Testing For Measurement Invariance of Attachment Across Chinese and American Adolescent Samples

Twelve manifest variables were used to tap the concepts of adolescent attachment to parents, school, and neighborhood. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to conduct invariance testing across approximately 3,000 Chinese and U.S. adolescents. Results provide strong support for a three-factor model; the multigroup invariance tests yielded mixed results. Although the family attachment measure appeared invariant between the two samples, significant differences in the coefficients of the factor loadings were detected in the school attachment and neighborhood attachment measures. The results of regression analyses support the predictive validity of three types of attachment. Study limitations are discussed. 85 references (Publisher abstract modified)