Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / The construct of subjective well-being within child well-being and quality of life research has become increasingly prominent in recent years. Central to such developments is the question of to what extent children’s subjective experiences of well-being can be compared cross-culturally. Given the paucity of empirical research on the topic of cross-cultural comparisons, the importance of validating current measures of subjective well-being has been emphasized by many researchers as critical in contributing to the international dialogue. The aim of the current study was to test a measure of subjective well-being (the Personal Well-being Index – School Children) amongst a sample of children from Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Given the diversity of experience between children from different language groups in South Africa, the study further aimed to determine the extent to which the measures are comparable across two language groups (Afrikaans and English). Data from the Children’s World Survey were used; and include a sample of 1004 children randomly selected from 15 schools within the Cape Town Metropole. Located within the goodness of fit theoretical framework, confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the overall fit structure and multi-group factor analysis, with Scalar and Metric invariance constraints. The results show appropriate fit structure for the overall model, with Scalar and Metric factor invariance tenable across language groups. The overall findings suggest that the Personal Well-being Index – School Children is appropriate for use with English and Afrikaans children in Western Cape Province, South Africa, and that scores between these groups can be compared by regressions, correlations, and means.

Performance improvement intervention begins with assessment. How that assessment is interpreted can mean the difference between success and failure. Previous research of 360-degree feedback instruments has tried to reconcile the differences between multiple rater groups. Rather than searching for agreement, this research proposes to understand the meaning of the differences using multirater feedback. Individuals determine ratings based upon their own perspective and building upon the understanding of rater perspective may result in improved assessments. Data from an existing data set was processed using a second-order CFA in structural equation modeling. Covariance between the second-order factors and rater groups determined the difference in how each rater group perceived the leader.

The present study examined the structural construct validity of the LoTi Digital-Age Survey, a measure of teacher instructional practices with technology in the classroom. Teacher responses (N = 2840) from across the United States were used to assess factor structure of the instrument using both exploratory and confirmatory analyses. Parallel analysis suggests retaining a five-factor solution compared to the MAP test that suggests retaining a three-factor solution. Both analyses (EFA and CFA) indicate that changes need to be made to the current factor structure of the survey. The last two factors were composed of items that did not cover or accurately measure the content of the latent trait. Problematic items, such as items with crossloadings, were discussed. Suggestions were provided to improve the factor structure, items, and scale of the survey.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Family resilience has become an important concept in mental health and family research over the past twenty years. An assessment tool that was found to assess this concept within western English-speaking populations is the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS). The FRAS was developed by Sixbey and is based on Walsh’s model of family resilience, a prominent theorist in family resilience research. A recent study has translated and adapted the original scale into Afrikaans, which is one of the eleven official languages of South Africa. This was done for the FRAS to be utilised in a context other than the one it was developed for.

This paper assessed the redundancy of the construct of grit (Crede, Tynan, Harms, 2017) compared to other similar constructs using structural equation modeling to remove the effect of measurement error. A series of models regressed grit and its subdomains (passion and perseverance of effort) on self-control, conscientiousness, achievement striving, and resilience. The R-squared values for these models ranged from 0.62 to 0.89. It is concluded that the concept of grit is mostly redundant with other constructs and is therefore an example of a Jangle fallacy (Kelley, 1927). The unique aspect of grit is mostly related to its passion subdomain. The latent correlation between the passion and perseverance of effort subdomains was r = 0.19. Further, it was found that several popular measures failed to conform to their intended factor structure.

Background: Brand personality is based on the notion that brands possess personalities similar to that of human personalities. It is a common measure for describing consumers’ brand perceptions, and brands with loyal customers often have distinctive personalities. Since Aaker (1997) introduced the first brand personality scale, researchers have noticed increasing difficulties in comparing results from different studies. Geuens, Weijters & De Wulf’s (2009) proposed a solution to this problem by developing a brand personality scale that is claimed to be universal. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the extent to which the proposed universal brand personality scale (UBPS) can be validated in a Swedish context. Methodology: This descriptive study is of quantitative nature and applied a cross-sectional design. An online questionnaire was sent out to collect data on 12 brands from 193 respondents. These provided 2205 brand impressions that were processed by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Parameters such as content validity, fit indices, composite reliability and construct validity were chosen to determine the overall fitness of the model. Conclusion: The results indicated reasonable support for validation of Geuens, Weijters & De Wulf’s (2009) brand personality scale in a Swedish context.

Current recommended cutoffs for determining measurement invariance have typically derived from simulation studies that have focused on multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, often using continuous data. These cutoffs may be inappropriate for ordered categorical data in a longitudinal setting. This study conducts two Monte Carlo studies that evaluate the performance of four popular model fit indices used to determine measurement invariance. The comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) were all found to be inconsistent across various simulation conditions as well as invariance tests, and thus were not recommended for use in longitudinal measurement invariance testing. The standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) was the most consistent and robust fit index across simulation conditions, and thus we recommended using ≥ 0.01 as a cutoff for determining longitudinal measurement invariance with ordered categorical indicators.

Quality of life refers to the way in which the person perceives their daily experience, considering in this process the social and cultural component. This implies that to know the perception of the quality of life it is necessary to consider in its measurement the scope of physical, psychological, social, environmental and personal health. Along these lines, one of the instruments that is limited to this approach is the Barnes and Olson Quality of Life Scale (ECVOB). Objective. The purpose of the study was to determine the validity based on the internal structure and reliability of the ECVOB in schoolchildren and university students in Lima. Method. The study design is instrumental. The Spanish version of the ECVOB was used on a sample of 1239 students from Lima between males (57%) and females (43%) aged between 14 and 26 years (M age = 22.45; SD age = 3.75). The evidence of validity of the internal structure was evaluated through a confirmatory factor analysis. Results. The findings suggest a partial restructuring of the original seven-factor model proposed by Olson and Barnes. Conclusion. The new structure of the ECVOB is a valid and reliable measure in schoolchildren and university students in Lima.

Thesis advisor: Zhushan Li / Higher education institutions are expected to improve the employability-related outcomes of their graduates. Previous assessments of graduate employability have largely focused on assessing the quality of a graduate’s first career-related position after graduating, referred to as their first destination, under the assumption that graduates who secure higher quality first destinations are more highly employable. Previous assessments of first destinations have focused more on simple descriptive information (e.g., monetary compensation, number of hours worked per week, etc.) as opposed to evaluating more complex, multidimensional constructs related to employment quality. Assessing these types of constructs would not only provide institutions with more information on graduate employability outcomes, but could also improve the quality and utility of this information. This study investigated whether the theory of Person-Job (P-J) Fit could be generalized to assess a new self-report employment quality construct for recent Bachelor’s degree graduates called First Destination Fit (FDF). Using a mixed-methods research design, the study investigated the dimensionality of this construct, the extent to which the construct is invariant for graduates who secure employment first destinations versus all other types of first destinations (e.g., continued education, military service, etc.), and the extent to which the construct is associated with similar constructs as P-J Fit. Survey scale items were rigorously developed, evaluated, and refined using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as cognitive interviews. The results suggested a four-dimensional framework for understanding FDF. These dimensions were Needs-Tasks fit, Needs-Field fit, Previous-Experience-Tasks fit, and Previous-Experience-Field fit. In large part, these dimensions were found to be related to similar constructs as P-J fit has been found to be related to, particularly for graduates with employment-type destinations. However, this four-dimensional framework was found to be better fitting for graduates with employment-type destinations compared to graduates with non-employment destinations. The study contributes a newly developed and rigorously evaluated scale for HEIs to use to collect new, important information about their graduates’ employability. It also began the process of validating this new scale using advanced psychometric testing. Implications for the scale and future directions for research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / While research into children’s subjective well-being (SWB) has advanced over the past decade, there is a paucity of cross-cultural research, particularly in South Africa. Moreover, while the adaptation and validation of instruments in English and Afrikaans are evident, other language groups have not received much attention. This study aimed to provide structural validation of the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale across a sample of children in South Africa using multi-group analysis across three language groups (Setswana, Xitsonga, and Tshivenda). Within this process, the study aimed to use multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to compare the structural validity and measurement invariance of the three language groups. Finally, the study aimed to determine the convergent validity of the three language groups of the SLSS by regressing them onto the single-item Overall Life Satisfaction Scale (OLS). The study uses data from Wave 3 of the South African Children’s Worlds Study and included a sample of 625 children across the language groups (Setswana: n = 187; Sesotho: n = 170; and Tshivenda: n = 268). For the overall pooled sample an excellent fit was obtained for a single-factor model, including one error-covariance. Standardised regression weights of the items ranged between .43 and .73. MGCFA revealed an acceptable fit for the configural model (unconstrained loadings); however, metric (constrained loadings) and scalar invariance (constrained loadings and intercepts) was not tenable. However, through the application of partial constraints metric invariance was tenable when Item 5 (I like my life) was freely estimated, while scalar invariance was tenable when Item 1 (I enjoy my life) and Item 5 (I like my life) were freely estimated. The results suggest that the Items: My life is going well; I have a good life; The things in my life are excellent; and I am happy with my life, are comparable by correlations, regression coefficients, and latent mean scores across the three language groups. Convergent validity using the OLS was obtained for the pooled sample and across the language groups. The key contribution of the study is establishing that the Setswana, Sesotho, and Tshivenda translated and adapted versions of the SLSS are valid for use within the South African context to measure children’s SWB, and that they can be grouped together in an overall pooled sample.