Assessing the Factorial Invariance of Harters Self-Concept Measures: Comparing Preadolescents With and Without Spina Bifida Using Child, Parent, and Teacher Report

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the structure of childrenʹs self-concept, as rated by children themselves on the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC; Harter, 1985), and the structure of childrenʹs competence, as rated by their parents on the Rating Scale of Childʹs Actual Behavior (PRS) and teachers on the Rating Scale of Childʹs Actual Behavior (TRS; Harter, 1985), are similar across samples of children with and without spina bifida (children were 8 and 9 years of age; n = 68 in each sample). Using confirmatory factor analyses, results revealed that a multidimensional model for the SPPC and the TRS fit the data well for both samples. On the other hand, the model for both mothersʹ and fathersʹ PRS ratings did not fit the data for the spina bifida sample. Further tests of factorial invariance conducted on the SPPC and TRS revealed that the spina bifida and able-bodied samples tended to have the same pattern and magnitude of factor loadings for both instruments. There was some invariance, however, in the amount of unique error variance accounted for across samples. These results bolster our confidence in using the SPPC and TRS to compare children with and without spina bifida.