Item-Level Psychometric Analysis of the Psychosocial Processes at Work Scale (PROPSIT) in Workers

Adaptation and validation of the university-to-work success scale among Chinese university graduates

Introduction

Whether university graduates successfully make the transition from the university to work is critical for their career development. However, a comprehensive measurement of university-to-work success (UWS) that applies across different contexts remains lacking.

Methods

To address this gap, we adapted and validated the first comprehensive UWS measurement, the university-to-work success scale (UWSS), among samples of Chinese university graduates with three studies. We also provided new construct validity evidence for the scale and examined its measurement invariance across gender.

Results

The findings of the current study showed that the 24-item UWSS-Chinese version clearly showed four factors (career satisfaction, income and financial independence, confidence in career future, and adaptation to work) that were consistent with the original scale. Moreover, construct validity analysis revealed that UWSS was positively associated with proposed antecedents (i.e., career adaptability) and outcome (i.e., adult identity). It also showed incremental validity over general indicators of career success (i.e., career adaptability) in predicting adult identity establishment. Additionally, the measurement also showed measurement invariance across gender.

Discussion

Overall, these findings implied that the UWSS-Chinese version had good psychometric properties to be used in future studies and practice in China.

Review of the psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) Spanish version in a sample of Puerto Rican workers

Background

This study aimed to examine the internal structure and assess the psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in a Puerto Rican sample of workers. This instrument is a nine-item questionnaire, which was conceptualized as a unidimensional structure; however, there are mixed results regarding this internal structure. This measure is used in the occupational health psychology context in organizations in Puerto Rico; nevertheless, there is little evidence of its psychometric properties with samples of workers.

Materials and methods

A total of 955 samples from two different study samples were used in this cross-sectional study design in which the PHQ-9 was used. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis, bifactor analysis, and random intercept item factor analysis to examine the internal structure of the PHQ-9. Moreover, a two-factor model was examined by randomly assigning items to the two factors. Measurement invariance across sex and the relationship with other constructs were examined.

Results

The best-fitted model was the bifactor model followed by the random intercept item factor. The five sets of two-factor models with items randomly assigned obtained acceptable and similar fit indices regardless of the items.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the PHQ-9 appears to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure depression. The more parsimonious interpretation of its scores, for now, is a unidimensional structure. Comparison across sex appears to be useful in occupational health psychology research settings since the results suggest that the PHQ-9 is invariant regarding this variable.

Psychometric properties of the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) in a sample of workers

Objective

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the GAD-7 by obtaining evidence of internal structure (dimensionality, precision and differential functioning of items) and association with external variables.

Methods

A total of 2,219 protocols from three different studies conducted with Puerto Rican employees that administered the GAD-7 were selected for the current study. Item response theory modeling was used to assess internal structure, and linear association with external variables.

Results

The items were adapted to a graduated response model, with high similarity in the discrimination and location parameters, as well as in the precision at the level of the items and in the total score. No violation of local independence and differential item functioning was detected. The association with convergent (work-related rumination) and divergent (work engagement, sex, and age) variables were theoretically consistent.

Conclusion

The GAD-7 is a psychometrically robust tool for detecting individual variability in symptoms of anxiety in workers.