Item response theory and differential test functioning analysis of the HBSC-Symptom-Checklist across 46 countries

in BMC Medical Research Methodology (2022), 22(253),

Background The Symptom Checklist (SCL) developed by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a non-clinical measure of psychosomatic complaints (e.g., headache and feeling low) that ... [more ▼]

Background The Symptom Checklist (SCL) developed by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a non-clinical measure of psychosomatic complaints (e.g., headache and feeling low) that has been used in numerous studies. Several studies have investigated the psychometric characteristics of this scale; however, some psychometric properties remain unclear, among them especially a) dimensionality, b) adequacy of the Graded Response Model (GRM), and c) measurement invariance across countries. Methods Data from 229,906 adolescents aged 11, 13 and 15 from 46 countries that participated in the 2018 HBSC survey were analyzed. Adolescents were selected using representative sampling and surveyed by questionnaire in the classroom. Dimensionality was investigated using exploratory graph analysis. In addition, we investigated whether the GRM provided an adequate description of the data. Reliability over the latent variable continuum and differential test functioning across countries were also examined. Results Exploratory graph analyses showed that SCL can be considered as one-dimensional in 16 countries. However, a comparison of the unidimensional with a post-hoc bifactor GRM showed that deviation from a hypothesized one-dimensional structure was negligible in most countries. Multigroup invariance analyses supported configural and metric invariance, but not scalar invariance across 32 countries. Alignment analysis showed non-invariance especially for the items irritability, feeling nervous/bad temper and feeling low. Conclusion HBSC-SCL appears to represent a consistent and reliable unidimensional instrument across most countries. This bodes well for population health analyses that rely on this scale as an early indicator of mental health status. [less ▲]

Quality of Work and Quality of Employment Profiles and their longitudinal impact on well-being

Scientific Conference (2022, July 06)

Many studies on job quality operationalize job quality as a composite indicator (Munoz de Bustillo et al., 2011) and investigate its link with different well-being outcomes or investigate the incremental ... [more ▼]

Many studies on job quality operationalize job quality as a composite indicator (Munoz de Bustillo et al., 2011) and investigate its link with different well-being outcomes or investigate the incremental effects of specific job characteristics on well-being. However, these variable-centered approaches on job quality ignore the fact that certain job characteristic configurations cluster in specific employee groups (Van Aeren et al., 2014). Thus, the current longitudinal study employs a person-centered approach (i.e., latent profile and transition analysis (LPA/LTA), e.g., Spurk et al., 2020) to identify groups of employees that show different job characteristic profiles (over time). Data were collected via CATI or CAWI within a stratified random sample from Luxembourg’s working population (nWave 1 = 1,689; nWave 2 = 848). The survey contains eleven quality of work and six quality of employment dimensions that were used as indicators for the latent profile analysis. Moreover, the survey contains different mental health and work-related attitudinal outcomes. Fit indices and substantive interpretability/utility were jointly considered to determine the number of profiles. To explore the relationships between the latent categorical variable and the other variables, we followed the three-step procedure (e.g., Asparouhov & Muthén, 2014) LPA revealed five profiles, i.e., poor working conditions (1), medium working conditions, high work intensity (2), high working conditions, medium work intensity (3), high working conditions, high work intensity and physical demands (4), medium working conditions, low work intensity (5). Cross-sectionally, these profiles were meaningfully linked with mental and attitudinal outcomes. LTA suggests the stability of these profiles within one year, with varying impact depending on mental health and work-related attitudinal outcome. Scholars and policy makers need to be aware of job characteristic configurations. To promote employee’s well-being organizations and policy makers need to redesign the ecological contexts of working conditions depending on its profiles. [less ▲]

Latent classes of workplace bullying exposure and perpetration and their links to personality, power and social status

Scientific Conference (2022, June 03)

Just like many school aggression researchers (see the review of studies in Olivier et al., 2021; Smith & Steffgen, 2013), many scholars investigating workplace bullying assume the existence of four ... [more ▼]

Just like many school aggression researchers (see the review of studies in Olivier et al., 2021; Smith & Steffgen, 2013), many scholars investigating workplace bullying assume the existence of four classes of employees: Uninvolved employees, victims, perpetrator, and provocative victims (also called ‘bully-victims’; e.g., Zapf & Einarsen, 2020). Yet, empirical evidence supporting these four classes is lacking so far. Instead, studies on workplace bullying mostly focused solely on the victim perspective (Einarsen et al., 2020; see also the review of studies in Gupta et al., 2020), while far less studies investigate the perpetrator perspective (see the enumerated studies in Nielsen & Einarsen, 2018). Only some studies include both perspectives (e.g., Baillien et al., 2016; Fernández-del-Río et al., 2021; Sischka et al., 2021). However, these studies applied a variable-centered approach and treated workplace bullying exposure and perpetration as separate variables. Thus, they tell us little about the interplay of workplace bullying exposure and perpetration. The current study employs a person-centered approach (i.e., latent class analysis) to identify groups of employees that show different patterns of workplace bullying involvement. Moreover, the current study aims to identify predictors of latent class membership. We investigate the individual disposition hypothesis (Nielsen & Einarsen, 2018), assuming that individual characteristics such as personality traits may be related to being involved in bullying and could therefore be typifying features of workplace bullying groups. Moreover, according to some researchers in workplace bullying, individual characteristics such as certain personality traits (big five dimensions, trait aggression, dominance) are particularly appropriate to identify and distinguish workplace bullying subgroups (Matthiesen & Einarsen, 2007; see also Nielsen et al., 2017). On the other hand, power and social status represent enabling structures (Salin, 2003) of workplace bullying, and power imbalance is often seen as a defining feature of workplace bullying (Einarsen et al., 2020). To test our hypotheses, we recruited participants via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk; Buhrmester et al., 2011; Crump et al., 2013) to participate in an online survey. The final sample contained 1,492 respondents (53.8% females, n = 802), with ages ranging from 19 to 77 (M = 40.2, SD = 10.8). Most respondents worked full time (91.2%, n = 1,360). The survey contained the Short-Negative Acts Questionnaire (S-NAQ; Notelaers et al., 2019) that was applied from the victim as well as from the perpetrator perspective. Furthermore, we assessed the big five with the Mini-IPIP (Donnellan et al., 2006), trait aggression with the brief aggression questionnaire (Webster et al., 2014), and dominance with the domineering subscale of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (Soldz et al., 1995). Moreover, power and social status were assessed with a newly developed bipartite measure of social hierarchy (Yu et al, 2019). Latent class analysis was employed. Statistical fit indices, substantive interpretability and utility, as well as classification diagnostics were jointly considered to determine the number of workplace bullying classes. To explore the relationships between the latent categorical variable and the other variables (i.e., personality traits, power and social status), we followed the three-step procedure (e.g., Asparouhov & Muthén, 2014). Latent class analysis revealed four classes, i.e., (1) mild bullying involvement, (2) bully-victims (3) non-involved and (4) victims. These classes were meaningfully linked with the big five dimensions, trait aggression, dominance, power and social status. Specifically, bully-victims scored high on extraversion, neuroticism, trait aggression, dominance, power and low on status, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness. Victims on the other hand scored also high on neuroticism and – compared with non-involved – lower on agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness and higher on trait aggression and dominance. Victims showed the lowest levels of extraversion and status. The present study implements a cross-sectional design precluding a causal interpretation. Moreover, only self-reported measures were employed. Thus, especially indicators of workplace bullying perpetration might be influence by social desirability. Scholars and policy makers need to be aware of different patterns of being involved in workplace bullying in order to create effective interventions. Personality factors as well as power and social status are important correlates of workplace bullying involvement. The current study is the first that investigates workplace bullying from a target and a perpetrator perspective by employing a person-centered approach (i.e., latent class analysis). [less ▲]

Working conditions of young people in Luxembourg - a health perspective

in Heinen, Andreas; Samuel, Robin; Vögele, Claus (Eds.) et al Wohlbefinden und Gesundheit im Jugendalter - Theoretische Perspektiven, empirische Befunde und Praxisansätze (2022)

The cross-country validation of the WHO 5 well-being index with item response theory and the alignment procedure

Scientific Conference (2021, September 08)

The five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is a frequently used brief stan- dard measure in large-scale cross-cultural clinical studies. Despite its frequent use, some psychometric ... [more ▼]

The five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is a frequently used brief stan- dard measure in large-scale cross-cultural clinical studies. Despite its frequent use, some psychometric questions remain that concern the choice of an adequate item response theory (IRT) model, the evaluation of reliability at important cutoffpoints, and most importantly the assessment of measurement invariance across countries. Data from the 6 th European Working Condition survey (2015) were used that collected nationally representative samples of employed and self-employed individuals ( N = 43,469) via computer-aided personal interviews across 35 European countries. An in-depth IRT analysis was conducted for each country, testing dif- ferent IRT assumptions (e.g., unidimensionality), comparing different IRT-models, and calculating reliabilities. Furthermore, measurement invariance analysis was conducted with the recently proposed alignment procedure. The graded response model fitted the data best for all countries. Furthermore, IRT assumptions were mostly fulfilled. The WHO-5 showed overall and at critical points high reliability. Measurement invariance anal- ysis revealed metric invariance but discarded scalar invariance across countries. Analysis of the test characteristic curves of the aligned graded response model indicated low levels of differential test functioning at medium levels of the WHO-5, but differential test functioning increased at more extreme levels. The current study has no external criterion (e.g., structured clinical interviews) to assess sensitivity and specificity of the WHO-5 as a depression screening-tool. The WHO-5 is a psychometrically sound measure. However, large-scale cross-cultural studies should employ a latent variable modeling approach that accounts for non-invariant parameters across countries (e.g., alignment). [less ▲]

The WHO-5 Well Being Index – Validation based on item response theory and the analysis of measurement invariance across 35 countries

Scientific Conference (2021, July 23)

The five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is a frequently used brief stan- dard measure in large-scale cross-cultural clinical studies. Despite its frequent use, some psychometric ... [more ▼]

The five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is a frequently used brief stan- dard measure in large-scale cross-cultural clinical studies. Despite its frequent use, some psychometric questions remain that concern the choice of an adequate item response theory (IRT) model, the evaluation of reliability at important cutoffpoints, and most importantly the assessment of measurement invariance across countries. Data from the 6 th European Working Condition survey (2015) were used that collected nationally representative samples of employed and self-employed individuals ( N = 43,469) via computer-aided personal interviews across 35 European countries. An in-depth IRT analysis was conducted for each country, testing dif- ferent IRT assumptions (e.g., unidimensionality), comparing different IRT-models, and calculating reliabilities. Furthermore, measurement invariance analysis was conducted with the recently proposed alignment procedure. The graded response model fitted the data best for all countries. Furthermore, IRT assumptions were mostly fulfilled. The WHO-5 showed overall and at critical points high reliability. Measurement invariance anal- ysis revealed metric invariance but discarded scalar invariance across countries. Analysis of the test characteristic curves of the aligned graded response model indicated low levels of differential test functioning at medium levels of the WHO-5, but differential test functioning increased at more extreme levels. The current study has no external criterion (e.g., structured clinical interviews) to assess sensitivity and specificity of the WHO-5 as a depression screening-tool. The WHO-5 is a psychometrically sound measure. However, large-scale cross-cultural studies should employ a latent variable modeling approach that accounts for non-invariant parameters across countries (e.g., alignment). [less ▲]

Wie belastend erleben (Alleinerziehende) Eltern ihre Arbeit?

E-print/Working paper (2021)

Im Rahmen dieser Newsletter wird analysiert, wie sich verschiedene Arbeitnehmergruppen hinsichtlich ihrer familiären Situation unterscheiden, und in welchem Maße die familiäre Situation der Arbeitnehmer ... [more ▼]

Im Rahmen dieser Newsletter wird analysiert, wie sich verschiedene Arbeitnehmergruppen hinsichtlich ihrer familiären Situation unterscheiden, und in welchem Maße die familiäre Situation der Arbeitnehmer mit verschiedenen Quality of Work, Quality of Employment und Well-Being Dimensionen zusammenhängt. Die familiäre Situation wird dabei überwiegend vom Alter der Arbeitnehmer bestimmt. Alleinerziehende Eltern, d.h. Arbeitnehmer ohne Partner und mit minderjährigen Kindern, weisen zwischen 2016 und 2020 den höchsten Anstieg bei mentalen und emotionalen Anforderungen auf. Gleichzeitig zeigt sich für diese Gruppe ein Rückgang der Arbeitszufriedenheit und des generellen Well-Being, sowie ein Anstieg des Burnoutniveaus und der Gesundheitsprobleme. [less ▲]

Extended telecommuting due to COVID-19 and the impact on working life

in Mein, Georg; Pause, Johannes (Eds.) Self and Society in the Corona Crisis. Perspectives from the Humanities and Social Sciences (2021)

The corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the working lives of people all over the world, amongst others, the labor market has seen a sharp increase in telecommuting. Therefore, the extent of ... [more ▼]

The corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the working lives of people all over the world, amongst others, the labor market has seen a sharp increase in telecommuting. Therefore, the extent of telecommuting in Luxembourg as well as definitions and different arrangements of telecommuting will be presented. Thereafter the chapter looks at merits and demerits of telecommuting and the boundary conditions of successfully working from home by focusing on the extraordinary situation under which telework currently takes place. In this regard, the effects of telecommuting on the individual, the organization and the society are outlined and discussed. Finally, the chapter closes highlighting requirements for effective telecommuting and describing ongoing research about the effects of telecommuting on different working conditions in Luxembourg. [less ▲]

FASKU. French version of the General Self-Efficacy Short Scale [Test description and questionnaire]

Report (2021)

The FASKU is an economical instrument for recording individual competence expectations of dealing with difficulties and obstacles in daily life. It was originally developed and validated in German by ... [more ▼]

The FASKU is an economical instrument for recording individual competence expectations of dealing with difficulties and obstacles in daily life. It was originally developed and validated in German by Beierlein, Kemper, Kovaleva, and Rammstedt (2013). In 2019, the authors developed and tested a French version of this scale (FASKU) and tested it for reliability (internal consistency), validity, and measurement equivalence towards the original German Version (see Décieux et al., 2020a). The provided evidence on the quality of the German and the French Version of ASKU (FASKU) indicates that the scales allow a reliable, valid, and economical assessment of subjective competence expectations and that the two language versions can be used to assess and compare self-efficacy in German- and French-speaking populations. [less ▲]

Wie haben sich emotionale Anforderungen für Arbeitnehmer in Luxemburg über die Zeit entwickelt?

E-print/Working paper (2020)

Im Rahmen dieser Newsletter wird analysiert, wie sich emotionale Anforderungen für Arbeitnehmer in Luxemburg über die letzten Jahre entwickelt haben. Emotionale Anforderungen sind mit reduziertem Well ... [more ▼]

Im Rahmen dieser Newsletter wird analysiert, wie sich emotionale Anforderungen für Arbeitnehmer in Luxemburg über die letzten Jahre entwickelt haben. Emotionale Anforderungen sind mit reduziertem Well-Being assoziiert. Dabei weisen Arbeitnehmer mit ausgeprägten emotionalen Anforderungen insbesondere ein höheres Burnoutlevel auf. Zwischen 2016 und 2020 kam es zu einem deutlichen Anstieg der emotionalen Anforderungen. Arbeitnehmerinnen weisen über die Zeit konstant höhere emotionale Anforderungen auf im Vergleich zu Arbeitnehmern. Insbesondere Arbeitnehmer in akademischen Berufen, Manager und Arbeitnehmer in Dienstleistungsberufen weisen über die Zeit konstant hohe emotionale Anforderungen auf. Bediener von Anlagen und Hilfsarbeitskräfte weisen dagegen einen Anstieg zwischen 2016 und 2020 auf. [less ▲]