Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Asian Adolescent Depression Scale and Construction of a Short Form: An Item Response Theory Analysis

Psychometric properties of dyadic data from the Marital Quality Scale of Indonesian Javanese couples

BACKGROUND

Researchers have demonstrated that various measurement concepts and dimensions depend on context and timing.

OBJECTIVES

The current study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Javanese couples' marital quality scale based on validity and reliability METHODS: In total 840 participants or 420 marital dyad from Java, Indonesia, were involved in this study. The psychometrics properties scale was analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant analysis, and composite reliability.

RESULTS

The exploratory factor analysis found relationship quality to consist of support, physical proximity, warmth, communication, acceptance and respect, role sharing, and responsibility factors. Well-being quality consists of happiness, harmony, and problem-solving. The fit of the measurement model was obtained using confirmatory factor analysis. The fit model was also found in the husband's and wife's groups, with no differences between them. The high correlations between wife-husband factors also proved the validity based on convergent and discriminant evidence. The reliability coefficient was high for each dimension and construct.

DISCUSSION

This analysis shows that the marital quality scale developed has information on psychometric properties that can be useful for researchers and the practicians using the marital quality instrument of Javanese couples in particular.

Validation of a Chinese Version of the Digital Stress Scale and Development of a Short Form Based on Item Response Theory Among Chinese College Students

Purpose

In 2021, Hall et al developed the Digital Stress Scale (DSS), but its psychometric characteristics were only tested using classical test theory (CTT). In this study, we use item response theory (IRT) and CTT to develop and verify a Chinese version of the DSS and its short version, which can improve the reliability and effectiveness of the digital stress measurement tool for Chinese college students.

Methods

In this study, we developed a Chinese version of the DSS (DSS-C) and recruited 1506 Chinese college students as participants to analyze its psychometric characteristics based on CTT and item response theory methods. First, we used CTT, including common method bias, construct validity, criterion-related validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and measurement invariance. Then, we adopted the IRT approach to examine the item parameters, item characteristics, item information, differential item function, test information, and test reliability of the DSS-C. Finally, a short form (DSS-C-S) was constructed, and the psychometric characteristics of the DSS-C-S were examined.

Results

(1) The five-factor structure of the DSS-C was verified. The DSS-C shows good internal reliability, test-retest reliability, criterion-related validity and measurement invariance between urban college students and rural college students. (2) All 24 items had reasonable discrimination parameters and location parameters and were DIF-free by gender. Except for Items 4 and 10, all the other items had high information and measurement reliability at medium θ levels. (3) Compared with the DSS-C, the 22-item short form also has good reliability and validity and maintains sufficient measurement accuracy while reducing items of poor quality.

Conclusion

Both the DSS-C and the DSS-C-S have good psychometric characteristics and are accurate and effective tools for measuring the digital stress of Chinese college students.

P. Hanel P, J. Wolf L. The Very Efficient Assessment of Need for Cognition: Developing a Six-Item Version

The need for cognition refers to people's tendency to engage in and enjoy thinking and has become influential across social and medical sciences. Using three samples from the United States and the United Kingdom (N = 1,596), we introduce a six-item short version of the Need for Cognition Scale (NCS-18). First, we reduced the number of items from 18 to 6 based on the items' discrimination values, threshold levels, measurement precision (item information curve), item-total correlations, and factor loadings. Second, we confirmed the one-factor structure and established measurement invariance across countries and gender. Finally, we demonstrated that while the NCS-6 provides significant time savings, it comes at a minimal cost in terms of its construct validity with external variables such as openness, cognitive reflection test, and need for affect. Overall, our findings indicate that the NCS-6 is a parsimonious, reliable, and valid measure of need for cognition.

Psychometric properties of the Children's Response Styles Questionnaire in a Hong Kong Chinese community sample

BACKGROUND

The Children's Response Styles Questionnaire (CRSQ) is a widely-adopted inventory that assesses response styles in youths. It is useful in examining how coping styles (particularly rumination) may relate to depressive vulnerability in youths. Despite its utility, little is known about its applicability in non-Western cultures and CRSQ has not been evaluated using current psychometric methods including item response theory (IRT). The present study assessed the properties using IRT methods in a Chinese youth sample.

METHODS

Students in Grades 4-6 were recruited from seven public primary schools in Hong Kong, and a total of 581 children (280 boys and 301 girls) between 8 and 14 years of age participated in the study. A Chinese version of CRSQ was administered to them in groups at school after receiving written parental consent as well as students' assent.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure that was comparable to that identified in Western samples, namely, the rumination and distraction/problem-solving subscales. IRT analysis suggested that items varied in levels of item discrimination and item severity, and in precision/usefulness for assessing the underlying latent trait levels. Test information analysis indicated that rumination subscale was more useful than the distraction and problem-solving subscale in assessing the latent trait over a broader range of levels. For gender-based Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis, item 1 "When I am sad, I think about how alone I feel" was found to exhibit higher discriminating power for girls than boys.

CONCLUSIONS

The study presents the first attempt to examine CRSQ item properties using IRT analysis and supports its validity beyond the Western cultures. The factor structure of CRSQ was found to be comparable to the West in our Chinese sample. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) evaluation suggested all but one item in the rumination subscale of the CRSQ apply equally well to both boys and girls.

Comparing five depression measures in depressed Chinese patients using item response theory: an examination of item properties, measurement precision and score comparability

Background

Item response theory (IRT) has been increasingly applied to patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures. The purpose of this study is to apply IRT to examine item properties (discrimination and severity of depressive symptoms), measurement precision and score comparability across five depression measures, which is the first study of its kind in the Chinese context.

Methods

A clinical sample of 207 Hong Kong Chinese outpatients was recruited. Data analyses were performed including classical item analysis, IRT concurrent calibration and IRT true score equating. The IRT assumptions of unidimensionality and local independence were tested respectively using confirmatory factor analysis and chi-square statistics. The IRT linking assumptions of construct similarity, equity and subgroup invariance were also tested. The graded response model was applied to concurrently calibrate all five depression measures in a single IRT run, resulting in the item parameter estimates of these measures being placed onto a single common metric. IRT true score equating was implemented to perform the outcome score linking and construct score concordances so as to link scores from one measure to corresponding scores on another measure for direct comparability.

Results

Findings suggested that (a) symptoms on depressed mood, suicidality and feeling of worthlessness served as the strongest discriminating indicators, and symptoms concerning suicidality, changes in appetite, depressed mood, feeling of worthlessness and psychomotor agitation or retardation reflected high levels of severity in the clinical sample. (b) The five depression measures contributed to various degrees of measurement precision at varied levels of depression. (c) After outcome score linking was performed across the five measures, the cut-off scores led to either consistent or discrepant diagnoses for depression.

Conclusions

The study provides additional evidence regarding the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the five depression measures, offers methodological contributions to the appropriate use of IRT in PRO measures, and helps elucidate cultural variation in depressive symptomatology. The approach of concurrently calibrating and linking multiple PRO measures can be applied to the assessment of PROs other than the depression context.