Configural, Metric, and Scalar Invariance of the Modified Achievement Goal Questionnaire Across African American and White University Students

Abstract

There has been growing interest in comparing achievement goal orientations across ethnic groups. Such comparisons, however, cannot be made until validity evidence has been collected to support the use of an achievement goal orientation instrument for that purpose. Therefore, this study investigates the measurement invariance of a particular measure of achievement goal orientation, the modified Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ-M), across African American and White university students. Confirmatory factor analyses support measurement invariance across the two groups. These findings provide additional validity evidence for the newly conceptualized 2 × 2 framework of achievement goal orientation and for the equivalence of functioning of the AGQ-M across these distinct groups. Because this level of invariance is established, researchers can make more valid inferences about differences in the AGQ-M scores across African American and White students.