Measurement invariance and differential item functioning of the Bar-On EQ-i: S measure over Canadian, Scottish, South African and Australian samples

The measurement invariance (i.e., omnibus, configural, metric and scalar) of the Bar-On EQ-i: S (Bar-On, 2002) was examined over two workplace (Australia, N = 350 and South Africa, N = 356) and two student samples (Canadian, N = 350 and Scottish, N = 238). The Vandenberg and Lance (2000) approach to measurement invariance was used. Differential item functioning (DIF) was investigated with the 2-way ANOVA approach (Van de Vijver & Leung, 1997). Evidence of configural and metric, but not scalar or omnibus invariance, was found over both sets of analyses. Implications for cross-cultural assessment with the EQ-i: S are discussed.