Evaluating the Psychometric and Measurement Characteristics of a Measure of Sexual Orientation Harassment

Abstract

We use classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) methodologies to examine the psychometric and measurement properties of an instrument designed to assess sexual orientation harassment among military personnel (N = 71,989). CTT analyses indicated that items were unidimensional and exhibited adequate levels of reliability. IRT analyses demonstrated that the items functioned similarly and exhibited appropriate levels of item discrimination. However, the analyses also suggested that the sensitivity of the items may be limited. Differential test functioning analyses provided evidence of the measurement equivalence of the instrument across male and female respondents. The findings provide support for the psychometric properties and measurement equivalence of the instrument for measuring sexual orientation harassment among male and female military personnel. We discuss the implications of our findings for future research on sexual orientation harassment in the workplace.

Notes

The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the U.S. government, or any of its agencies.

¹We use the term sexual minority to be inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual individuals.

²Cronbach's alpha coefficient was computed using the continuous rather than the dichotomous form of the scale (i.e., 5- vs. 2-point response scale).