Among Western University Students

Abstract

The Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) is a measure of university students’ approach to learning. Original evaluation of the scale’s psychometric properties was based on a sample of Hong Kong university students’ scores. The purpose of this study was to test and cross-validate the R-SPQ-2F factor structure, based on separate cohort data (Cohort 1: n = 1,490; Cohort 2: n = 1,533), among students attending a university in the United States. Factor analytic results did not support the scale’s original factor structure, instead suggesting an alternative four-factor model of the scale data. In the cross-validation study, multisample confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the scale’s measurement model parameters (e.g., factor loadings) were invariant across independent samples. Despite support for the scale’s respecified factor structure for Western university students, continued research is recommended to improve the scale’s psychometric properties. Implications for test score use and interpretation are discussed.