Measurement invariance of the modified Utrecht Homesickness Scale: A case of university students from four countries

Current Psychology. 2024. Vol. 43. No. 29. P. 24267–24278.

Нартова-Бочавер С. К., Резниченко С. И., Padilla Ochoa A., Zulkarnain Z.

The study is devoted to examining the measurement invariance of the Utrecht Homesickness Scale (UHS) across four countries while considering cultural characteristics. The sample consisted of 899 first- and second-year students: Indonesia (N = 182), Mexico (N = 142), Russia (N = 379), and Ukraine (N = 196) (Mage = 18.29, SD = 2.48); female-dominant at 74% (Mage = 18.56, SDage = 2.49). In the original version, the UHS consisted of twenty items and five subscales: Adjustment difficulties, Missing family, Loneliness, Missing friends, and Ruminations about home. As hypothesized, the initial five-factor structure of the UHS was upheld but the HS pattern was specific in each country investigated. After removing three items via CFA, the original structure was restored. Convergent validity, reliability, configural, metric, and partial scalar measurement invariance of the UHS modified (UHS-M) instrument were achieved. The specific patterns of homesickness in each country are presented. It is concluded that the UHS-M can be recommended both for research and support programs for students suffering from homesickness while accounting for cultural characteristics.

Ключевые слова: culture, students, home, Validity, homesickness

ПУБЛИКАЦИЯ ПОДГОТОВЛЕНА ПО РЕЗУЛЬТАТАМ ПРОЕКТА: Психологическое благополучие в условиях трансформации жизненных сред (2023)