Partial Strong Measurement Invariance Research Articles

Italian Higher Education Student Engagement Scale (I-HESES): initial validation and psychometric evidences

ABSTRACT Student engagement is an important construct predicting students’ academic achievement and success. In order to broaden the choice of short, complete, effective, and Italian language scales for the measurement of this construct, the goal of the present study was to carry out an adaptation and initial validation, accompanied by appropriate psychometric analyses, of an Italian version of the Higher Education Student Engagement Scale (I-HESES) in a sample of 335 Swiss-Italian and South-Italian adult students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses permitted to validate the Italian adapted version of the HESES, resulting in an instrument with three second order dimensions (academic engagement, psychological engagement and social engagement) each one having two subdimensions. Each subdimension is measured using three items. The internal consistencies were adequate for all subscales, ranging from .63 to .86. Evidence of partial strong measurement invariance across gender and countries was observed. Moreover, as expected, the I-HESES dimensions were meaningfully related to student self-efficacy and value accorded to education. These findings indicate that the I-HESES might be a valid instrument for assessing and studying student engagement of adults attending higher education in the Swiss-Italian and South-Italian contexts.

Cross-cultural measurement invariance of divergent thinking measures

An emerging trend in current creativity research is the cross-cultural comparison of creative potential. However, no studies have addressed the cross-cultural measurement invariance of creativity instruments, which refers to the instrument’s ability to assess the same construct across different cultures. This study investigated the latent structure and the degree of measurement invariance of two divergent thinking (DT) tests (the line meaning test and the real-world problem test) between American (n = 302) and Chinese (n = 316) college students. A two-factor model of the two DT tests was supported in both samples based on either the fluency or originality scores, suggesting variations between different types of DT tests. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses revealed that although the assumptions of configural and weak invariance were met for both the fluency and originality indices, the partial strong measurement invariance was marginally satisfied only for the real-world problem fluency across the two cultural groups. Further, latent mean comparison showed similar fluency between American and Chinese college students on the real-world problem test. In contrast, results from the observed mean comparison indicated higher performance of American individuals on the real-world problem fluency and originality; the opposite trend was revealed for both indices on the line meaning test. Overall, the present study demonstrates the importance of examining the equivalence of the measurement instrument before interpreting cross-cultural differences in creativity. Suggestions for future cross-cultural creativity research are provided.

Teachers’ Relationships with Children in the Finnish Early Childhood Education Context: A Validation Study

This study examined the factorial validity and measurement invariance of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale–Short Form (STRS-SF), modified by Whitaker et al. (2015) , in the Finnish Early Childhood Education (ECE) context. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the two-factor model of Closeness and Conflict after some item modifications and partial strong measurement invariance across ECE student teachers and two qualified ECE teacher groups. In general, the participants perceived high levels of closeness and low levels of conflicts with children. The qualified teachers who voluntarily enrolled in training to improve their professional competence perceived their relationships with children as more conflictual, reported less working experience, and had younger children in their classrooms, compared to the other qualified teachers. The student teachers perceived less closeness than the teachers but reported fewerconflicts than the teachers enrolled in training. This study extended the application of the STRS-SF in teacher education and research to a Nordic cultural context.

Psychometric Evidence of the 10-Item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC10, Greek Version) and the Predictive Power of Resilience on Well-Being and Distress

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct validity of CD-RISC10 in a sample of 1089 Greek adults of the general population. The CD-RISC10 factor structure was evaluated first with EFA in a 20% subsample and confirmed with CFA (CFA1) in a different 40% subsample. A cross-validation CFA followed (CFA2) in a third 40% subsample (i.e. of equal power with CFA1). Model fit comparison using -2ΔLL difference test suggested a bidimensional structure but bifactor ancillary measures indicated that multidimensionality was weak to exclude the unidimensional structure. Full weak measurement invariance across gender for this unidimensional model was successfully established in the entire sample. Partial strong measurement invariance was established after freeing intercepts of 2 items and partial strict after freeing the error variance of 1 item. Internal consistency reliability (α) was equal to three different model-based reliability calculations (CR) at adequate levels (.85), corroborating one another, although CD-RISC10 was not tau-equivalent. The average variance extracted was .37 to evaluate model-based convergent validity. Convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated further with correlation analysis with a resilience measure, life satisfaction, affectivity, depression, anxiety, and stress with all associations to the expected direction. The predictive validity of CD-RISC10 was evaluated with a SEM model of resilience regressed on two higher-order latent factors of subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological distress, yielding significant strong positive and negative effects respectively. Male scored significantly higher than females thus, normative data were calculated over the total sample and also separately by gender.

Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) across cultures.

Cross-culturally measurement invariant instruments are useful for the assessment of mental symptoms across cultures. The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) (DASS) across Pakistan and Germany. German participants were recruited through an online survey (N=1323), while Pakistani participants were recruited through online survey or paper-and-pencil survey (N=1841). The DASS-21 showed good reliability, construct and structure validity in both countries. The DASS-21 indicated partial weak (stress subscale) and partial strong measurement invariance (depression and anxiety subscales) between both countries. Latent mean comparison of depression and anxiety symptoms between Pakistani and German students indicated that Pakistani university students experience more symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results suggest that the DASS-21 could be used in Pakistan and Germany, but caution should be taken when making direct comparisons between the two countries.

Short Form of the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-L9) in the US, Germany, and Russia

Abstract. Validation of a 9-item version of the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-L9) and testing its cross-national measurement invariance and latent mean differences in representative samples from the United States of America (US), Germany, and Russia. The psychometric properties of the SOC-L9 were tested with representative samples aged 18–100 years from the US ( N = 2,972), Germany ( N = 2,005), and Russia ( N = 2,726). Both a model with a general factor and method effect of items with negative wording and a unidimensional model were tested for structure validity. Measurement equivalence and latent mean comparisons were conducted across the samples. The SOC-L9 showed good reliability and validity in all countries. Rather than the unidimensional model, the model with additional method effect showed excellent fit across countries. Cross-national measurement invariance testing found partial strong measurement invariance across the three samples. The latent means of the SOC-L9 in the US sample were higher than those in German and Russian samples. The SOC-L9 has proved to be economic, valid, reliable, and cross-nationally applicable in the US, Germany, and Russia. Meaningful differences across countries were found, suggesting the importance of taking cultural background into account in SOC-related research.

Brief form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-6): Validation, norms, and cross-cultural measurement invariance in the USA, Germany, Russia, and China.

The present study evaluates a brief, cross-cultural scale that maps a wide range of social resources, useful in large-scale assessments of perceived social support. The Brief Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (Fragebogen zur Sozialen Unterstützung Kurzform mit sechs Items, F-SozU K-6) was examined in representative and university student samples from the United States (Nrepresentative = 3038), Germany (Nrepresentative = 2007, Nstudent = 5406), Russia (Nrepresentative = 3020, Nstudent = 4001), and China (Nstudent = 13,582). Cross-cultural measurement invariance testing was conducted in both representative and student samples across countries. Scores on the F-SozU K-6 demonstrated good reliability and strong model fit for a unidimensional structure in all samples, with the exception of poor model fit for German students. The scores on F-SozU K-6 correlated negatively with scores on depression, anxiety, and stress measures and positively with scores on positive mental health measures. Norms for gender and age groups were established separately based on each representative sample. Cross-cultural measurement invariance testing found partial strong measurement invariance across three general population samples and three student samples. Furthermore, a simulation study showed that the amount of invariance observed in the partial invariance model had only a negligible impact on mean comparisons. Psychometric findings across diverse cultural contexts supported the robustness and validity of the F-SozU K-6 for cross-cultural epidemiologic studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Occupational Engagement and Positive Psychological Measures in Two Collectivistic Cultures

This study assessed occupational engagement and its relationship to positive psychological measures in two collectivistic cultures. Undergraduate students in China ( n = 230) and Paraguay ( n = 231) completed the Occupational Engagement Scale for Students (OES-S), a one-factor, 9-item scale to measure occupational engagement, the Vocational Identity Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Adult Hope Scale, and the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses with OES-S scores were held for partial strong measurement invariance. OES-S scores correlated with scores on positive psychological measures. While the OES-S has room for improvement, occupational engagement seems to be a viable cross-cultural construct applicable to collectivistic cultures.

Psychometric properties of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men (SESII-W/M) and the Sexual Excitation Scales/Sexual Inhibition Scales short form (SIS/SES-SF) in a population-based sample in Germany.

The Sexual Excitation Sexual/Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men (SESII-W/M) and the Sexual Excitation Scales/Sexual Inhibition Scales short form (SIS/SES-SF) are two self-report questionnaires for assessing sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI). According to the dual control model of sexual response, SE and SI differ between individuals and influence the occurrence of sexual arousal in given situations. Extreme levels of SE and SI are postulated to be associated with sexual difficulties or risky sexual behaviors. The present study was designed to assess the psychometric properties of the German versions of both questionnaires utilizing a large population-based sample of 2,708 participants (Mage = 51.19, SD = 14.03). Overall, psychometric evaluation of the two instruments yielded good convergent and discriminant validity and mediocre to good internal consistency. The original 30-item version of the SESII-W/M did not show a sufficient model fit. For a 24-item version of the SESII-W/M partial strong measurement invariance across gender, and strong measurement invariance across relationship status, age, and educational levels were established. The original structure (14 items, 3 factors) of the SIS/SES-SF was not replicated. However, a 4-factor model including 13 items showed a good model fit and strong measurement invariance across the before-mentioned participant groups. For both questionnaires, partial strong measurement invariance with the original American versions of the scales was found. As some factors showed unsatisfactory internal consistency and the factor structure of the original scales could not be replicated, scores on several SE- and SI-factors should be interpreted with caution. However, most analyses indicated sufficient psychometric quality of the German SESII-W/M and SIS/SES-SF and their use can be recommended in German-speaking samples. More research with diverse samples (i.e., different sexual orientations, individuals with sexual difficulties) is needed to ensure the replicability of the factor solutions presented in this study.

Structure and Measurement Invariance of Adult Romantic Attachment

ABSTRACTRomantic attachment is a popular theory for explaining affect, cognition, and behavior in romantic contexts. This popularity has led to a surge of self-report measures assessing dimensions of attachment. In this study, we considered the ability of 2 common attachment measures, the Adult Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ) and the Experience in Close Relationships–Revised (ECR–R), to replicate the avoidant and anxious attachment factors. We also determined the degree of measurement invariance across, and mean differences between, genders and single and nonsingle individuals. Both the AAQ (N = 650) and the ECR–R (N = 1,271) successfully distinguished avoidant and attachment factors. The AAQ showed evidence for partial strong measurement invariance, whereas the ECR-R showed strict factorial invariance for both gender and relationship status. Gender differences were detected on both measures in a direction consistent with previous research, with males exhibiting higher levels of avoidant attachment (relative to females) and females exhibiting higher levels of anxious attachment (relative to males). Furthermore, when compared to individuals who were currently single, those in romantic relationships exhibited lower levels of avoidant tendencies. This research aligns with the notion that the AAQ and ECR–R reliably assess similar constructs, across genders and single and nonsingle individuals.

Same but different? Measurement invariance of the PIAAC motivation-to-learn scale across key socio-demographic groups

BackgroundData from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) revealed that countries systematically differ in their respondents’ literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments skills; skill levels also vary by gender, age, level of education or migration background. Similarly, systematic differences have been documented with respect to adults’ participation in education, which can be considered as a means to develop and maintain skills. From a psychological perspective, motivation to learn is considered a key factor associated with both skill development and participation in (further) education. In order to account for motivation when analyzing PIAAC data, four items from the PIAAC background questionnaire were recently compiled into a motivation-to-learn scale. This scale has been found to be invariant (i.e., showing full weak and partial strong measurement invariance) across 21 countries.MethodsThis paper presents further analyses using multiple-group graded response models to scrutinize the validity of the motivation-to-learn scale for group comparisons.ResultsResults indicate at least partial strong measurement invariance across gender, age groups, level of education, and migration background in most countries under study (all CFI > .95, all RMSEA < .08). Thus, the scale is suitable for comparing both means and associations across these groups.ConclusionsResults are discussed in light of country characteristics, challenges of measurement invariance testing, and potential future research using PIAAC data.

The assessment of psychopathology among traumatized refugees: measurement invariance of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 across five linguistic groups

ABSTRACTBackground: Questionnaires are widely used to assess the mental health status of refugees, whereas their construct validity largely remains unexplored.Objective: This study examined the construct validity of two widely-used instruments for the assessment of PTSD symptoms (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire [HTQ]; 16 items) and symptoms of anxiety and depression (Hopkins Symptom Check list-25 [HSCL-25]; 25 items) among Dutch and refugee patients with different linguistic backgrounds.Method: We applied exploratory factor analyses and measurement invariance analyses to test construct validity.Participants (n =1 256) were divided into five linguistic groups defined by language family, including four non-western linguistic groups (Indo-Iranian [n = 262], Niger-Congo [n = 134], Semitic [n = 288], and South Slavic languages [n = 199]) and one western linguistic group (Germanic languages; Dutch [n = 373]).Results: Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 3-factor structure of the HTQ and a 2-factor structure of the HSCL-25. Measurement invariance 20 analyses on the HTQ showed strong measurement invariance across the groups of refugee patients. However, Dutch patients reported milder symptom severity on most items of the HTQ. Measurement invariance analyses on the HSCL-25 (not conducted in Dutch patients) indicated partial strong measurement invariance across refugee patients.Conclusion: We conclude that mental health constructs measured by the HTQ and the HSCL25 25 are to a large extent interpreted in a similar way by refugee patients. This indicates that these instruments can be applied in non-western refugee patient populations, and that local idioms of distress and inherent response patterns may not play a major role when applying the HTQ and the HSCL-25 in these populations. Yet, whereas meaningful comparisons of observed PTSD and depression scores between groups of refugee patients with different non30 western linguistic background are feasible, comparisons between patients with a western and non-western linguistic background, as well as comparisons of anxiety scores, are likely to be biased. Future studies need to establish whether the commonly used cut-off scores of both questionnaires apply for refugee patients with non-western linguistic backgrounds.

Universal happiness? Cross-cultural measurement invariance of scales assessing positive mental health.

Research into positive aspects of the psyche is growing as psychologists learn more about the protective role of positive processes in the development and course of mental disorders, and about their substantial role in promoting mental health. With increasing globalization, there is strong interest in studies examining positive constructs across cultures. To obtain valid cross-cultural comparisons, measurement invariance for the scales assessing positive constructs has to be established. The current study aims to assess the cross-cultural measurement invariance of questionnaires for 6 positive constructs: Social Support (Fydrich, Sommer, Tydecks, & Brähler, 2009), Happiness (Subjective Happiness Scale; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999), Life Satisfaction (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), Positive Mental Health Scale (Lukat, Margraf, Lutz, van der Veld, & Becker, 2016), Optimism (revised Life Orientation Test [LOT-R]; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) and Resilience (Schumacher, Leppert, Gunzelmann, Strauss, & Brähler, 2004). Participants included German (n = 4,453), Russian (n = 3,806), and Chinese (n = 12,524) university students. Confirmatory factor analyses and measurement invariance testing demonstrated at least partial strong measurement invariance for all scales except the LOT-R and Subjective Happiness Scale. The latent mean comparisons of the constructs indicated differences between national groups. Potential methodological and cultural explanations for the intergroup differences are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Survey method matters: Online/offline questionnaires and face-to-face or telephone interviews differ

Self-report inventories enable efficient assessment of mental attributes in large representative surveys. However, an inventory can be administered in several ways whose equivalence is largely untested. In the present study, we administered thirteen psychological questionnaires assessing positive and negative aspects of mental health. The questionnaires were administered by four different data collection methods: face-to-face interview, telephone interview, online questionnaire, and offline questionnaire. We found that twelve of the questionnaires differed in survey methods. Although, some studies showed that social desirability tends to be highest for telephone survey and lowest for web survey. Furthermore, the effects of social desirability should be the same for the online and offline samples. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the face-to-face and telephone samples for the anxiety scale, the stress scale, and the tradition scale. We also found that for eight scales, the online sample was statistically different from the offline sample in the respondent answers. Moreover, the survey method effects were only moderated by age. Finally, measurement invariance across the four survey methods was tested for each self-report measure. There was full strong measurement invariance established for nine of thirteen scales and partial strong measurement invariance for the remaining four scales across the four survey methods. These findings indicated that measurement invariance was affected by different survey methods.

Career Adapt-Abilities Scale – Dual Career Form (CAAS-DC): psychometric properties and initial validation in high-school student-athletes

ABSTRACTTalented adolescent athletes attempting to sustain academic and vocational training alongside the increasing demands of their athletic career often encounter difficulties, including lower vocational readiness and the challenge of adapting to life after elite sport. Therefore, it is necessary to better understand the specific competencies that youth athletes can draw upon to successfully combine sport and education into a dual career pathway. Building on the existing Career Adapt-Abilities Scale [Savickas & Porfeli, (2012). Career adapt-abilities scale: Construction, reliability, and measurement equivalence across 13 countries. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80(3), 661–673], we developed a Dual Career Form of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS-DC) for use with adolescent student-athletes. A sample of 391 Finnish-speaking athletes completed the CAAS-DC at the beginning of their freshman year in sport high school. Adequate factorial validity of the CAAS-DC and internal consistency reliabilities of its five subscales were demonstrated in both exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis. The concurrent validity of the CAAS-DC was demonstrated by positive and significant associations with self-esteem, sport task values, school task values, and career construction; and negative associations with school and sport burnout. Finally, partial strong measurement invariance was also observed across males and females. The evidence from this study suggests that the CAAS-DC is a promising self-report inventory that can be used by researchers and applied practitioners to assess young athletes’ self-regulation capacities in dual career pursuits.

Dimensional Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire - Brief Revised (SPQ-BR) Scores Across American and Spanish Samples.

The main goal of the present study was to test the measurement equivalence of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire - Brief Revised (SPQ-BR) scores in a large sample of Spanish and American non-clinical young adults. The sample was made up of 5,625 young adults (M = 19.65 years; SD = 2.53; 38.5% males). Study of the internal structure, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), revealed that SPQ-BR items were grouped in a theoretical internal structure of nine first-order factors. Moreover, three or four second-order factor and bifactor models showed adequate goodness-of-fit indices. Multigroup CFA showed that the nine lower-order factor models of the SPQ-BR had configural and weak measurement invariance and partial strong measurement invariance across country. The reliability of the SPQ-BR scores, estimated with omega, ranged from 0.67 to 0.91. Using the item response theory framework, the SPQ-BR provides more accurate information at the medium and high end of the latent trait. Statistically significant differences were found in the raw scores of the SPQ-BR subscales and dimensions across samples. The American group scored higher than the Spanish group in all SPQ-BR domains except Ideas of Reference and Suspiciousness. The finding of comparable factor structure in cross-cultural samples would lend further support to the continuum model of psychosis spectrum disorders. In addition, these results provide new information about the factor structure of schizotypal traits and support the validity and utility of this measure in cross-cultural research.

Factor Structure, Reliability and Measurement Invariance of the Alberta Context Tool and the Conceptual Research Utilization Scale, for German Residential Long Term Care.

We translated the Canadian residential long term care versions of the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) and the Conceptual Research Utilization (CRU) Scale into German, to study the association between organizational context factors and research utilization in German nursing homes. The rigorous translation process was based on best practice guidelines for tool translation, and we previously published methods and results of this process in two papers. Both instruments are self-report questionnaires used with care providers working in nursing homes. The aim of this study was to assess the factor structure, reliability, and measurement invariance (MI) between care provider groups responding to these instruments. In a stratified random sample of 38 nursing homes in one German region (Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar), we collected questionnaires from 273 care aides, 196 regulated nurses, 152 allied health providers, 6 quality improvement specialists, 129 clinical leaders, and 65 nursing students. The factor structure was assessed using confirmatory factor models. The first model included all 10 ACT concepts. We also decided a priori to run two separate models for the scale-based and the count-based ACT concepts as suggested by the instrument developers. The fourth model included the five CRU Scale items. Reliability scores were calculated based on the parameters of the best-fitting factor models. Multiple-group confirmatory factor models were used to assess MI between provider groups. Rather than the hypothesized ten-factor structure of the ACT, confirmatory factor models suggested 13 factors. The one-factor solution of the CRU Scale was confirmed. The reliability was acceptable (>0.7 in the entire sample and in all provider groups) for 10 of 13 ACT concepts, and high (0.90–0.96) for the CRU Scale. We could demonstrate partial strong MI for both ACT models and partial strict MI for the CRU Scale. Our results suggest that the scores of the German ACT and the CRU Scale for nursing homes are acceptably reliable and valid. However, as the ACT lacked strict MI, observed variables (or scale scores based on them) cannot be compared between provider groups. Rather, group comparisons should be based on latent variable models, which consider the different residual variances of each group.

Does measurement invariance hold for the official Mexican multidimensional poverty measure? A state-level analysis 2012

One of the main goals in poverty measurement is making comparisons of prevalence and severity across geographical units. This is attained by merely disaggregating the index in question. The underlying assumption is that comparisons across units are tenable, inasmuch as the same indicators are utilised for constructing the index. Nonetheless, in practice, this assumption is very rarely tested. From the statistical perspective, measurement invariance (MI) must hold for comparisons to be valid, and violations thereof indicate that a given poverty index measures different things across different countries, states, counties, etc. Consequently, differentials in severity and prevalence cannot be attributed exclusively to the underlying construct (i.e. poverty) but to factors not considered in the measure. This article tests whether MI holds for two indexes: the Mexican official multidimensional measure (MPM) and an adjusted multidimensional measure (MPM-A) that uses less severe thresholds. The analysis is conducted using a novel method called the ‘alignment method’. It uses these two measures and the method as an illustration of why it is vital to introduce MI tests into poverty measurement. The results suggest that partial strong MI holds for the official measure and MI is violated when the thresholds are adjusted. Partial strong MI guarantees making valid comparisons across the 32 states. Should the official measure requires to be updated with other thresholds, it would be necessary to adjust the threshold or drop the indicator for water deprivation.

The measurement invariance of schizotypy in Europe

The short version of the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (sO-LIFE) is a widely used measure assessing schizotypy. There is limited information, however, on how sO-LIFE scores compare across different countries. The main goal of the present study is to test the measurement invariance of the sO-LIFE scores in a large sample of non-clinical adolescents and young adults from four European countries (UK, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain). The scores were obtained from validated versions of the sO-LIFE in their respective languages. The sample comprised 4190 participants (M=20.87 years; SD=3.71 years). The study of the internal structure, using confirmatory factor analysis, revealed that both three (i.e., positive schizotypy, cognitive disorganisation, and introvertive anhedonia) and four-factor (i.e., positive schizotypy, cognitive disorganisation, introvertive anhedonia, and impulsive nonconformity) models fitted the data moderately well. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-factor model had partial strong measurement invariance across countries. Eight items were non-invariant across samples. Significant statistical differences in the mean scores of the s-OLIFE were found by country. Reliability scores, estimated with Ordinal alpha ranged from 0.75 to 0.87. Using the Item Response Theory framework, the sO-LIFE provides more accuracy information at the medium and high end of the latent trait. The current results show further evidence in support of the psychometric proprieties of the sO-LIFE, provide new information about the cross-cultural equivalence of schizotypy and support the use of this measure to screen for psychotic-like features and liability to psychosis in general population samples from different European countries.

New evidence of factor structure and measurement invariance of the SDQ across five European nations.

The main purpose of the present study was to analyse the internal structure and to test the measurement invariance of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), self-reported version, in five European countries. The sample consisted of 3012 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 14.20; SD = 0.83). The five-factor model (with correlated errors added), and the five-factor model (with correlated errors added) with the reverse-worded items allowed to cross-load on the Prosocial subscale, displayed adequate goodness of-fit indices. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis showed that the five-factor model (with correlated errors added) had partial strong measurement invariance by countries. A total of 11 of the 25 items were non-invariant across samples. The level of internal consistency of the Total difficulties score was 0.84, ranging between 0.69 and 0.78 for the SDQ subscales. The findings indicate that the SDQ's subscales need to be modified in various ways for screening emotional and behavioural problems in the five European countries that were analysed.