Construct validity evidence for the Male Role Norms Inventory-Short Form: A structural equation modeling approach using the bifactor model.

The construct validity of the Male Role Norms Inventory-Short Form (MRNI-SF) was assessed using a latent variable approach implemented with structural equation modeling (SEM). The MRNI-SF was specified as having a bifactor structure, and validation scales were also specified as latent variables. The latent variable approach had the advantages of separating effects of general and specific factors and controlling for some sources of measurement error. Data (N = 484) were from a diverse sample (38.8% men of color, 22.3% men of diverse sexualities) of community-dwelling and college men who responded to an online survey. The construct validity of the MRNI-SF General Traditional Masculinity Ideology factor was supported for all 4 of the proposed latent correlations with: (a) Male Role Attitudes Scale; (b) general factor of Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-46; (c) higher-order factor of Gender Role Conflict Scale; and (d) Personal Attributes Questionnaire-Masculinity Scale. Significant correlations with relevant other latent factors provided concurrent validity evidence for the MRNI-SF specific factors of Negativity toward Sexual Minorities, Importance of Sex, Restrictive Emotionality, and Toughness, with all 8 of the hypothesized relationships supported. However, 3 relationships concerning Dominance were not supported. (The construct validity of the remaining 2 MRNI-SF specific factors-Avoidance of Femininity and Self-Reliance through Mechanical Skills was not assessed.) Comparisons were made, and meaningful differences noted, between the latent correlations emphasized in this study and their raw variable counterparts. Results are discussed in terms of the advantages of an SEM approach and the unique characteristics of the bifactor model

Traditional and Modern Convenience Samples: An Investigation of College Student, Mechanical Turk, and Mechanical Turk College Student Samples

Two of the most popular populations for convenience sampling used in the psychological sciences are college students and Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers. College students represent a traditional type of convenience sample, whereas MTurk workers provide a more modern source of data. However, little research has examined how these populations differ from each other in salient characteristics. Additionally, no research to date has investigated how MTurk college students (a traditional sample collected using modern methods) compare to either population. The current study examined 1,248 participants comprising three samples: MTurk noncollege workers ( n = 533), MTurk college students ( n = 385), and traditional college students ( n = 330). We compared the samples on demographic characteristics, study completion time, attention, and individual difference variables (i.e., personality, social desirability, need for cognition, personal values, and social attitudes). We examined the individual difference variables in terms of mean responses, internal consistency estimates, and subscale intercorrelations. Results indicated the samples were distinct from each other in terms of all variables assessed; in addition, adding demographic characteristics as covariates to the analyses of individual difference variables did not effectively account for sample differences. We conclude that research using convenience samples should take these differences into account. </jats:p

Personal Growth Initiative: Relations With Acculturative Stress and International Student Adjustment

Personal growth initiative refers to the conscious pursuit of individual growth across multiple life domains. The construct was recently reconceptualized as a multidimensional trait and has attracted attention from researchers outside the United States. The present study sought to extend this literature by examining personal growth initiative in relation to international student adjustment and as a possible buffer of acculturative stress. We collected data from 386 international students studying in the United States. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) indicated adequate fit for the four-factor model, yielding similar results to studies involving primarily European American college students. Regression analyses indicated that the Planfulness dimension of personal growth initiative accounted for significant variance in adjustment, even with relevant demographic and cultural factors included. In addition, we found indications of a moderation effect, whereby higher levels of the Using Resources dimension of personal growth initiative seemed to buffer the effect of acculturative stress on adjustment. </jats:p