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Measurement bias refers to systematic differences across subpopulations in the relation between observed test scores and the latent variant underlying the test scores. Comparisons of subpopulations with the same score on the latent variable can be expected to have the same observed test score. Measurement invariance is therefore one of the key issues in psychological testing. It has been established that strict factorial invariance (SFI) with respect to a selection variable V almost certainly implies weak measurement invariance with respect to V: given SFI, means and variances of observed scores do not depend on V. It is shown that this result can be extended. SFI in groups derived by selection on V has implications not only for V but also for potentially biasing variables W, if W and the selection variable V and/or if W and the factor underlying the observed test scores are statistically dependent. Given SFI with respect to V and prior knowledge concerning these dependencies, it is not necessary to measure and model variables W in order to exclude them as potentially biasing variables if the investigation focuses on groups selected on V.

Universiteit van Amsterdam, 23 mei 1991, Promotor : Mellenbergh, G.J. Co-promotores : Appel, R., Rijlaarsdam, G.W.C., Item does not contain fulltext

HUSBANDS AND WIVES OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS: a study of differences pertaining to (marital) experiences and psychological well-being.SUMMARYThe present study has been designed in order to explain differences in psychological well-being between husbands and wives of psychiatric outpatients, found in preceding investigations. Chapter 1 contains an introduction to the study and the outline of the report. In chapter 2 the literature m general sex-differences in psychological wellbeing is reviewed as well as that on the correspondence on psychological distress between husbands and wives. The explanations for the sex-differences can be divided roughly into two models. in the first one, which starts from sex- differences in socialization, it is assumed, that women are better trained than men to discern and express emotions. There is more cultural acceptance of psychological difficulties when expressed by females than when expressed by males. Therefore women will sooner be inclined to report psychological symptoms. The second explanation contradicts the first by noting that the overrepresentation of women on psychological symptons is mainly caused by married women whereas among the never married, males report more feelings of distress than females. According to this explanation, it is the difference between the traditional social roles of married men and women that accounts for the higher rate of married women with symptoms of psychological distress. Compared to their husbands wives occupy fewer social positions, experience less variation, receive fewer structural reinforcements, and are psychologically more dependent on their marital and family lives. Consequently married women have less opportunities to compensate for stressful events with satisfaction derived from a job or from social contacts with colleagues: life areas less bound to the nuclear family. This implies that the risk of boredam and of dissatisfactory conditions of life is higher for married women From a role