Development and evaluation of a new short form of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI-30).

Summary & key facts

Researchers used data from 1,561 men to make and test a new 30-item short form of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (called the CMNI-30). The 30-item version fit the data better than the 29-, 46-, and 94-item versions they tested. The CMNI-30 showed mostly consistent measurement for White men and men of color, and scores were significantly related to measures of depression and anxiety, which offers preliminary evidence that the short form is valid.

Key facts:

• The study used data from 1,561 community and university men to develop the short form.
• The original CMNI had 94 items; prior short forms ranged from 11 to 55 items.
• The authors tested models and created two candidate 30-item versions; the version based on Classical Test Theory (CTT) fit best and became the CMNI-30.
• When compared statistically, the 30-item model showed superior fit versus 29-, 46-, and 94-item models.
• Measurement invariance testing between White men and men of color found full configural and metric invariance, but only partial scalar and residuals invariance (i.e., some item-level differences remained).
• CMNI-30 scores were significantly related to indicators of depression and anxiety, which the authors describe as preliminary concurrent validity evidence.

Abstract

The Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI) has been an important tool in researching masculinity. With the original measure at 94 items (Mahalik et al., 2003), there have been several abbreviated forms developed from 11 to 55 items. However, in confirmatory factor analyses (CFA's) testing 13 common factors, bifactor, hierarchical, and unidimensional models, only 4 models demonstrated adequate fit to the data, and most of these were for the still quite long 46-item version. As a result, there was no psychometrically strong truly short form of the CMNI. In the present study, data from 1561 community and university men were used to develop a short form. First an exploratory factor analysis using a portion of the data was conducted, which resulted in a 10-subscale dimensionality, followed by CFA estimating a common factors model. The results of the CFA were used to create two candidate models for a 30-item short form of the CMNI, based on Classical test theory (CTT) and optimized CTT. The best-fitting candidate model for the CMNI-30 was CTT. Next, the fit of the 29, 46, and 94 item models were compared to the 30-item version, which had the superior fit. Then, measurement invariance between White men and men of color was assessed, choosing this comparison because hegemonic masculinity is theorized to marginalize men of color. Evidence was found for full configural and metric, and partial scalar and residuals invariance. Finally, significant relationships between CMNI-30 scores and indicators of depression and anxiety provides preliminary concurrent evidence for its validity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Topics

Behavioral Health and Interventions Eating Disorders and Behaviors Gender Roles and Identity Studies

Categories

Gender Studies Social Sciences

Tags

Confirmatory factor analysis Conformity Developmental psychology Exploratory factor analysis Masculinity Mathematics Measurement invariance Multilevel model Psychoanalysis Psychology Psychometrics Social psychology Statistics Structural equation modeling

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Depression Anxiety or worry Sadness or low mood