Over reliance on model fit indices in confirmatory factor analyses may lead to incorrect inferences about bifactor models: A cautionary note

African Journal of Psychological Assessment

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Over reliance on model fit indices in confirmatory factor analyses may lead to incorrect inferences about bifactor models: A cautionary note
 
Creator Pretorius, Tyrone B.
 
Subject Psychology; Psychometrics ancillary bifactor indices; bifactor models; model-fit indices; multidimensionality; unidimensionality
Description This brief article attempts to describe the importance of relying not just on model fit indices, but also on bifactor, confirmatory factor analysis to examine the factor structure of instruments presumed to be multidimensional. Three ancillary bifactor indices (explained common variance, omega hierarchical and percentage uncontaminated correlations) were calculated for three instruments that have been described as multidimensional in published research. One of these instruments, the Normative Beliefs about Aggression Scale (NOBAGS) demonstrated strong evidence of multidimensionality. The second instrument, Problem-Solving Inventory demonstrated some evidence of multidimensionality, but must be considered essentially unidimensional because of lack of sufficient evidence. The third instrument, Cyberchondria Severity Scale demonstrated essential unidimensionality with little evidence of multidimensionality. These findings support the argument that using only model fit statistics may lead researchers to draw incorrect conclusions about the dimensionality of an instrument.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2021-03-12
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Data re-analysis
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ajopa.v3i0.35
 
Source African Journal of Psychological Assessment; Vol 3 (2021); 4 pages 2617-2798 2707-1618
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://ajopa.org/index.php/ajopa/article/view/35/144 https://ajopa.org/index.php/ajopa/article/view/35/143 https://ajopa.org/index.php/ajopa/article/view/35/145 https://ajopa.org/index.php/ajopa/article/view/35/142
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2021 Tyrone B. Pretorius https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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