Testing the measurement invariance hypothesis of Grasmick et al. (1993) self-control scale using the ISRD2 data.

• In Event: Youth Offending and Victimization: Results of the Second Wave of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD2)

Abstract

The general theory of crime assumes that self-control is linked to crime in the same way across all demographic groups and cultures which implies that the measure of self-control is similarly structured and has similar scale properties across all demographic groups (Piquero 2008). Previous analyses (Marshall & Enzmann 2012) have considered the psychometric qualities of the abbreviated Grasmick et al. (1993) self-control scale when used in a large sample of 67,000 12-15 year old pupils in 30 countries (ISRD2). They found that, overall, the abbreviated Grasmick et al self-report scale had a reasonable cross-national reliability and validity, with some noted variability for certain items in some countries. In this paper, we want to apply Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to further test for equivalence of the factorial structure of the ISRD2 self-control instrument across selected national samples, using multigroup invariance test across independent samples (Byrne 2012).

Authors

• Ling Ren, Sam Houston State University

• Ineke Haen Marshall, Northeastern University