Measurement Equivalence across Gender with Mean and Covariance Structure of Five Factor Personality Inventory for Adolescent Sample

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the measurement equivalence for boys and girls’ comparison groups in the mean and covariance structure (MACS) methods by using the data obtained from the Five Factor Personality Inventory (5FPI). The participants were 490 (63.1% girl, 36.9% boy, mean age 16.59 standard deviation .841) students from 3 high schools (2 public,1 private) in İzmir. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for five factors were found in the range of .78 (conscientiousness) and .93 (neuroticism). Exploratory factor analysis pointed big five for adolescents like adults. 17 sub dimensions were indicators and 5 factors were latent variables of our measurement model. Measurement equivalence across genders was tested with five nested mean and covariance structure models. As a result all configural, weak, partial strong and strict models provided acceptable fits to the data.