A positive-negative bifactor model for the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire-Short Form

The Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire (SEFQ) assesses an individual's emotional expressivity in the family context. However, neither the factor structure of the instrument, invariance by age and socioeconomic status (SES), nor substantial evidence for the construct validity of its short form (Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire-Short Form [SEFQ-SF]) has been established. Therefore, the goals of the present study were to: Conduct a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for the SEFQ-SF, by testing five competing factorial models; ascertain the invariance of the measurement model across age groups and socioeconomic levels; and examine its convergent validity with a parenting-specific measure. A sociodemographic form, a Portuguese translation of the SEFQ-SF, and the Parent Emotion Regulation Scale (PERS) were administered online to 506 Portuguese mothers of children aged between 1 and 12 years old. The positive-negative bifactor model showed the best fit to the data, supporting the uncorrelated two-factor structure. In multigroup analyses, the measurement model was invariant across two age groups (mothers of toddlers/preschoolers vs. mothers of school-aged children) and socioeconomic levels (low-medium vs. high). Weak to strong correlations were observed between the SEFQ-SF positive-negative dimensions and the PERS subscales in the expected direction. The SEFQ-SF appears to be a reliable and valid measure, comprising two independent factors (positive and negative self-expressiveness within the family) that should be used as distinct subscales and eventually tested for their interaction effects. The invariance of this measurement model across age groups and socioeconomic levels is suggestive of the instrument's developmental suitability and cross-contextual applicability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).