ADHD rating scale adaptation in Saudi Arabia: factor structure, measurement invariance, and normative data

Objective: Validated instruments to assess ADHD are still unavailable in many languages other than English for teachers, which constitutes a clear obstacle to screening, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD in many European countries. Method: Teachers rated 892 youths using the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS). We investigated the factor structure, reliability, and measurement invariance based on confirmatory factor analyses. Results: Results support a bifactor model, including one general ADHD factor and two specific Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity factors. But the latter is improperly defined calling into question the existence of a Predominantly Hyperactivity-Impulsivity subtype. The measurement invariance is fully supported across gender, age groups, and Gender × Age Groups. Conclusion: Results support the multiple-pathways hypothesis and suggest that a total ADHD score is meaningful, reliable, and valid, as well as specific assessments of Inattention. Some youths—especially older ones—may present a profile of ADHD particularly marked by Inattention symptoms. (J. of Att. Dis. 2016; 20(5) 434-444)

The aim of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Existential Quest (EQ) Scale, a nine-items instrument developed to assess openness to changing one’s own convictions concerning existential issues. We developed the Italian version of the scale and examined factorial structure, internal consistency, discriminant validity, and measurement invariance across gender and age groups. A total of 291 Italian adults were recruited, and they completed a self-report questionnaire comprising measures of authoritarianism, cognitive closure, well-being, and religiousness, alongside the EQ. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original one-factor structure was replicated in this study, except for one-item that was removed from the subsequent analyses. Both the internal consistency of the eight-item scale as assessed by Cronbach’s α and discriminant validity were in line with those of the original study. However, McDonald’s reliability coefficient were quite low, and further researches employing repeated measures are needed in order to comprehend the contribution of the random error and that of the item specificity in lowering McDonald’s coefficient. Finally, evidence of full measurement invariance across gender and partial measurement invariance across age was obtained. Overall, these findings suggest that the Italian version of the EQ is a promising tool for assessing flexibility about existential issues.

BackgroundDespite the wide use of the Short-Form Supportive Care Needs Survey Questionnaire (SCNS-SF34), the measurement invariance of the SCNS-SF34 across the main groups—gender and age—which might be of interest in the application of the instrument has never been confirmed. To provide an accurate assessment tool to evaluate the unmet needs of Chinese cancer patients, the present study aimed to assess the measurement invariance of the SCNS-SF34 across gender and age groups and to assess the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the SCNS-SF34.MethodsThe SCNS-SF34 was administrated to 1106 Chinese cancer patients. Other instruments included the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form (MSAS-SF), the Short-Form-12 Health Survey version 2 (SF-12 v2) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Factor structure, internal construct validity, convergent validity, known-group validity and internal consistency were assessed.ResultsOur data fit the original five-factor model. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated measurement invariance across age and gender groups. The domains of the SCNS-SF34 had moderate correlations with the corresponding domains of the MSAS-SF, the SF-12 v2 and the HADS, which supported convergent validity. Of the 34 items, 33 had an item-total correlation that was corrected for an overlap of > 0.4 to support the internal construct validity. The SCNS-SF34 aptly differentiated patients by age and gender. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranged from 0.64 to 0.87.ConclusionsWe confirm the measurement invariance of the Chinese version of the SCNS-SF34 across gender and age group. It is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the needs of Chinese patients with cancer.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. Rating the severity of psychopathology and symptom load is essential in daily clinical practice and in research. The parent and teacher ADHD-Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) includes inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity subscales and is one of the most frequently used scales in treatment evaluation of children with ADHD. An extended version, mADHD-RS, also includes an oppositional defiant disorder subscale. The partial credit Rasch model, which is based on item response theory, was used to test the psychometric properties of this scale in a sample of 566 Danish school children between 6 and 16 years of age. The results indicated that parents and teachers had different frames of reference when rating symptoms in the mADHD-RS. There was support for the unidimensionality of the three subscales when parent and teacher ratings were analyzed independently. Nonetheless, evidence for differential item functioning was found across gender and age for specific items within each of the subscales. The findings expand existing psychometric information about the mADHD-RS and support its use as a valid and reliable measure of symptom severity when used in age- and gender-stratified materials.

Abstract. The factor structure and measurement invariance across gender of Mroczek’s and Kolarz’s scales of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) have been examined in past studies; however, little is known about the measurement invariance across age groups and over time, which are important psychometric properties for developmental research. The current study sought to fill this gap using the data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine increasing levels of measurement invariance across gender and age groups. Longitudinal CFA was also used to test measurement invariance over three time points using the data from MIDUS 1 ( N = 3,748), MIDUS 2 ( N = 2,257), and MIDUS 3 ( N = 1,414). Results supported full scalar invariance across gender, age groups, and over time. The latent means for NA were significantly different between men and women at time 1 and 2, but not at time 3; the latent means for both PA and NA were also different across age groups. There were no significant differences for PA and only trivial differences for NA over time within individuals. Implications of these results for longitudinal research are discussed.

Over the last decades, psychological science has become more and more international (Alonso-Arbiol & van de Vijver, 2010). In order to be able to compare research findings from different countries and in different languages, it is important to ensure the comparability of the assessment methods used. Thus, translations of standard measures have now appeared in a multitude of different languages. The increased availability of different language versions of the same measurement tools would seemingly create a need to internationally publish articles introducing these versions. An often-heard argument is that, in order for the translated measure to be useful, an English language publication has to test its psychometric properties. Let us scrutinize this argument more closely. An argument often used to support the need for an English-language publication concerning a translated instrument is that the international research community would not accept research findings based on translated instruments whose psychometric properties have not also been published in English. This is a dangerous thought, on the one hand, because it implies a certain mistrust: A peer-reviewed publication would otherwise suffice. On the other hand, besides this theoretical consideration, we will address some more practical issues below. When a new measurement tool is constructed, among the first questions to be answered are the following: 1. For what measurement purpose is the instrument designed (e.g., personnel selection, clinical assessment)? 2. What is the target population (e.g., adolescents, adults, patients)? 3. Who will employ the instrument (e.g., researchers, practitioners)? When translating an existing measurement tool into another language, clearly one must answer these questions as well. Obviously, the original authors have already defined the measurement purpose of the instrument. The same usually holds true for the target population and the instrument user. However, during translation of a measurement tool these aspects should be reconsidered and expressed specifically. Sometimes a translation goes hand in hand with a changed (or changing) target population or measurement purpose. Thus, measures are usually translated with a specific goal. Most translations probably aim for one of the following three goals: 1. to make a particular instrument available in a different language, 2. to provide a means for cross-cultural research, 3. to conduct research on the specific instrument itself. Not all of these translation goals have the same readership in mind. Consequently, depending on the translation goal, an English-language publication of the instrument’s psychometric properties may be more or less useful. When making a standard instrument available to a different language community, practitioners usually represent the targeted readership. This in itself is a valuable goal because practitioners probably make up the majority of test-users. However, it can be assumed that most practitioners have better access to journals published in their own language. Moreover, practitioners most likely find it easier to comprehend the ever-increasing complexity of data analyses if they can read it in their native language. Consequently, publishing findings in national journals should in fact positively affect the acceptance of the translated instrument. For this reason, this should be the preferred outlet of the article if the translation goal is to make the instrument available to local practitioners. This is especially true if testing the psychometric properties closely mirrors the original publication, so that the translated instrument and its inherent qualities are introduced to the practitioner at the same time. There are several examples where such a publication strategy was successful. Rammstedt and John (2005) as well as Lang, Ludtke, and Asendorpf (2001) published German versions of the Big Five Inventory (BFI), albeit differing in length. Both papers are cited 8–9 times per year on average since their appearance. Moreover, there are Germanas well as English-language papers that apply these translated BFI versions. Thus, the publications reached the intended audience and sparked new research that was accepted internationally.

The Stranger Face Trust scale (SFT) and Imaginary Stranger Trust scale (IST) are two new self-report measures of generalized trust that assess trust in strangers—both real and imaginary—across four trust domains. Prior research has established the reliability and validity of SFT and IST, but a number of measurement validation tests remain. Across three separate studies, I assess the test–retest reliability, measurement invariance, predictive validity, and replicability of SFT and IST, with the misanthropy scale (MST) and generalized social trust scale (GST) serving as benchmarks. First, tests of internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and longitudinal measurement invariance established that all four generalized trust scales were acceptably reliable, with SFT and IST yielding greater overall reliability than MST and GST. Second, tests of multiple group measurement invariance revealed that SFT and IST were equivalent across gender, race, education, and age groups, while MST and GST were non-equivalent across the same sociodemographic groups. Third, an investment game established the predictive validity of SFT and MST, with IST and GST yielding poor predictive validity. Fourth, tests of factor structure and measurement invariance indicated that all four generalized trust scales replicated across samples. The present findings bolster the validity, reliability, and measurement equivalence of SFT and IST, while illustrating the compromised validity and measurement non-equivalence of MST and GST. Implications for the measurement of generalized trust are discussed.

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric diagnosis among children and adolescents. This study has been conducted to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of reboxetine in comparison with methylphenidate in treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD. Thirty three children, 7-16 years of age, diagnosed with ADHD, participated in a 6-week, double-blind clinical trial with reboxetine (4-6 mg/d) and methylphenidate (20-50 mg/d) in two divided doses. The principal measure of the outcome was the Teacher and Parent ADHD Rating Scale. Patients were assessed by a child psychiatrist at baseline, 14, 28, and 42 days after the start of medication. No significant differences were observed between the two protocols on the Parent (P = 0.26) and Teacher (P = 0.97) ADHD Rating Scale scores and in treatment dropouts. A significant improvement in ADHD symptoms was observed over the 6 weeks of treatment for Parent ADHD Rating Scale (P < 0.001) and Teacher ADHD Rating Scale score in both groups (P < 0.001). The most common adverse effects reported with reboxetine were drowsiness and anorexia with mild to moderate severity. The study revealed that reboxetine may be beneficial in treatment of ADHD. Further studies are required to clarify the potential therapeutic effects on comorbid depression and anxiety and adverse effect profile.

The aim of this study was to explore the course of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) core symptoms, ADHD-related difficulties, and emotional expression during ADHD pharmacotherapy and associations between them. This prospective, observational study examines pediatric patients with ADHD who newly initiated stimulant, atomoxetine or a combination of both treatments. Data were collected at baseline; weeks 1, 2, and 4; and months 3, 6, 9, and 12. Physicians rated ADHD core symptoms using the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS); patients, parents, and physicians rated ADHD-related difficulties using the Global Impression of Perceived Difficulties (GIPD) Scale; and patients and parents rated emotional expression using the Expression of Emotion Scale for Children (EESC). Results were analyzed using mixed model repeated measures. Associations are presented by Spearman's correlations. Overall, 504 patients, mean age 9.6 years, 72.6% males, were analyzed. Fifty percent of patients started atomoxetine, 49.0% stimulant and 1% a combination of both. ADHD-RS, GIPD, and EESC scores decreased significantly in both monotherapy groups. Correlations between ADHD-RS and parent- or physician-rated GIPD scores were at-best moderate and increased over time but remained low to moderate for patient-rated GIPD [patient, r=0.43 (95% CI 0.34, 0.51); parent, r=0.58 (0.50, 0.64); physician, r=0.55 (0.48, 0.62)]. Correlations between ADHD-RS and patient- or parent-rated EESC scores were low at baseline (r<0.2) and increased over time mostly for parent ratings [patient, r=0.35 (0.26, 0.44); parent, r=0.41 (0.32, 0.50)]. These data support the effectiveness of ADHD pharmacotherapy. The at-best moderate correlations between ADHD core symptoms and ADHD-related difficulties or emotional expression assessed by different raters indicate potentially important patient outcomes beyond core symptoms.

The present study examined the measurement invariance of the Symbolic Racism Scale (SRS) and the Modern Sexism Scale (MSS) across racial/ethnic and gender groups. Previous psychometric evaluations of the SRS and MSS scores have not examined the equivalence across racial/ethnic and gender groups or have been otherwise statistically inadequate. Therefore, this study sought to fill this gap. To establish measurement equivalence across racial/ethnic (Black, Latinx, and white) and gender (women and men) groups, we conducted a measurement invariance analysis of the SRS and the MSS in a large, diverse sample (N = 719). We found that the SRS and MSS were invariant across gender, and the SRS was invariant across racial/ethnic groups. However, the MSS was noninvariant across racial/ethnic groups. Partial invariance testing revealed nonequivalent factor loadings between Black and Latinx participants compared to white participants on an item of the MSS that referenced "unwarranted" attention that women receive from the government and media. Researchers should consider reevaluating the item that reads: "Over the past few years, the government and news media have been showing more concern about the treatment of women than is warranted by women's actual experiences." Future research is needed to assess how the item is interpreted by Black and Latinx people so it can be modified for use in these communities. Our findings underscore the importance of assessing the validity of the scores in commonly used scales across diverse groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

One of the most frequently used procedures for measurement invariance testing is the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). Muthén and Asparouhov recently proposed a new approach to test for approximate rather than exact measurement invariance using Bayesian MGCFA. Approximate measurement invariance permits small differences between parameters otherwise constrained to be equal in the classical exact approach. However, extant knowledge about how results of approximate measurement invariance tests compare to the results of the exact measurement invariance test is missing. We address this gap by comparing the results of exact and approximate cross-country measurement invariance tests of a revised scale to measure human values. Several studies that measured basic human values with the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) reported problems of measurement noninvariance (especially scalar noninvariance) across countries. Recently Schwartz et al. proposed a refined value theory and an instrument (PVQ-5X) to measure 19 more narrowly defined values. Cieciuch et al. tested its measurement invariance properties across eight countries and established exact scalar measurement invariance for 10 of the 19 values. The current study applied the approximate measurement invariance procedure on the same data and established approximate scalar measurement invariance even for all 19 values. Thus, the first conclusion is that the approximate approach provides more encouraging results for the usefulness of the scale for cross-cultural research, although this finding needs to be generalized and validated in future research using population data. The second conclusion is that the approximate measurement invariance is more likely than the exact approach to establish measurement invariance, although further simulation studies are needed to determine more precise recommendations about how large the permissible variance of the priors may be.

The validity of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire in a Greek sample: Tests of measurement invariance and latent mean differences

Because academic, behavioral, and social difficulties are highly prevalent among U.S. high school students, teacher report is a critical component of comprehensive screening and assessment of adolescents. Currently available teacher questionnaires have limited utility in high school settings because of time demands and lesser opportunity to observe a wide variety of student behaviors relative to elementary school teachers. The School Functioning Scale (SFS) is a 9-item measure designed to efficiently obtain teacher perceptions of specific indicators of student performance across academic, behavior, and social functioning. Online SFS ratings were collected for 799 9th through 12th grade high school students (50% female) from 400 teachers (63.7% female). Teachers also reported each student's subject grades and percentage of assignments completed within the past month. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated a general factor and three-factor structure for the SFS: academic, behavior, and social factors. The general factor demonstrated adequate levels of internal consistency and evidence of convergent validity. Findings regarding the group factors less robust. The factor structure was consistent across age, gender, and ethnicity groups. Normative data along with suggested cut-points for screening and assessment purposes are provided. Findings support the potential use of SFS teacher ratings for multimethod assessment and, possibly, screening and treatment evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) and report posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) difficulties more frequently than the general population. The PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a commonly used measure to screen PSP for PTSD. A single previous study assessed PCL-5 factorial invariance among PSP but used a small homogenous sample. The current study evaluated factorial invariance with a large (n = 5,855) and diverse PSP sample. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (mCFAs; n = 98) were conducted using six competing factor models of the PCL-5 across seven PSP sectors, five age groups, and two gender groups. The seven-factor hybrid model of PTSD (i.e., reexperiencing, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, hyperarousal, intrusion, emotional numbing, dysphoria, dysphoric arousal, anxious arousal, anhedonia, negative affect) produced consistently superior fit across all sectors assessed and produced marginally better absolute values than the six-factor anhedonia model, supporting PCL-5 factorial invariance among PSP. The current study is the first to use a large and diverse PSP sample to assess PCL-5 factorial invariance. The results support the PCL-5 as invariant across PSP sectors, age groups, and men and women. Consistent with other studies, the seven-factor hybrid model of PTSD produced the best fit, followed closely by the six-factor anhedonia model. Future research could use structured clinical interviews to further investigate the factorial structure and invariance of PTSD symptoms among PSPs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Comprehensive assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms includes parent and teacher questionnaires. The ADHD Rating Scale-5 was developed to incorporate changes for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This study examined the fit of a correlated, 2-factor structure of ADHD (i.e., DSM-5 conceptual model) and alternative models; determined whether ADHD symptom ratings varied across teacher and child demographic characteristics; and presented normative data. Two samples were included: (a) 2,079 parents and guardians (1,131 female, 948 male) completed ADHD symptom ratings for children (N = 2,079; 1,037 males, 1,042 females) between 5 and 17 years old (M = 10.68; SD = 3.75) and (b) 1,070 teachers (766 female, 304 male) completed ADHD symptom ratings for students (N = 2,140; 1,070 males, 1,070 females) between 5 and 17 years old (M = 11.53; SD = 3.54) who attended kindergarten through 12th grade. The 2-factor structure was confirmed for both parent and teacher ratings and was invariant across child gender, age, informant, informant gender, and language. In general, boys were higher in symptom frequency than girls; older children were rated lower than younger children, especially for hyperactivity-impulsivity; and non-Hispanic children were rated higher than Hispanic children. Teachers also rated non-Hispanic African American children higher than non-Hispanic White, Asian, and Hispanic children. Non-Hispanic White teachers provided lower hyperactivity-impulsivity ratings than non-Hispanic, African American, and Hispanic teachers. Normative data are reported separately for parent and teacher ratings by child gender and age. The merits of using the ADHD Rating Scale-5 in a multimodal assessment protocol are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record