title: Effect size indices for analyses of measurement equivalence: understanding the practical importance of differences between groups.
abstract: Because of the practical, theoretical, and legal implications of differential item functioning (DIF) for organizational assessments, studies of measurement equivalence are a necessary first step before scores can be compared across individuals from different groups. However, commonly recommended criteria for evaluating results from these analyses have several important limitations. The present study proposes an effect size index for confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) studies of measurement equivalence to address 1 of these limitations. The application of this index is illustrated with personality data from American English, Greek, and Chinese samples. Results showed a range of nonequivalence across these samples, and these differences were linked to the observed effects of DIF on the outcomes of the assessment (i.e., group-level mean differences and adverse impact).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. cnye2@cyrus.psych.illinois.edu
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Nye
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Drasgow
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011590:Psychology, Industrial / Q000379:methods*; D011594:Psychometrics