Item Response Theory Analysis and Measurement Invariance Testing of the Cultural Humility and Enactment Scale

Objective This study aimed to validate the Cultural Humility and Enactment Scale (CHES) through (a) examining its factor structure with multiple samples; (b) employing item response theory (IRT) analysis to examine its item-level characteristics; (c) reducing potential redundancies among items; and (d) conducting measurement invariance (MI) testing.Method The sample included a total of 610 individuals with diverse demographic backgrounds recruited from Mturk. Analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), IRT analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and multi-group CFA.Results We replicated the three-factor structure and retained the 21-item CHES (CHES-21), which showed equivalent information coverage and superior model fit compared to the original 29-item version. We also obtained evidence for MI of the CHES-21 between White and nonwhite clients and between male and non-male clients.Conclusion Evidencing reliability and validity with a sample of adult clients, the CHES-21 can be effectively incorporated into counseling practice and counselor training.