The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test: Assessment of cross -cultural validity, reliability, and differential item functioning
Abstract
This study investigated the cross-cultural validity and reliability of the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT). As evidence of cross-cultural reliability, reliability coefficients and standard errors of measurement were found to be statistically equivalent across whites, African Americans, and Hispanics. One piece of evidence of cross-cultural validity was provided through the examination of items exhibiting differential item functioning (DIF). Several levels of the NNAT were found to be free of a large number of items exhibiting DIF in favor of any one of the three cultural groups. A second piece of evidence of cross-cultural validity was provided through examination of the comparability of factor structures through exploratory factor analyses that suggested a one-factor model of ability was appropriate for all three cultural groups. A third piece of evidence of cross-cultural validity was provided through examination of the point biserial correlation coefficients that showed only minor differences in distributional properties across the three cultural groups. The results of the baseline single-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated the data had an adequate fit to the hypothesized one-factor model for two NNAT levels. The results of the examination of the comparability of factor structures through multigroup confirmatory factor analyses at the two levels indicated the data was an adequate fit to the model specifying the same factor structure with different errors across groups. The results were indicative of the items operating in reasonably the same way for all three cultural groups at those levels. The examination of group means and psychometric properties of the test items was largely inconclusive in the effort to gain empirical evidence of cross-cultural validity. Group means and confidence intervals of mean differences indicated significant differences among whites, African Americans, and Hispanics in overall performance on the NNAT. However, differences in the group means and psychometric properties of the items do not necessarily reflect a lack of cross-cultural validity for the test but may be a result of factors unrelated to the test and not controlled for in the present study.
Subject Area
Educational tests & measurements|Quantitative psychology|Ethnic studies
Recommended Citation
George, Carol Elizabeth, "The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test: Assessment of cross -cultural validity, reliability, and differential item functioning" (2002). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3037216.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3037216
