FACTORIAL INVARIANCE OF BIOGRAPHICAL FACTORS

A biographical information blank (BIB) was administered to students in grades 7, 9, and 11, and was subsequently analyzed to determine the stability of both its factor pattern and structure. This was done by deriving a single average factor pattern matrix which was rotated to simple structure and then to similarity to each of three factor matrices at each grade level. Of 11 factors extracted, all but three showed reasonably good stability. Those factors that showed the greatest change, in terms of their presence over the three grade levels, were General Appreciation of School Courses, Social Activities, and High Level Literary Activities. Implications of stability in factor pattern and structure for further BIB development and for utilization in the framework of a longitudinal study are discussed.