Structural equation modeling in applying for the crosscultural data analysis

Practical and theoretical issues in applying structural equation modeling to analysis of multiple-group (e.g., crosscultural) data are discussed. Two main problems are considered: a) testing the comparability, or equivalence of psychological constructs and b) detecting possible between-group differences on the constructs. The strong factorial invariance (W. Meredith, 1993) of each variable's loading and intercept (mean-level) parameters implies that constructs are fundamentally the same in each sociocultural group, and thus comparable. Under this condition, hypotheses about the nature of between-group (e.g., sociocultural) differences and similarities can be confidently and meaningfully tested among the constructs' moments. The general overview of some of the issues involved in making such tests were provided to explicate them within the framework of multiple-group mean and covariance structures analyses (MACS) using a detailed example comparing four sociocultural settings.