The Necessity of Testing Measurement Invariance in
Cross-Cultural Research: Potential Bias in Cross-Cultural
Comparisons With Individualism– Collectivism Self-Report Scales

J 2022

The Necessity of Testing Measurement Invariance in Cross-Cultural Research: Potential Bias in Cross-Cultural Comparisons With Individualism– Collectivism Self-Report Scales

LACKO, David, Jiří ČENĚK, Jaroslav TOČÍK, Andreja AVSEC, Vladimir ĐORĐEVIĆ et. al.

Basic information

Original name

The Necessity of Testing Measurement Invariance in Cross-Cultural Research: Potential Bias in Cross-Cultural Comparisons With Individualism– Collectivism Self-Report Scales

Authors

LACKO, David, Jiří ČENĚK, Jaroslav TOČÍK, Andreja AVSEC, Vladimir ĐORĐEVIĆ, Ana GENC, Fajtona HAKA, Jelena ŠAKOTIĆ-KURBALIJA, Tamara MOHORIĆ, Ibrahim NEZIRI and Siniša SUBOTIĆ

Edition

Cross-Cultural Research, 2022, 1069-3971

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

50101 Psychology

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.500

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10693971211068971

UT WoS

999

Keywords in English

Cross-cultural research; measurement invariance; equivalence; individualism and collectivism; scalar invariance

Abstract

V originále

Individualism and collectivism are some of the most widely applied concepts in cultural and cross-cultural research. They are commonly applied by scholars who use arithmetic means or sum indexes of items on a scale to examine the potential similarities and differences in samples from various countries. For many reasons, cross-cultural research implicates numerous methodological and statistical pitfalls. The aim of this article is to summarize some of those pitfalls, particularly the problem of measurement non-invariance, which stems from the different understandings of questionnaire items or even different character of constructs between countries. This potential bias is reduced by latent mean comparisons performed with Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis and the Measurement Invariance procedure within a Structural Equation Modeling framework. These procedures have been neglected by many researchers in the field of cross-cultural psychology, however. In this article, we compare ‘traditional’ (comparison of arithmetic means) and ‘invariant’ (latent mean comparison) approaches and provide necessary R source codes for replications of measurement invariance and latent mean comparisons within other scales. Both approaches are demonstrated with real data gathered on an Independent and Interdependent Self-Scale from 1386 participants across six countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia and Albania). Our results revealed considerable differences between the ‘invariant’ and ‘traditional’ approaches, especially in post-hoc analyses. Since ‘invariant’ results can be considered less biased, this finding suggests that the currently prevalent method of comparing the arithmetic means of cross-cultural scales of individualism and collectivism can potentially cause biased results.

Citovat

LACKO, David, Jiří ČENĚK, Jaroslav TOČÍK, Andreja AVSEC, Vladimir ĐORĐEVIĆ, Ana GENC, Fajtona HAKA, Jelena ŠAKOTIĆ-KURBALIJA, Tamara MOHORIĆ, Ibrahim NEZIRI and Siniša SUBOTIĆ. The Necessity of Testing Measurement Invariance in Cross-Cultural Research: Potential Bias in Cross-Cultural Comparisons With Individualism– Collectivism Self-Report Scales. Cross-Cultural Research. 2022, vol. 56, 2–3, p. 228–267. ISSN 1069-3971. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10693971211068971.

@article{1837030,
   author = {Lacko, David and Čeněk, Jiří and Točík, Jaroslav and Avsec, Andreja and Đorđević, Vladimir and Genc, Ana and Haka, Fajtona and ŠakotićandKurbalija, Jelena and Mohorić, Tamara and Neziri, Ibrahim and Subotić, Siniša},
   article_number = {2–3},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10693971211068971},
   keywords = {Cross-cultural research; measurement invariance; equivalence; individualism and collectivism; scalar invariance},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1069-3971},
   journal = {Cross-Cultural Research},
   title = {The Necessity of Testing Measurement Invariance in Cross-Cultural Research: Potential Bias in Cross-Cultural Comparisons With Individualism– Collectivism Self-Report Scales},
   url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10693971211068971},
   volume = {56},
   year = {2022}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1837030
AU  - Lacko, David - Čeněk, Jiří - Točík, Jaroslav - Avsec, Andreja - Đorđević, Vladimir - Genc, Ana - Haka, Fajtona - Šakotić-Kurbalija, Jelena - Mohorić, Tamara - Neziri, Ibrahim - Subotić, Siniša
PY  - 2022
TI  - The Necessity of Testing Measurement Invariance in Cross-Cultural Research: Potential Bias in Cross-Cultural Comparisons With Individualism– Collectivism Self-Report Scales
JF  - Cross-Cultural Research
VL  - 56
IS  - 2–3
SP  - 228–267
EP  - 228–267
SN  - 10693971
KW  - Cross-cultural research
KW  - measurement invariance
KW  - equivalence
KW  - individualism and collectivism
KW  - scalar invariance
UR  - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10693971211068971
N2  - Individualism and collectivism are some of the most widely applied concepts in cultural and cross-cultural research. They are commonly applied by scholars who use arithmetic means or sum indexes of items on a scale to examine the potential similarities and differences in samples from various countries. For many reasons, cross-cultural research implicates numerous methodological and statistical pitfalls. The aim of this article is to summarize some of those pitfalls, particularly the problem of measurement non-invariance, which stems from the different understandings of questionnaire items or even different character of constructs between countries. This potential bias is reduced by latent mean comparisons performed with Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis and the Measurement Invariance procedure within a Structural Equation Modeling framework. These procedures have been neglected by many researchers in the field of cross-cultural psychology, however. In this article, we compare ‘traditional’ (comparison of arithmetic means) and ‘invariant’ (latent mean comparison) approaches and provide necessary R source codes for replications of measurement invariance and latent mean comparisons within other scales. Both approaches are demonstrated with real data gathered on an Independent and Interdependent Self-Scale from 1386 participants across six countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia and Albania). Our results revealed considerable differences between the ‘invariant’ and ‘traditional’ approaches, especially in post-hoc analyses. Since ‘invariant’ results can be considered less biased, this finding suggests that the currently prevalent method of comparing the arithmetic means of cross-cultural scales of individualism and collectivism can potentially cause biased results.
ER  -

LACKO, David, Jiří ČENĚK, Jaroslav TOČÍK, Andreja AVSEC, Vladimir $\{\backslash$DJ$\}$OR$\{\backslash$DJ$\}$EVI$\backslash$'C, Ana GENC, Fajtona HAKA, Jelena ŠAKOTI$\backslash$'C-KURBALIJA, Tamara MOHORI$\backslash$'C, Ibrahim NEZIRI and Siniša SUBOTI$\backslash$'C. The Necessity of Testing Measurement Invariance in Cross-Cultural Research: Potential Bias in Cross-Cultural Comparisons With Individualism– Collectivism Self-Report Scales. \textit{Cross-Cultural Research}. 2022, vol.~56, 2–3, p.~228–267. ISSN~1069-3971. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10693971211068971.

Detailed Information on Publication Record