Factor structure of the ASQ:SE-2: Cross-Cultural Similarlities and Differences
Factor structure of the ASQ:SE-2: Cross-Cultural
Similarlities and Differences
Huichao Xie, Chieh-Yu Chen, Luis Anunciação, Nicolette Waschl
Significance: Social-Emotional Well-being in the Post-Pandemic Era
- UK: Pandemic has disproportionately harmed more children than adults in their mental health, where an 81% increase of referral among children and 11% increase among adults were reported (BMJ, 2022).
- US: In a 2020 survey, 71% of parent participants reported that the pandemic had taken a toll on their child’s mental health and 69% (Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 2021). Mental health emergency visits increased by 24% for children ages 5-11 (Leeb, R. T., et al., 2020).
- Asia: Child protection emergency calls increased by 50% in India (PTI, April, 2020). Family violence emergency calls increased by 33% in Singapore (CNA, 2020).
Agenda
- Culture in early childhood social-emotional development and screening
- Exploring the factor structure of the ASQ:SE and ASQ:SE-2
- Findings from China, Taiwan, Brazil, and the US
- Future directions
Definition of Culture in Social-Emotional Development
Culture is defined as attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors that are shared by a group and passed on from generation to generation (Matsumoto, 1997).
Culture is passed down via “unconscious transmission of adaptive childrearing mechanisms.”
Role of Culture in Social-Emotional Development
It is essential to treat young children’s mental health problems within the context of their families, homes, and communities.
Center on the Developing Child, retrieved in 2022
Role of Culture in Social-Emotional Assessment
Cultural and family values shape the development and expectations of infants and young children (Squires et al., 2015).
Fairness in Assessment
- Fairness in assessment: A test that is fair reflects the Standards 3.0-3.20 same construct(s) for all test takers and the scores from it have the same meaning for all individuals in the intended population.
- Evaluation of the underlying construct of the test within one country or culture may not generalize across borders or cultures (APA, 2014).
Factor Structure of ASQ:SE: How consistent across cultures?
Factor Structure of ASQ:SE: A scoping review
Anunciação, L., Squires, J., Clifford, J., & Landeira-Fernandez, J. (2019). Confirmatory analysis and normative tables for the Brazilian Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-emotional. Child: Care, Health and Development, 45(3), 387–393. Anunciação, L., Squires, J., Landeira-Fernandez, J., & Singh, A. (2022). An Exploratory Analysis of the Internal Structure of Test Through a Multimethods Exploratory Approach of the ASQ: SE in Brazil. Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice. Chen, C. Y., Xie, H., Filgueiras, A. et al. Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Brazilian Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Social-Emotional: Use in Public Child Daycare Centers in Brazil. J Child Fam Stud 26, 2412–2425 (2017). Chen, C. Y., Squires, J., & Scalise, K. (2020). Evaluating the dimensionality and psychometric properties of a social-emotional screening instrument for young children. Infants & Young Children, 33(2), 142–159. Chen, C. Y., Squires, J., Chen, C. I., Wu, R., & Xie, H. (2020). The adaptation and psychometric examination of a social-emotional developmental screening tool in Taiwan. Early Education and Development, 31(1), 27–46. Chen, C. Y., Xie, H., Filgueiras, A. et al. Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Brazilian Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Social-Emotional: Use in Public Child Daycare Centers in Brazil. J Child Fam Stud 26, 2412–2425 (2017). Xie, H., Washl, N., Bian, X., Wang, R., Chen, C-Y., Anunciação, L., Chai, Z., Song, W., & Li, Y. (2021). Validity studies of a parent completed social-emotional measure in a representative sample of young children in China. Applied Developmental Science, Online First, 23 Sep 2021.
Major Findings
| Brazil | China | Taiwan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASQ:SE version | ASQ:SE | ASQ:SE-2 | ASQ:SE-2 | ASQ:SE |
| Age intervals | All 8 intervals | All 9 intervals | 48 months | 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48, and 60 months |
| Sample size | N=2830 Interval n=309-323 | N=2830 Interval n=309-323 | N=1455 | 20,862 |
| Evidence for social-emotional two factor structure | Adequate to good fit (2-factor solution but also unidimensional structure for certain ages) | Adequate to good fit except for 2-month | Adequate to good fit for 48-month | Adequate to good fit for 48-month 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48, and 60 months (2-month data was too small to test) |
| Items with poor fit | “Does your child seem too friendly with strangers?” changed to load on emotional factor | “Does your child seem too friendly with strangers?” | “Does your child cling to you more than expected?” (Item 2) |
Differentiated Item Functioning: Taiwan vs. U.S.
Items that TW data indicated lower probability of scoring:
- Does your child do what you ask
- Does your child use words to tell you what she wants or needs? - reversed
- Does your child use words to describe her feelings and the feelings of others? - reversed
Items that US data indicated lower probability of scoring:
- Does your child cling to you more
- Does your child cling to you more than you expect?
- Do you and your child enjoy
- Do you and your child enjoy mealtimes together? - reversed
Discussion of Implications
- ASQ:SE and ASQ:SE-2 are widely recognized across different countries (and cultures).
- Both tools showed consistency in factor structure across cultures, with nuances in some items.
- Both tools help practitioners in their daily lives.
Future Directions:
- Examining parental understanding and functionality of the “concern” option across cultures.
- Developing resources for family-professional communication and collaboration.
References
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. (2021). Children’s Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/blog/childrens-mental-health-pandemic-statistics/
- Matsumoto, D. (1997). Culture and modern life. Pacific Grove, CA: Brookes/Cole.
- Iacobucci, G. (2022). Covid-19: Pandemic has disproportionately harmed children’s mental health, report finds. BMJ 2022; 376 :o430 doi:10.1136/bmj.o430
- Leeb, R. T., Bitsko, R. H., Radhakrishnan, L., Martinez, P., Njai, R., & Holland, K. M. (2020). Mental health–related emergency department visits among children aged < 18 years during the COVID-19 pandemic—United States, January 1–October 17, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(45), 1675.
- Lieberman, A.F. (1990). Culturally sensitive intervention with children and families. Child and Adolescent Social Work, 7(2), 101-120.
- Center on the Developing Child (2022). Inbrief: Early childhood mental health. Retrieved in 2022 from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-early-childhood-mental-health-video/
- Squires, J., Bricker, D., & Twombly, E. (2015). ASQ:Se-2 User's Guide. Baltimore, MA: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
- American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education (Eds.). (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. American Educational Research Association.
- Schulze et al. (2001). Feeding practices and expectations among middle-class Anglo and Puerto Rican mothers of 12-month-old infants. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32(4), 397-406.