Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of item inversion on the construct validity and reliability of psychometric scales and proposed a theoretical framework for the evaluation of the psychometric properties of data gathered with psychometric instruments. To this propose, we used the Maslach Burnout Inventory, which is the most used psychometric inventory to measure burnout in different professional context (Students, Teachers, Police, Doctors, Nurses, etc…). The version of the MBI used was the MBI-Student Survey (MBI-SS). This inventory is composed of three key dimensions: Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy. The two first dimensions—which have positive formulated items—are moderate to strong positive correlated, and show moderate to strong negative correlations with the 3rd dimension—which has negative formulated items. We tested the hypothesis that, in college students, formulating the 3rd dimension of burnout as Inefficacy (reverting the negatively worded items in the Efficacy dimension) improves the correlation of the 3rd dimension with the other two dimensions, improves its internal consistency, and the overall MBI-SS’ construct validity and reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis results, estimated by Maximum Likelihood, revealed adequate factorial fit for both forms of the MBI-SS (with Efficacy) vs. the MBI-SSi (with Inefficacy). Also both forms showed adequate convergent and discriminant related validity. However, reliability and convergent validity were higher for the MBI-SSi. There were also stronger (positive) correlations between the 3 factors in MBI-SSi than the ones observed in MBI-SS. Results show that positively rewording of the 3rd dimension of the MBI-SS improves its validity and reliability. We therefore propose that the 3rd dimension of the MBI-SS should be named Professional Inefficacy and its items should be positively worded.
Highlights
Measuring can be defined as a process of encoding characteristics or attributes of objects or people
It need to be highlighted that, often, in the literature it is stated that the validity and reliability are properties of the measuring instrument which is a misnomer, since these are properties of the data gathered with the instrument when applied to a sample and in specific context and not of the instrument per se [7]
This study aims to present the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based steps of analysis that should be used to assess the validity and reliability of data gathered with a psychometric scale using the theoretical validity and reliability framework proposed by Anastasi et al [5]
Summary
Measuring can be defined as a process of encoding characteristics or attributes of objects or people. That is the case of several medical and psychiatric variables (e.g., stress, depression, anxiety, cognitive complains, pain, etc...) This type of variables required the construction of scales and measuring instruments that are solid grounded in theoretical models which relate the construct or latent variable to its observed manifestations in a proper valid and reliable way [3]. It need to be highlighted that, often, in the literature it is stated that the validity and reliability are properties of the measuring instrument which is a misnomer, since these are properties of the data gathered with the instrument when applied to a sample and in specific context and not of the instrument per se [7] Whenever these contexts are changed the validity and reliability of the data need to be re-estimated and establishing the psychometric properties of an instrument is a time consuming, and always necessary dynamic process. The lack of familiarity of both researchers and practioners in the specific areas of statistics/psychometrics required to estimate validity and reliability of the data can be one of the causes of the problems reported
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