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Published in

SAGE Publications, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 7(45), p. 1011-1027, 2014

DOI: 10.1177/0022022114532359

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Measurement Invariance, Response Styles, and Rural-Urban Measurement Comparability

Journal article published in 2014 by Troy Devon Thomas, Koen Abts ORCID, Patrick Vander Weyden
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

This article investigates the effect of response styles (RSs) on rural–urban measurement comparability in Guyana. It uses the representative indicators response styles means and covariance structure (RIRSMACS) model and finds that traditional measurement invariance (MI) tests provide inadequate assurance of the absence of rural–urban measurement bias when RSs are not controlled. Even when MI is achieved, RSs can still differentially affect measurements and substantive results between rural and urban regions. In addition, a lack of MI may be at least partially due to RSs bias, but MI may also be due to RSs. Therefore, adjustments for RSs are necessary and researchers should be cautious about pooling data across rural and urban areas without controlling RSs.