Measurement Invariance of Media Literacy Between Young Adults and Older Adults in South Korea (Stage 1, 11:59 AM)

• In Event: e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 3 - Stage 1

Abstract

Media literacy must be precisely measured to support successful adaptation in the digital era. As an age-specific approach is important to bridge the digital gap, the current study investigated the measurement invariance of the New Media Literacy Scale (NMLS) between two age groups. A total of 322 young adults and 315 older adults were included, and data were collected through an online survey. Measurement invariance including configural, metric, and scalar invariance was tested using Mplus. Results supported configural and metric invariance, meaning that the construct was measured consistently across age. Meanwhile, intercepts were different between age groups for all items. Since scalar invariance was not supported, mean comparisons may not reflect true differences in media literacy but rather methodological artifacts.

Authors

• Eunho Jo, Yonsei University

• Stella Yun Kim, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Hyoun K. Kim, Yonsei University