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Measurement invariance in studies of social change in Ukrainian society

stmm. 2026 (1): 66–78

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2026.01.066

Full text: https://stmm.in.ua/archive/ukr/2026-1/6.pdf

YURIY SAVELYEV, Candidate of Sciences in Philosophy, Doctor of Sciences in Sociology, Professor at the Department of Methodology and Methods of Sociological Research, Faculty of Sociology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (60, Volodymyrska St., Kyiv, 01033) yursave@knu.ua

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2023-4472

SCOPUS ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57189896685

VLADYSLAV TYSHKEVICH, Master of Sociology, Graduate of the Faculty of Sociology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (60, Volodymyrska St., Kyiv, 01033)

vladtyshkevych@gmail.com

The article applies the method of multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to test the hypothesis of measurement invariance of the integral index of social well-being (IISS-20) in the longitudinal (trend) study “Ukrainian Society: Monitoring Social Changes” in 1995-2010. Although this index, developed by Ye. Golovakha and N. Panina, has been crucial for studies of social change of Ukrainian society over the past 30 years, the measurement invariance of this theoretical construct has not been tested for any version of the instrument (IISS-44, IISS-20, IISS-13). The need for such a study stems from the transformations of society, when people may form different perceptions of their social well-being as well as the occurrence of significant changes in the population structure. If measurement invariance is not confirmed, then comparing the values of the indicator and its meaningful interpretation are problematic. Since the quality of the basic model of the shortened version of the index IISS-20 did not allow to proceed with a test of measurement invariance for this particular adaptation of the instrument during the chosen period, it was modified by removing components that had caused multicollinearity. For the resulting optimized model we confirmed the configural, metric and scalar measurement invariance of social well-being for the period that comprises four waves (1995, 2000, 2005, 2010) of the survey by the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine. Thus, the result of our analysis with the technical modification of the IISS-20 questionnaire is in line with evolution of the instrument. It proves the possibility of both valid comparisons in terms of the structure of the latent variable and the comparability of the means of the integral index of social well-being between different groups and research waves over time. The article, therefore, demonstrates the explanatory power of this important sociological tool for monitoring Ukrainian society and research of social change.

Keywords: quantitative analysis, longitudinal studies, social change, indices, measurement invariance, MGCFA, social well-being, Ukrainian society, design and research methods

Referenes:

  1. Alwin, D.F., McCammon, R.J. (2003). Generations, cohorts, and social change. In: Handbook of the life course (pp. 23-49). Boston, MA: Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48247-2_2

  2. Babbie, E. (2021). The practice of social research. 15th edn. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

  3. Chen, F.F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14(3), 464-504. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834

  4. Davidov, E. (2010). Testing for comparability of human values across countries and time with the third round of the European Social Survey. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 51(3), 171-191. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020715210363534

  5. Dembitskyi, S. (2017). Integral index of social well-being: an alternative approach. [In Ukrainian]. Sociology: Theory, Methods, Marketing, 4, 109-129.

  6. Golovakha, Ye., Dembitsky, S., Panina, N. (2022). Complex Measuring Instruments in Sociological Research: Development, Adaptation, Justification of Reliability. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine.

  7. Golovakha, Ye.I., Panina, N.V. (1997). Integral index of social well-being (IISS): construction and application of a sociological test in mass surveys. [In Russian]. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine.

  8. Golovakha, Ye.I., Panina, N.V. (2005). Integral index of social well-being of the population of Ukraine before and after the "orange revolution". [In Ukrainian]. Bulletin of Public Opinion, 6, 11-16.

  9. Hong, S., Malik, M., Lee, M. (2003). Testing configural, metric, scalar, and latent mean invariance across genders in sociotropy and autonomy using a non-Western sample. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 63(4), 636-654. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164403251332

  10. Jöreskog, K.G. (1971). Simultaneous factor analysis in several populations. Psychometrika, 36(4), 409-426. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02291366

  11. Karakai, D., Moskotina, R. (2024). Religious involvement over time: Assessing measurement invariance of the Religious Involvement scale in Ukraine. Sociology: Theory, Methods, Marketing, 4, 96-110. https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2024.04.096

  12. Kline, R. (2023). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. 5th edn. The Guilford Press.

  13. Reeskens, T., Hooghe, M. (2008). Cross-cultural measurement equivalence of generalized trust: Evidence from the European Social Survey (2002 and 2004). Social Indicators Research, 85(3), 515-532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-007-9100-z

  14. Savelyev, Yu.B. (2017). Multidimensional modernity: social inclusion in assessment of social development. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: The University of Kyiv. [Савельєв 2017].

  15. Trochim W., Donnelly J.P., Arora K. (2016). Research methods: The essential knowledge base. 2nd edn. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

  16. Vandenberg, R.J., Lance, C.E. (2000). A review and synthesis of the measurement invariance literature: Suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 3(1), 4-71. https://doi.org/10.1177/109442810031002

  17. Zhulenyova, O. (2014). Invariance and equivalence of data in cross-national studies: comparison of concepts. [In Ukrainian]. Social Dimensions of Society, 6, 394-403. [Жуленьова 2014].

  18. Zhulenyova, O.V. (2017). Invariance as a criterion for determining data equivalence in sociological cross-national studies. [In Ukrainian]. Current Problems of Philosophy and Sociology, 16, 36-40.

Received 21.09.2025

Accepted for publication after review 23.12.2025

Measurement invariance in studies of social change in Ukrainian society

stmm. 2026 (1): 66–78

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2026.01.066

Full text: https://stmm.in.ua/archive/ukr/2026-1/6.pdf

YURIY SAVELYEV, Candidate of Sciences in Philosophy, Doctor of Sciences in Sociology, Professor at the Department of Methodology and Methods of Sociological Research, Faculty of Sociology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (60, Volodymyrska St., Kyiv, 01033) yursave@knu.ua

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2023-4472

SCOPUS ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57189896685

VLADYSLAV TYSHKEVICH, Master of Sociology, Graduate of the Faculty of Sociology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (60, Volodymyrska St., Kyiv, 01033)

vladtyshkevych@gmail.com

The article applies the method of multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to test the hypothesis of measurement invariance of the integral index of social well-being (IISS-20) in the longitudinal (trend) study “Ukrainian Society: Monitoring Social Changes” in 1995-2010. Although this index, developed by Ye. Golovakha and N. Panina, has been crucial for studies of social change of Ukrainian society over the past 30 years, the measurement invariance of this theoretical construct has not been tested for any version of the instrument (IISS-44, IISS-20, IISS-13). The need for such a study stems from the transformations of society, when people may form different perceptions of their social well-being as well as the occurrence of significant changes in the population structure. If measurement invariance is not confirmed, then comparing the values of the indicator and its meaningful interpretation are problematic. Since the quality of the basic model of the shortened version of the index IISS-20 did not allow to proceed with a test of measurement invariance for this particular adaptation of the instrument during the chosen period, it was modified by removing components that had caused multicollinearity. For the resulting optimized model we confirmed the configural, metric and scalar measurement invariance of social well-being for the period that comprises four waves (1995, 2000, 2005, 2010) of the survey by the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine. Thus, the result of our analysis with the technical modification of the IISS-20 questionnaire is in line with evolution of the instrument. It proves the possibility of both valid comparisons in terms of the structure of the latent variable and the comparability of the means of the integral index of social well-being between different groups and research waves over time. The article, therefore, demonstrates the explanatory power of this important sociological tool for monitoring Ukrainian society and research of social change.

Keywords: quantitative analysis, longitudinal studies, social change, indices, measurement invariance, MGCFA, social well-being, Ukrainian society, design and research methods

Referenes:

  1. Alwin, D.F., McCammon, R.J. (2003). Generations, cohorts, and social change. In: Handbook of the life course (pp. 23-49). Boston, MA: Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48247-2_2

  2. Babbie, E. (2021). The practice of social research. 15th edn. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

  3. Chen, F.F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14(3), 464-504. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834

  4. Davidov, E. (2010). Testing for comparability of human values across countries and time with the third round of the European Social Survey. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 51(3), 171-191. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020715210363534

  5. Dembitskyi, S. (2017). Integral index of social well-being: an alternative approach. [In Ukrainian]. Sociology: Theory, Methods, Marketing, 4, 109-129.

  6. Golovakha, Ye., Dembitsky, S., Panina, N. (2022). Complex Measuring Instruments in Sociological Research: Development, Adaptation, Justification of Reliability. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine.

  7. Golovakha, Ye.I., Panina, N.V. (1997). Integral index of social well-being (IISS): construction and application of a sociological test in mass surveys. [In Russian]. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine.

  8. Golovakha, Ye.I., Panina, N.V. (2005). Integral index of social well-being of the population of Ukraine before and after the "orange revolution". [In Ukrainian]. Bulletin of Public Opinion, 6, 11-16.

  9. Hong, S., Malik, M., Lee, M. (2003). Testing configural, metric, scalar, and latent mean invariance across genders in sociotropy and autonomy using a non-Western sample. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 63(4), 636-654. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164403251332

  10. Jöreskog, K.G. (1971). Simultaneous factor analysis in several populations. Psychometrika, 36(4), 409-426. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02291366

  11. Karakai, D., Moskotina, R. (2024). Religious involvement over time: Assessing measurement invariance of the Religious Involvement scale in Ukraine. Sociology: Theory, Methods, Marketing, 4, 96-110. https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2024.04.096

  12. Kline, R. (2023). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. 5th edn. The Guilford Press.

  13. Reeskens, T., Hooghe, M. (2008). Cross-cultural measurement equivalence of generalized trust: Evidence from the European Social Survey (2002 and 2004). Social Indicators Research, 85(3), 515-532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-007-9100-z

  14. Savelyev, Yu.B. (2017). Multidimensional modernity: social inclusion in assessment of social development. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: The University of Kyiv. [Савельєв 2017].

  15. Trochim W., Donnelly J.P., Arora K. (2016). Research methods: The essential knowledge base. 2nd edn. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

  16. Vandenberg, R.J., Lance, C.E. (2000). A review and synthesis of the measurement invariance literature: Suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 3(1), 4-71. https://doi.org/10.1177/109442810031002

  17. Zhulenyova, O. (2014). Invariance and equivalence of data in cross-national studies: comparison of concepts. [In Ukrainian]. Social Dimensions of Society, 6, 394-403. [Жуленьова 2014].

  18. Zhulenyova, O.V. (2017). Invariance as a criterion for determining data equivalence in sociological cross-national studies. [In Ukrainian]. Current Problems of Philosophy and Sociology, 16, 36-40.

Received 21.09.2025

Accepted for publication after review 23.12.2025

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