The Schmid-Leiman (J. Schmid and J. M. Leiman, 1957) decomposition of a hierarchical factor model converts the model to a constrained case of a bifactor model with orthogonal common factors that is equivalent to the hierarchical model. This article discusses the equivalence of the hierarchical and bifactor models. (Author/SLD)

We illustrate testing measurement invariance in a second-order factor model using a quality of life dataset (n = 924). Measurement invariance was tested across 2 groups at a set of hierarchically structured levels: (a) configural invariance, (b) first-order factor loadings, (c) second-order factor loadings, (d) intercepts of measured variables,…

Data from the General Social Survey for 1977 (n=1,303) and 1991 (n=430) are used to examine the stability of attitudes toward abortion and women's roles. Findings support the hypothesis that public attitudes toward discretionary abortion and nontraditional sex roles are discrete but correlated sets of attitudes that remained stable from 1977 to…

The Rasch item fit approach for detecting multidimensionality in response data is compared with principal component analysis without rotation using simulated data. Results indicate that both approaches work in a variety of multidimensional data structures, but the Rasch item fit is better under some circumstances, as discussed. (SLD)

The underlying structure of the Depression scale of the revised Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) was studied using dichotomous Rasch model and factor analysis with the normative sample of 2,600 subjects. Results reveal two distinct subscales (mental depression and physical depression) in place of a homogenous set of items. (SLD)