Psychometric Qualities Evaluation of the Interdependent Happiness Scale across Malaysia, Philippines, and India

Abstract

The nine-item Interdependent Happiness Scale (IHS; Hitokoto & Uchida, 2015) is a self-report of interpersonal happiness that focuses on three dimensions: relationship-oriented happiness, quiescent happiness, and ordinary happiness. Few studies have evaluated the psychometric properties of the IHS in diverse cultural backgrounds and the findings are inconsistent. This study investigated whether the IHS has sound psychometric qualities in three Asian countries. University students from Malaysia (n = 263), Philippines (n = 239), and India (n = 310) answered the IHS and self-rated creativity scale. Confirmatory factor analysis on each sample supported the nine-item second-order model with error covariances. The overall IHS score showed good reliability in all samples. The subscales, however, had mixed results except for the Indian sample. Similarly, the convergent validity test showed mixed results while discriminant validity is supported in all samples except for the quiescent happiness subscale in the Indian sample. Concurrent validity was established across three samples by showing a positive relationship with creativity score. The results highlight that the higher-order structure of the IHS is consistently supported in different cultural contexts. However, some of the items are perceived differently and require further improvement in enhancing the cross-cultural usability of the IHS to measure socially-oriented happiness.

Factorial structure, reliability, and construct validity of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7): Evidence from Malaysia

“…In other words, there is a possibility that GAD-7 may not capture the idea of generalized anxiety disorder in terms of the local perspective. Moreover, studies have found that some items of the measurements that have been validated in other contexts are not applicable to Malaysian samples [ 10 – 13 ], implying the items carry different meaning to Malaysian participants. Therefore, there is a possibility that the theoretical one-factor structure or some items of the GAD-7 may not hold in the Malaysian context.…”

Evaluating the Language- and Culture-Related Construct-Irrelevant Variance and Reliability of the Sense of School Belonging Scale: Suggestions for Revision

“…Standards for educational and psychological testing (AERA et al, 2014) defines validity as the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of the measurement outcomes for proposed uses; and reliability as the consistency of the measurement outcomes across instances of the measurement procedure. Both validity and reliability must be treated as cornerstones in the construction and validation process of assessments (AERA et al, 2014; Huang et al, 2023; Kamaruddin & MohdMatore, 2021; Tan et al, 2021).…”

“…The examination of construct-irrelevant variance and reliability evidence of international assessments such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) administered across multiple countries and regions has become the central task for researchers and assessment professionals (Abu-Hilal et al, 2013; Arrindell et al, 2022; Huang et al, 2023; Espejo et al, 2022; Hambleton et al, 2005; Jia et al, 2018; Kamaruddin & MohdMatore, 2021; Marsh et al, 2013; Rias et al, 2021; Tan et al, 2021). This is because construct-irrelevant variance and reliability could be different across countries and regions due to unnecessary linguistic and cultural characteristics (Hambleton et al, 2005; Tan et al, 2021).…”

“…The examination of construct-irrelevant variance and reliability evidence of international assessments such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) administered across multiple countries and regions has become the central task for researchers and assessment professionals (Abu-Hilal et al, 2013; Arrindell et al, 2022; Huang et al, 2023; Espejo et al, 2022; Hambleton et al, 2005; Jia et al, 2018; Kamaruddin & MohdMatore, 2021; Marsh et al, 2013; Rias et al, 2021; Tan et al, 2021). This is because construct-irrelevant variance and reliability could be different across countries and regions due to unnecessary linguistic and cultural characteristics (Hambleton et al, 2005; Tan et al, 2021). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the language- and culture-related construct-irrelevant variance and reliability of the 2019 TIMSS sense of school belonging scale (SSBS) for grades 4 and 8 through expert reviews and item response theory (IRT) analysis of the existing data associated with the countries of China (Hong Kong), Singapore, Australia, and America.…”

Comparison of Interdependent and Subjective Happiness between Japanese and Thai College Students: A Research Note

“…Various self-reporting scales have been developed to measure happiness. The Interdependent Happiness Scale (IHS; Hitokoto and Uchida 2015) was developed in Japan, an Eastern country, and has been used in the cross-cultural study by Gardiner et al (2020) and in Asian countries, such as Japan (Hitokoto and Uchida 2015), Thailand (Hitokoto et al 2014), and Malaysia, Philippines, and India (Tan et al 2021). Hitokoto and Uchida (2015) described interdependent happiness as "basically relationship oriented, and a state of harmony with a certain balance being achieved between the self and significant others".…”