Bayesian methods to infer model dimensionality in factor analysis generally assume a lower triangular structure for the factor loadings matrix. Consequently, the ordering of the outcomes influences the results. Therefore, we propose a method to infer model dimensionality without imposing any prior restriction on the loadings matrix. Our approach…

A sample suffers range restriction (RR) when its variance is reduced comparing with its population variance and, in turn, it fails representing such population. If the RR occurs over the latent factor, not directly over the observed variable, the researcher deals with an indirect RR, common when using convenience samples. This work explores how…

As the integration of digital technologies continues to shape academic landscapes, assessing digital literacy in the context of academic writing becomes paramount. Several instruments and frameworks are available for measuring digital literacy and examining it from different perspectives; however, none are suitable for measuring the digital…

Multilevel structural equation (MSEM) models allow researchers to model latent factor structures at multiple levels simultaneously by decomposing within- and between-group variation. Yet the extent to which the sampling ratio (i.e., proportion of cases sampled from each group) influences the results of MSEM models remains unknown. This paper…

Bayesian algorithms have been used successfully in the social and behavioral sciences to analyze dichotomous data particularly with complex structural equation models. In this study, we investigate the use of the Polya-Gamma data augmentation method with Gibbs sampling to improve estimation of structural equation models with dichotomous variables.…

The purpose of this research endeavor was to develop and validate a new measurement tool predicated on previous research to assess learners' metacomprehension during reading. In two separate studies with Chilean undergraduate students (N = 923), we demonstrate the versatility and utility of our proposed Metacomprehension Inventory (MI). In Study…

In the present study, the Tolerance Scale developed by Ersanli (2014) was adapted to the Iranian culture, and its validity and reliability were investigated in the case of Iranian college students. The participants consisted of 552 Iranian college students (62% male, M = 20.84, S.D.: 1.53) selected using the convenience sampling method. The sample…

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used routinely in the development and validation of assessment instruments. One of the most significant challenges when one is performing EFA is determining how many factors to retain. Parallel analysis (PA) is an effective stopping rule that compares the eigenvalues of randomly generated data with those for…

One of the fundamental problems in language testing is the lack of adequate generalizability between what a test is measuring and what fulfills the learners' real world language use needs. It is important to recognize that no matter how precise a test measures a construct, if the way that a construct is defined and the way that test tasks are…

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to initialize a new conceptualization of positive feature based Friendship Quality (FQUA) scale on the basis of four dimensions: Closeness, Help, Acceptance, and Safety; and (2) to develop and validate FQUA scale in the form of reflective measurement model. The scale development and validation procedures…

Objectives: Advancing human rights is a core competency of U.S. social work education; yet, human rights attitudes and behaviors have never been measured in the social work literature. Thus, this article describes the development and initial validation of two scales, Human Rights Engagement in Social Work (HRESW) and Human Rights Exposure in…

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in estimating and improving subscore reliability. In this study, the multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) and the bi-factor model were combined to estimate subscores, to obtain subscores reliability, and subscores classification. Both the compensatory and partially compensatory MIRT…

Alcohol expectancy (AEs) research has enhanced our understanding of how anticipated alcohol effects confer risk for heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems. However, extant AE measures have limitations within 1 or more of the following areas: assessing a comprehensive range of effects, specifying the hypothetical number of drinks consumed,…

Establishing model parsimony is an important component of structural equation modeling (SEM). Unfortunately, little attention has been given to developing systematic procedures to accomplish this goal. To this end, the current study introduces an innovative application of the jackknife approach first presented in Rensvold and Cheung (1999). Unlike…

The main purpose of this descriptive research study is to investigate the conceptual and psychometric properties of a self-efficacy perception scale developed for determining self-efficacy perception of 3rd and 4th grade Turkish pre-service teachers, who took Turkish as a Foreign Language (TFL) course theoretically in undergraduate level, towards…