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Thursday 16th July, 11:00 - 12:30 Room: O-101

Assessing and addressing measurement equivalence in cross-cultural surveys 2
Convenor	Dr Gijs Van Houten (Eurofound )
Coordinator 1	Dr Milos Kankaras (Eurofound)

Session Details

Over the past decades the number of cross-cultural surveys has increased dramatically. A major challenge in cross-cultural surveys is to ensure that the answers of different respondents to survey items measure the same concepts. If measurement equivalence is not achieved it is difficult if not impossible to make meaningful comparisons across cultures and countries.

Most cross-cultural surveys aim to reduce bias by finding the right balance between harmonisation and local adaptation of the methods used in each of the stages of the surveys process (e.g. sampling, questionnaire development and translation, fieldwork implementation etc.). Furthermore, an increasing number of research projects are being carried out looking into the determinants measurement equivalence. There are three main approaches to the analysis of measurement equivalence – multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, differential item functioning, and multigroup latent class analysis. These latent variable models are based on different modelling assumptions and are appropriate for different types of data (cf. Kankaraš and Moors, 2010).

This session invites papers about the assessment of measurement equivalence in cross-cultural surveys as well as papers about efforts made to address measurement equivalence in the design and implementation of surveys. The aim is to facilitate an exchange that benefits both the future analysis of measurement equivalence and the future design of cross-national surveys.

Kankaraš, M. & Moors, G.B.D (2010). Researching measurement equivalence in cross-cultural studies. Psyhologija, 43(2) ,121-136

Paper Details

1. Testing the Invariance of the Value Typology of Europeans Across Time Points
Dr Maksim Rudnev (National Research university Higher School of Economics)
Dr Vladimir Magun (National Research university Higher School of Economics)
Professor Peter Schmidt (University of Giessen)

Unlike variable-centered measures, validity and stability of typologies have been rarely studied. Previously, we developed a value typology of the European population using the fourth round of the European Social Survey. The current paper tests the stability of this typology by extending the study to three time points. It was found to hold partial invariance. The reliability of the value classes was supported by stability of country probabilities of the classes and its correlations with the economic development. The results imply that the value classification of Europeans is not ad hoc, but reflects the natural structure of European societies.

2. The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): How many factor structures, and are these invariant over time?
Dr Edward Sosu (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK)
Professor Peter Schmidt (Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany)

The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is widely used for measuring dimensions of externalising and internalising behaviours in children and adolescents. It is hypothesised to measure five subscales: Conduct, Hyperactivity, Peer relations, Emotional problems and Prosocial behaviour. However, explorations of factor structure have failed to validate the five dimensions. Additionally, there has been very limited testing of invariance of the proposed SDQ subscales over time. In the current study, we will aim to explore factor structure of the SDQ and test whether or not both metric and scalar invariance over time is given.

3. Measurement equivalence in cross-cultural surveys: multigroup latent class analysis and MIMIC-models in prejudice research
Ms Ekaterina Lytkina (National Research University Higher School of Economics, Laboratory for Comparative Social Research, Department of Sociology)

The paper is devoted to the assessment of measurement equivalence in cross-cultural surveys. In the report, I address problems of equivalence we faced in the research project “Alienation and Group-Focused Enmity in European Context ” (Ekaterina Lytkina, Andreas Zick) in seven European countries. I will dwell on the results of multigroup latent class analysis as well as show MIMIC models where separate analysis was carried out within each country. Methodological questions as well as substantive results that we got from equivalence assessment will be taken in consideration.

4. Institutional Trust and crisis: A comparative analysis across time.
Dr Edurne Bartolomé Peral (University of Deusto)
Dr Lluis Coromina Soler (University of Girona)

Trust in institutions has been measured among European citizens by European Social Survey during three time periods, 2008, 2010 and 2012 for 8 countries. European societies have witnessed the presence and consequences of crisis, affecting with different intensity and different ways their views on the political system and institutions. We consider trust in institutions a complex theoretical construct treated as latent variable using CFA. ESS data will be used to test whether indicators for trust in institutions hold across periods and countries, affected differently by the crisis. Measurement invariance in Multiple Group Confirmatory Analysis will be used.