Assessing stability and change of psychometric properties of multi-item concepts across different situations: A general approach

A general procedure for assessing the structural invariance of multi-item concepts across many different situations is described. Specifically, invariance across cultural groups, time, and different media of assessment is addressed. An eight-step procedure that integrates many domain-specific approaches is proposed. Then three applications are presented to demonstrate how the procedure should be used in various substantive domains. Strengths and weaknesses of the procedure are discussed.