Constructing three emotion knowledge tests from the invariant measurement approach

Abstract

BackgroundPsychological constructionist models like the Conceptual Act Theory (CAT) postulate that complex states such as emotions are composed of basic psychological ingredients that are more clearly respected by the brain than basic emotions. The objective of this study was the construction and initial validation of Emotion Knowledge measures from the CAT frame by means of an invariant measurement approach, the Rasch Model (RM). Psychological distance theory was used to inform item generation.MethodsThree EK tests—emotion vocabulary (EV), close emotional situations (CES) and far emotional situations (FES)—were constructed and tested with the RM in a community sample of 100 females and 100 males (age range: 18–65), both separately and conjointly.ResultsIt was corroborated that data-RM fit was sufficient. Then, the effect of type of test and emotion on Rasch-modelled item difficulty was tested. Significant effects of emotion on EK item difficulty were found, but the only statistically significant difference was that between “happiness” and the remaining emotions; neither type of test, nor interaction effects on EK item difficulty were statistically significant. The testing of gender differences was carried out after corroborating that differential item functioning (DIF) would not be a plausible alternative hypothesis for the results. No statistically significant sex-related differences were found out in EV, CES, FES, or total EK. However, the sign of d indicate that female participants were consistently better than male ones, a result that will be of interest for future meta-analyses.DiscussionThe three EK tests are ready to be used as components of a higher-level measurement process.

Testing the generalized validity of the Emotion Knowledge test scores

“…The generalized validity of the EK test [ 16 ] in Argentina was tested with the RM, an implementation of the invariant measurement approach [ 20 , 21 ]. Results indicated that both fit to the RM and reliability were adequate.…”

“…Participants were recruited in public places (e.g., a coffee shop, a bus station, a gym) and psychology students were excluded from the sample. Inclusion criteria were similar to the original Spanish sample [ 16 ]. Roughly half of the participants (n = 93) were young adults (18–30).…”

“…Evidence of unidimensionality for the total score was found in the process of constructing and validating the EK scores [ 16 ]. This is why the EK test can be described as composed of three subtests (the original tests: Emotion Vocabulary, Close Emotional Situations, Far Emotional Situations).…”

“…The reasons summarized above led to the construction of language-based EK tests [ 16 ] by means of the Rasch Model (RM), an implementation of the invariant measurement approach [ 17 – 22 ]. The RM indicates that the probability that person n passes item i is Pni = exp(Bn-Di)/(1+exp[Bn-Di]), Bn: person level, Di: item location.…”

“…If the empirical data fit the model adequately, then person measures and item locations can be jointly measured on an interval scale in logit units. Evidence of unidimensionality was found when scaling the scores from the three EK tests conjointly [ 16 ] and so, for the purposes of this paper, we will refer to the EK test . In the invariant measurement realm, an important empirical testing of generalized validity can be carried out by testing the lack of Differential Item Functioning ( DIF).…”