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Modern health worries : Deriving two measurement invariant short scales for cross-cultural research with Ant Colony Optimization
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Vol 14, Iss 2, p e0211819 (2019)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Umeå universitet, Institutionen för psykologi, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Worries about possible harmful effects of new technologies (modern health worries) have intensely been investigated in the last decade. However, the comparability of translated self-report measures across countries is often problematic. This study aimed to overcome this problem by developing psychometrically sound brief versions of the widely used 25-item Modern Health Worries Scale (MHWS) suitable for multi-country use. Based on data of overall 5,176 individuals from four European countries (England, Germany, Hungary, Sweden), Ant Colony Optimization was used to identify the indicators that optimize model fit and measurement invariance across countries. Two scales were developed. A short (12-item) version of the MHWS that represents the four-factor structure of the original version and an ultra-short (4-item) scale that only measures the general construct. Both scales show that overall levels of health worries were highest in England and Hungary, but that the main reason for concern (e.g. electromagnetic radiation or food related fears) differs considerably between these countries. This study also shows that even if measurement invariance of translated self-report instruments across countries is problematic, it can be optimized by using adequate item selection procedures. Differences of modern health worries across countries and recommendations for cross-cultural research are discussed.
- Subjects :
- Male
Culture
Social Sciences
Anxiety
Sociology
Psychology
Electron Microscopy
Microscopy
Animal Behavior
Physics
Electromagnetic Radiation
Eukaryota
Middle Aged
Built Structures
Pollution
Europe
Insects
Animal Sociality
Physical Sciences
Medicine
Engineering and Technology
Female
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Attitude to Health
Algorithms
Research Article
Adult
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Adolescent
Psychometrics
Structural Engineering
Arthropoda
Science
Models, Psychological
Research and Analysis Methods
Cross-Cultural Studies
Humans
Animals
Aged
Behavior
Ants
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Organisms
Biology and Life Sciences
Samhällsvetenskap
Invertebrates
Hymenoptera
Zoology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Vol 14, Iss 2, p e0211819 (2019)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....9889f7fd8baa5d684a26645de72edee4