Equivalence and Bias in the South African Substance Use Contextual Risk Instrument

This article forms part of a larger study that sought to develop and validate a scale to measure individual and contextual factors associated with adolescent substance use in low-socio-economic status South African communities. The scale was developed to inform the process of designing preventative interventions in these communities. This study assessed the construct equivalence and item bias across different language versions of the scale. Exploratory factor analysis, equality of reliabilities, and the Tucker's phi coefficient of congruence were employed to assess whether the two language versions were equivalent at a scale level. Differential item functioning analysis was conducted using ordinal logistic regression and the Mantel-Haenszel method at an item level. The findings revealed that there are significant differences between the two groups at a scale level. Items were flagged as presenting with moderate to large differential item functioning. The biased items have to be closely examined in order to decide how to address the bias

Developmental psychology · Differential item functioning · Equivalence (formal languages · Exploratory factor analysis · Geography · Item response theory · Logistic regression · Ordered logit · Ordinal regression · Ordinal Scale · Psychological intervention · Psychometrics · Scale (ratio · Statistics · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Mathematics · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Psychology

• Adapting Educational and Psychological Tests for Cross-Cultural Assessment

  Ronald K Hambleton, Peter F Merenda et al.•Adapting Educational and…•2004

  Incluir item

• Methods and Data Analysis for Cross-Cultural Research

  Open Access•Fons J R Van De Vijver, Kwok Leung et al.•Methods and Data Analysis for…•2021

  Incluir item

• Using Statistical Procedures to Identify Differentially Functioning Test Items

  Open Access•Brian E Clauser, Kathleen M Mazor•Educational Measurement: Issues…•1998

  Incluir item

• Cross-cultural normative assessment

  Kurt F Geisinger•Psychological Assessment•1994

  Incluir item

• Bias and equivalence in cross-cultural assessment

  Open Access•Fons Van De Vijver, Norbert K Tanzer•European Review of Applied…•2004

  Incluir item

• Factor analysis in the development and refinement of clinical assessment instruments.

  Frank J Floyd, Keith F Widaman•Psychological Assessment•1995

  Incluir item

• Bias and Equivalence in Cross-Cultural Research

  Open Access•Jia He, Fons Van De Vijver•Online Readings in Psychology and…•2012

  Incluir item

• Substance Abuse and Psychological Well-being of South African Adolescents

  Open Access•Maretha Visser, Leigh-Anne Routledge•South African Journal of Psychology•2007

  Incluir item

• Neighborhood Effects on Youth Substance Use in a Southwestern City

  Open Access•Kuli, Stephen Kuli et al.•Sociological Perspectives•2007

  Incluir item