A reexamination of the psychometric properties of the career factors inventory

Jia Lu, Purdue University

Abstract

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Career Factors Inventory (CFIN) in a large career-undecided college freshmen sample. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess the fit of the models to the data. The Maximum Likelihood method was used. Second-order confirmatory factor structures were explored. Gender invariance was also investigated. The CFA demonstrated that the CFIN model lacked quality goodness fit to the data. Post-hoc model fitting of four error correlations as indicated by modification indices improved the model with a better fit for the sample. The second-order factor model did not fit to the data with negative error variance. Measurement invariant results showed all factor loadings were equivalent across the gender group. The factor means were not invariant between men and women. This study found that all four factor means were statistically higher in women, unlike the original author’s findings that only the General Indecisiveness factor mean to be higher for women. The results of this investigation suggest the sample of undecided college freshmen had a poor fit to the original CFIN four-factor statistic model without model modification. The second-order factor model was not tenable.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Bennett, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Educational tests & measurements|Counseling Psychology|Occupational psychology

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