Sample interview questions: How do you address issues of measurement non-invariance and differential item functioning across different sociological online communities?
Sample answer:
Addressing Measurement Non-invariance and Differential Item Functioning (DIF)
1. Identify Non-invariance and DIF:
* Utilize multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to assess measurement invariance across groups.
* Conduct differential item functioning (DIF) analysis to detect items that exhibit differing performance across groups.
2. Investigate Underlying Causes:
* Explore sociodemographic and cultural differences between groups that may contribute to non-invariance.
* Examine the content and wording of items to identify potential sources of bias.
3. Handle Non-invariance:
* Partial invariance: Assume that some, but not all, parameters are invariant. Re-specify the measurement model accordingly.
* Between-group mean invariance: Allow the mean of the latent variable to vary across groups while maintaining item loadings and intercepts as invariant.
* Multi-group structural equation modeling (MG-SEM): Estimate separate models for each group, linking latent constructs across groups… Read full answer