Psychometric perspectives on shyness across the lifespan: Measurement invariance and mean-level differences in ages 4–86. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brook, Christina A.; Schmidt, Louis A.
• Is Part Of: Applied developmental science. Volume 26:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 14
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2019.1679023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1088-8691

Abstract

Abstract: This study examined mean-levels of shyness from childhood to senescence. To improve validity in our shyness measure across age, we used two different but comparable shyness scales in adult and child/adolescent datasets that were created separately within a repeated cross-sectional design. In the adult analysis ( N = 1, 294, ages = 17–86), measurement invariance (through multi-group confirmatory factor analysis and the alignment method) was established among age groups but not between the sexes; only comparisons across age were considered valid. Significant mean differences among adult groups indicated shyness followed an inverted U-shape pattern. In the child/adolescent sample ( N = 554, ages = 4–16), measurement invariance was found across sex but not age groups. Mean differences in adult shyness might have been tied to age-related social processes and measurement validity may have limited accurate assessment of shyness across child/adolescence. Issues associated with the validity of measuring shyness across the lifespan are discussed.