Validation of the Network of Relationship Inventory in female and male adolescents.

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Katharina Ackermann - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Anne Martinelli - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Anka Bernhard - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Kathrin Ueno - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Christine M. Freitag - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Gerhard Büttner - , Goethe University Frankfurt a.M. (Author)
  • Florian Schmiedek - , Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, Frankfurt am Main (Author)
  • Christina Schwenck - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)

Abstract

Friendships and their different qualities have been shown to be important for adolescents’ socio-emotional development and psychological adjustment. In empirical research on such friendship qualities, the Network of Relationship Inventory—Relationship Quality Version (NRI-RQV) is a widely used questionnaire. Here, we conduct an extensive validation of a German version of the NRI-RQV, investigating its factor structure, reliability, and concurrent validity, in a sample of N = 679 adolescents aged 13–18 years. Applying multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, we further test whether the factor structure of the friendship quality construct holds across groups of males and females. Results showed that a structure with nine correlated first-order factors fit the data well, indicating nine distinct friendship qualities in males and females. Measurement invariance testing suggested the same underlying friendship quality construct, albeit differences in mean scores per gender. As evidence for concurrent validity, closeness and discordant friendship qualities showed expected correlations with empathy and social problems, respectively, but not with aggressive behavior. Overall, results indicate good psychometric properties for the German version of the NRI-RQV as a measure of friendship qualities in both males and females. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)220-228
Number of pages9
JournalEuropean journal of psychological assessment
Volume36
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2020
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85058787263
ORCID /0000-0001-8864-1360/work/197966032

Keywords

Keywords

  • Adolescent Development, Friendship, Human Sex Differences, Psychometrics, Test Validity, Adolescent Psychology, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Factor Analysis, Factor Structure, Questionnaires, Test Construction