A Comparability Analysis of Anxiety Scale For International Students’ Classifications: Invariance Across Gender, Status, and Students’ Current Degree

This study aimed to investigate the structure of the latent factor of an anxiety symptoms scale (Pudrovska et al., 2001) and the stability of invariance across groups of international students’ classifications (gender, students’ current degree, and students’ status). In the large, non-clinical sample (619), Saudi students as international students in the USA completed the anxiety symptom scale. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the factor structure of the scale, and a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) model was used to test stability of invariance across groups of students’ classifications.
The findings of the CFA indicated support for the original one-factor model. Additional analyses of the MGCFA method support for the measurement (configural, metric and strong) invariant and practical invariant components of this model. There was an invariant across gender. The instrument appeared to measure the same constructs in both groups (male and female). However, there was partially invariant across groups of students’ current degree. The instrument appeared to measure the same constructs in both groups (undergraduate students and graduate students), except for Item 3. Moreover, there was partially invariant across groups of students’ status. The instrument appeared to measure the same constructs in both groups (single and married), except for Item 3 and 4. Given that this study is the first investigation for the structure of anxiety symptoms scale (Pudrovska et al., 2001), it will be important for future studies to replicate the findings.
 
Keywords: Anxiety, International Students, Factor Analysis, And Factorial Invariance.
Subject Area: Evaluation, Measurement, and Research