Measurement Invariance and Psychometric Characteristics of the Family Involvement Questionnaire-Short Form Among Chinese Families of Preschoolers

The quality of family involvement is recognized as a crucial factor that impacts a wide range of child developmental outcomes. In this cross-sectional study, we focused on the Family Involvement Questionnaire-Short Form (FIQ-SF), a widely used parent report that measures family involvement through a three-dimensional structure (school-based involvement, home-school conferencing, home-based involvement), and gathered validity evidence from families of 3,860 preschoolers in China. The results of factor analyses and multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis provided empirical support for the three-dimensional structure underlying the FIQ-SF and the equivalence of this measure across gender groups of preschoolers. Results from the multidimensional graded response model revealed that the FIQ-SF items displayed adequate item-level psychometric characteristics. However, one item on the home-based involvement dimension exhibited slight differential item functioning across gender groups of preschoolers. Findings were discussed in comparison to existing validation studies of the FIQ-SF and recommendations for future research were provided accordingly.