Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Pages: 665-686

Journal: Sociological Methods and Research

Volume number: 47

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 0049-1241

eISSN: 1552-8294

Open access status: Green

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124117701478

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Abstract: 
Measurement invariance is a necessary precondition for meaningful cross-country comparisons, and three levels have been differentiated: configural, metric, and scalar. Unfortunately, establishing the most stringent form, that is, scalar measurement invariance, across groups is difficult. Recently, Muthen and Asparouhov proposed testing for approximate rather than exact measurement invariance, as this may be sufficient for meaningful comparisons. Following their strategy, the results of cross-country approximate measurement invariance tests of the 21-item Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ-21) scale to measure values in the European Social Survey are presented (N = 274,447 respondents from 15 countries participating in all six rounds). Applying the new approximate method for the test of measurement invariance allows both using more moderate constraints of approximate equality of parameters across groups and exploring the extent of noninvariance. Approximate measurement invariance was established in almost all rounds for two higher-order values: openness to change and self-enhancement. In the case of the two other higher-order values, self-transcendence and conservation, approximate measurement invariance was established across a subset of countries.

Harvard Citation style: Cieciuch, J., Davidov, E., Algesheimer, R. and Schmidt, P. (2018) Testing for Approximate Measurement Invariance of Human Values in the European Social Survey, Sociological Methods and Research, 47(4), pp. 665-686. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124117701478

APA Citation style: Cieciuch, J., Davidov, E., Algesheimer, R., & Schmidt, P. (2018). Testing for Approximate Measurement Invariance of Human Values in the European Social Survey. Sociological Methods and Research. 47(4), 665-686. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124117701478