Cross-cultural Invariance Research Articles

Examining Cross-Cultural Invariance of Common Mental Disorder Symptom Measures in the United States and Singapore

Examining Cross-Cultural Invariance of Common Mental Disorder Symptom Measures in the United States and Singapore

Shimmering emerging adulthood: in search of the invariant IDEA model for collectivistic countries.

Emerging adulthood is the youth trajectory characterized by self-focus, identity exploration, feeling between adolescence and adulthood, instability, and experimentation. This trajectory was first identified in industrialized individualistic countries with gender equality and technological progress. To measure transition to adulthood, the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA) was created. Although emerging adulthood is considered universal, adaptations of the questionnaire across the 12 countries show different patterns, and its cross-cultural invariance has been underinvestigated. This study tests IDEA in three collectivistic countries - Armenia, China, and Russia. The sample consisted of 868 students (total male - 152, total female - 716) aged 18 to 29 years old. We tested the questionnaire separately in the three countries to check that this model fits, but we failed to prove it. After that we used a factor-analytic approach to find a common version for the three countries. We got a five-factor correlated model in accordance with the theory, but it was reduced from 31 items to 21, and three items moved to other factors. Finally, we provided measurement invariance and reached configural level. To test the narrower facets of factors we used multi-group alignment and found that variances in six parameters differ, mainly in Instability. Despite the difference in the questionnaire items, we proposed a common model for three countries that we called questionnaire IDEA-collectivistic countries (IDEA-CC).

Beyond Parental Acceptance and Rejection: A Commentary on the Findings From Empirical Studies on Forgiveness and Vengeance in the Muslim World

Drawing on the framework of interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory), this special issue edited by Ronald P. Rohner, Sumbleen Ali, and Jennifer E. Lansford explores forgiveness and vengeance within the context of the Muslim world. Examination of the precursors of forgiveness and vengeance holds significance because vengeance typically correlates with adverse physical and psychological health outcomes. We suggest ways to advance research outlined in the special issue, such as assessing cross-cultural invariance and using diverse research designs. Moreover, increasing the diversity of socioeconomic status in studies conducted in the Muslim world and exploring hypotheses in high-income countries are necessary for contextually nuanced research. Overall, this special issue offers valuable insights into the dynamics of forgiveness and vengeance and highlights the role of culture and gender on psychological well-being across diverse contexts.

Invariância da Medida de Perfeccionismo entre Estudantes de Graduação Brasileiros e Argentinos

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the cross-cultural invariance of perfectionism between Brazilian and Argentinian cultures, using the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R). A series of multi-group exploratory structural equation modeling models were used to test configural, metric, and scalar measurement invariance. The total sample comprised 1589 undergraduate students, 835 Brazilians, and 754 Argentinians, mean age=25.03 (SD=6.58 years). Multi-group analyses revealed that configural and metric measurement invariance were achieved. Partial scalar invariance was found after constraints on the thresholds of items 2 and 10 were released. Minor differences were found in the high standards and order dimensions, although results should be interpreted cautiously due to non-invariance. Overall, the results suggest that the APS-R is mostly comparable between Brazilians and Argentinians. Possible differences in non-invariance specific to some of the scale items, and implications for cross-cultural research of perfectionism are discussed.

Exploring Attitudes Toward “Sugar Relationships” Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship

The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia.

Cross-cultural invariance of the Spanish version of the COVID-19 Assessment Scorecard to measure the perception of government actions against COVID-19 in Latin America

ObjectivesThe present study aimed to evaluate the measurement invariance of a general measure of the perception of governmental responses to COVID-|19 (COVID-SCORE-10) in the general population of 13 Latin American countries.MethodsA total of 5780 individuals from 13 Latin American and Caribbean countries selected by non-probabilistic snowball sampling participated. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed and the alignment method was used to evaluate invariance. Additionally, a graded response model was used for the assessment of item characteristics.ResultsThe results indicate that there is approximate measurement invariance of the COVID-SCORE-10 among the participating countries. Furthermore, IRT results suggest that the COVID-SCORE-10 measures with good psychometric ability a broad spectrum of the construct assessed, especially around average levels. Comparison of COVID-SCORE-10 scores indicated that participants from Cuba, Uruguay and El Salvador had the most positive perceptions of government actions to address the pandemic. Thus, the underlying construct of perception of government actions was equivalent in all countries.ConclusionThe results show the importance of initially establishing the fundamental measurement properties and MI before inferring the cross-cultural universality of the construct to be measured.

Validation of the Short Version (TLS-15) of the Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45) across 37 Languages

Love is a phenomenon that occurs across the world and affects many aspects of human life, including the choice of, and process of bonding with, a romantic partner. Thus, developing a reliable and valid measure of love experiences is crucial. One of the most popular tools to quantify love is Sternberg’s 45-item Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45), which measures three love components: intimacy, passion, and commitment. However, our literature review reveals that most studies (64%) use a broad variety of shortened versions of the TLS-45. Here, aiming to achieve scientific consensus and improve the reliability, comparability, and generalizability of results across studies, we developed a short version of the scale—the TLS-15—comprised of 15 items with 5-point, rather than 9-point, response scales. In Study 1 (N = 7,332), we re-analyzed secondary data from a large-scale multinational study that validated the original TLS-45 to establish whether the scale could be truncated. In Study 2 (N = 307), we provided evidence for the three-factor structure of the TLS-15 and its reliability. Study 3 (N = 413) confirmed convergent validity and test–retest stability of the TLS-15. Study 4 (N = 60,311) presented a large-scale validation across 37 linguistic versions of the TLS-15 on a cross-cultural sample spanning every continent of the globe. The overall results provide support for the reliability, validity, and cross-cultural invariance of the TLS-15, which can be used as a measure of love components—either separately or jointly as a three-factor measure.

The Revised Compound Psychological Capital Scale (CPC-12R): Validity and Cross-Cultural Invariance in an Organizational Context

AbstractThis study aims to validate the revised Compound Psychological Capital scale (CPC-12R) which is a recently published inventory for measuring psychological capital across contexts. The data from three representative samples of employees from the U.S. (n = 456), the Czech Republic (n = 966), and Slovakia (n = 965) revealed a weak measurement invariance across the three cultures, a high internal consistency of all subscales and a good fit of the data to the theoretical model of psychological capital. The data obtained by means of the English version of the CPC-12R showed a very strong correlation with the established Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), medium to strong positive correlations with work engagement, job satisfaction and positive affect, and a weak negative correlation with negative affect. Therefore, this study demonstrates the reliability and factorial, concurrent and convergent validity of CPC-12R in the context of organizations. The study also provides indicative norms for measuring psychological capital in three populations and refers to the limitations of the CPC-12R, in particular, the very small residual variance in first-order factors and the lack of strong invariance across cultures, which prevents a meaningful comparison of factor means across countries.

Testing the cross-cultural invariance of an extended theory of planned behaviour in predicting biodiversity-conserving behavioural intentions

Besides climate change, the loss of biodiversity due to human activities marks another planetary boundary that we are currently crossing. Cross-culturally invariant measurement instruments are urgently needed to monitor and evaluate the effects of global and national programmes to halt further biodiversity loss. Based on data from Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Vietnam, and Germany, we tested the cross-cultural invariance of scales operationalizing an extended theory of planned behaviour for the prediction of biodiversity-conserving behavioural intentions. Cross-cultural invariance was tested using the multi-group confirmatory factor analysis and the alignment optimization approaches, whose methodological setup is described and discussed. Results for both methods indicate metric and partial scalar invariance of the used scales, which means that both regression coefficients and latent means can be compared across countries. The resulting scales can be used to both monitor biodiversity-related behavioural intentions and their predictors across different cultures and evaluate interventions to increase these intentions.

Psychometric Properties and Cross-Cultural Invariance of the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Beck Anxiety Inventory among a Representative Sample of Spanish, Portuguese, and Brazilian Undergraduate Students.

Clinical psychologists often use the Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to aid in the diagnosis of mental health issues and verify the effectiveness of treatments. Despite this common practice, studies that implement a cross-cultural design to check psychometric properties and the invariance of these scales are still scarce in the literature, which can lead to biased results that prevent comparisons among different groups. The present study investigated the internal structure of both tools and their level of invariance. From a representative sample of undergraduate students from Spain (n = 1216), Portugal (n = 426), and Brazil (n = 315), Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis were performed. The results revealed suitable fit indices for the two-factor structure of the BDI-II and BAI, assessed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis procedures. Additionally, the two-factor model of the BDI-II reached invariant properties at three levels, whereas the structural model of the BAI did not. Altogether, these results suggest using the BDI-II in this group in these three countries and imply that BAI scores should be interpreted cautiously.

Analysis from the classical test theory and item response theory of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in an Ecuadorian and Colombian sample

ABSTRACT Verify the measurement equivalence by nationality (Colombia and Ecuador), internal consistency, and discrimination and difficulty from the Item Response Theory of the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Instrumental study based on Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). 464 university students, 217 of Colombian (54.4% women, mean age = 20.9 years, SD = 3.4), and 250 Ecuadorian (60% women, mean age = 21 years, SD = 2.0). The SWLS presented a single-factor model for both the Colombian and Ecuadorian samples. In addition, the instrument presented measurement equivalence between countries at the metric level and has adequate internal consistency according to the CTT criteria. Finally, regarding the IRT criteria, the items present adequate discrimination and difficulty. The SWLS presents evidence of cross-cultural invariance in addition to having new properties based on the IRT that have not been fully investigated before.

Assessing hedonic hunger among Chinese adults using the Power of Food Scale: Psychometric properties and cross-cultural invariance between China and the US

Hedonic hunger refers to food consumption for pleasure without biological energy deficits. The Power of Food Scale (PFS) is a well-developed self-report instrument assessing hedonic hunger. The present study aimed to translate and validate the PFS into simplified Chinese (C-PFS) and examine its psychometric properties among Chinese adults. A total of 773 participants (51.1 % men, M age = 24.98 years, SD = 6.10) were recruited in the present study from college and community populations. Consistent with the previous studies, confirmatory factor analysis showed that the C-PFS had three factors: food present, food available, and food tasted. In addition, a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92 and an ICC of 0.86 suggested that the C-PFS has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. In terms of convergent validity, the scores of C-PFS correlated significantly with disordered eating symptomatology and loss of control over eating. Measurement invariance tests showed that the C-PFS was invariant across gender and sample source groups in the Chinese sample. In addition, a U.S. sample of 490 college students (26.6 % men, M age = 21.41 years, SD = 5.45) was used to test the measurement invariance across countries, and results suggested a partial invariance across college students from China and those from the U.S. In conclusion, the C-PFS can be a useful tool for measuring hedonic hunger among adults in China, and there may be cultural differences in the measurement of the PFS in college students across China and the U.S.

Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Vaccination Attitudes Examination Scale (VAX) in a Spanish sample

In these times of pandemic, the acceptance or rejection of vaccines has become increasingly clear, with a considerable rise in the anti-vaccine movement in Spain. It is important to understand the attitudes that lead a person to refuse vaccination in order to develop more effective public health campaigns. The objective of this study has been to study the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale in a Spanish sample. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling have been used to study the psychometric properties of the VAX. Likewise, the measurement invariance by gender and educational level has been studied. The structure of four related factors for VAX is confirmed, as well as its predictive value, since the factor “trust in the benefit of the vaccine” clearly predicts the choice to be vaccinated. The strong measurement invariance by gender and educational level is also confirmed. The comparison of latent means between groups indicates that there are no differences by gender in any factor. However, people with a high educational level present higher scores in factors “concern about unforeseen future effects”, “concern about commercial effects and speculation” and “preference for natural immunity”. The VAX is presented as a reliable and valid tool to assess four different factors related to attitudes towards vaccines in Spain. Future studies of its cross-cultural invariance may help to determine the main factors that lead people not to be vaccinated in order to develop more effective public health campaigns.

Physical Activity and Healthy Habits Influence Mood Profile Clusters in a Lithuanian Population

Moods have been investigated previously in a range of cultural contexts. In our study, we investigated if six mood profiles previously identified, termed the iceberg, inverse Everest, inverse iceberg, shark fin, submerged, and surface profiles, were also evident among a Lithuanian sample. A Lithuanian translation of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS-LTU) was completed by a sample of 746 participants (male = 199, female = 547) aged from 17–78 years (M = 41.8 years, SD = 11.4 year). Seeded k-means cluster analysis clearly identified the six hypothesized mood profiles, the prevalence of which reflected previous findings. Cluster prevalence varied significantly by sex, age, exercise and smoking status, frequency of overeating, and self-rated health of participants. Male participants and older adults were under-represented for the inverse Everest profile and over-represented for the iceberg profile. Those who reported more healthy habits (i.e., exerciser, non-smoker, rarely overeat) and those reporting better self-rated health were over-represented for the iceberg profile and under-represented for negative mood profiles; namely, the inverse Everest, inverse iceberg, and shark fin profiles. Findings supported the cross-cultural invariance of the mood profile clusters and confirmed the link between unhealthy habits and negative mood profiles.

The ABC connectedness to nature scale: development and validation of a scale with an approach to affective, behavioural, and cognitive aspects

Connectedness to nature influences the well-being and health of individuals, communities, and the planet. Although many validated scales exist, none includes the three fundamental aspects of any attitude: the affective, behavioural, and cognitive components. The study’s main objective was to develop and validate an integral tool, the ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS), which would enable the measurement of the affective, behavioural, and cognitive aspects of this construct. The questionnaire was administered to 1,375 students (878 Ecuadorian and 497 Spanish). Exploratory factor analysis retained the three expected factors. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a robust adjustment for the tridimensional structure, but cross-cultural invariance was not attained: Although the ABC-CNS is valid for both Ecuador and Spain, the scores cannot be compared in both cultural contexts analysed. The pattern of relations with other psychological variables (proenvironmental values, appreciation and preservation of nature, and individual and classmates’ proenvironmental behaviours) provided evidence of the structure and construct validity. The ABC-CNS scale is an integral, reliable, and short tool to measure connectedness to nature through the proposed dimensions. The tool is suitable for environmental professionals and researchers to assess individuals’ connectedness to nature, a psychological variable that may affect a person’s mental health and proenvironmental behaviour.

Cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short form across ten countries: the application of Bayesian approximate measurement invariance

BackgroundThe Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF) is the most frequently used generic quality of life (QOL) measure in many countries and cultures worldwide. However, no single study has been carried out to investigate whether this questionnaire performs similarly across diverse cultures/countries. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Q-LES-Q-SF across ten different countries.MethodsThe Q-LES-Q-SF was administrated to a sample of 2822 university students from ten countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Croatia, India, Nepal, Poland, Serbia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. The Bayesian approximate measurement invariance approach was used to assess the measurement invariance of the Q-LES-Q-SF.ResultsApproximate measurement invariance did not hold across the countries for the Q-LES-Q-SF, with only two out of 14 items being non-invariant; namely items related to doing household and leisure time activities.ConclusionsOur findings did not support the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Q-LES-Q-SF; thus, considerable caution is warranted when comparing QOL scores across different countries with this measure. Item rewording and adaptation along with calibrating non-invariant items may narrow these differences and help researchers to create an invariant questionnaire for reliable and valid QOL comparisons across different countries.

Cross-Cultural Measurement Invariance of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire Across Nine Adolescent Samples.

Trauma researchers often make claims about the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) across populations, and yet cross-cultural measurement invariance (MI) is rarely assessed. Nine youth samples with Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) responses were grouped based on sampling strategy used into two sets: representative (Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Lithuania, n = 1,457), and convenience (Greenland, India, Kenya, Malaysia, and Uganda, n = 2,036). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to gauge whether configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance of different models held between national samples within the two sets. Configural invariance held for most PTSD models in convenience samples, not in representative samples. Metric invariance was less common, and scalar and residual in general did not hold. Cultural similarity between samples seemed to be associated with invariance. Findings suggest that although PTSD symptoms may cluster similarly across culturally distal groups, comparisons of the severity of symptoms using the HTQ across adolescent samples are not likely valid.

Design and Cross-Cultural Invariance of the COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (COVID-VCBS) in 13 Latin American Countries.

AimsOver the past 2 years, the vaccine conspiracy beliefs construct has been used in a number of different studies. These publications have assessed the determinants and outcomes of vaccine conspiracy beliefs using, in some cases, pooled data from different countries, and compared the results across these contexts. However, studies often do not consider measurement invariance as a necessary requirement for comparative analyses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the cross-cultural MI of the COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (COVID-VCBS) in 12 Latin American countries.MethodsConfirmatory factor analysis, item response theory analysis and alignment method were applied to test measurement invariance in a large number of groups.ResultsThe COVID-VCBS showed robust psychometric properties and measurement invariance for both factor loadings and crosstabs. Also, a higher level of acceptance of conspiracy beliefs about vaccines is necessary to respond to higher response categories. Similarly, greater acceptance of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines was related to a lower intention to be vaccinated.ConclusionThe results allow for improved understanding of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines in the countries assessed; furthermore, they provide researchers and practitioners with an invariant measure that they can use in cross-cultural studies in Latin America. However, further studies are needed to test invariance in other countries, with the goal of developing a truly international measure of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines.

Cross-cultural validity of the five items Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-5) in Peru and Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Spanish version of the 5-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-5) is a brief measure of the general tendency to be attentive and aware of experiences in the present moment during daily life. The MAAS-5 has been used in different countries; however, an assessment of its cross-cultural measurement invariance (MI) has not been conducted. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the MAAS-5 in university students from two countries: Peru and Mexico. A total of 1144 university students from Peru (N = 822) and Mexico (N = 322) responded online to the Spanish version of the 5-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-5). A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was performed. Measurement invariance tests the hypothesis that the model behind a set of scores is comparable between groups. The results showed that the unidimensional structure of the MAAS-5 is the same between Peruvian and Mexican university students. Therefore, it is suggested that university students from both countries conceptualize the mindfulness in a similar way. As a result, the MAAS-5 can be used to compare differences between countries. No significant differences were observed in the MAAS-5 score between Peruvian and Mexican university students. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the psychometric properties of the MAAS-5 by presenting MI results in two Latin American countries. Implications of the findings are discussed, which will facilitate a more solid and reliable use of the MAAS-5 in future cross-cultural studies.

DSM-5 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Nonclinical Samples of Chinese and Pakistani Trauma-Exposed Adults: Factor Structure and Invariance Across Culture.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the latent structure and cross-cultural measurement validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms assessed by the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. Participants comprised trauma-exposed Chinese and Pakistani undergraduate students (N = 495 and N = 186, respectively). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that a seven-factor hybrid model involving intrusion, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, externalizing behaviors, anxious arousal, and dysphoric arousal factors provided good fit in both samples. This model fit significantly better than three alternative models including the DSM-5 four-factor model and six-factor anhedonia and externalizing behaviors models. The subsequent multigroup CFA showed that the best-fitting hybrid model demonstrated cross-cultural measurement invariance. Our findings provide further empirical support for the seven-factor PTSD hybrid model and its cross-cultural invariance, and have implications for understanding and application of DSM-5's PTSD symptoms.