Factorial structure of a socialization goal questionnaire across non-migrant and migrant mothers in Germany

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the factorial structure of a socialization goal questionnaire across three groups within Germany. The instrument has been previously used in cross-cultural research to assess autonomy and relatedness orientations, but lacks validation in contexts of migration. Additionally, the original instrument was modified to account for specific manifestations of both orientations. Participants were Turkish migrant, Former Soviet Union migrant and non-migrant mothers with children at preschool age, living in Germany. Single-group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) lead to modification of the initial model. Following multigroup CFAs revealed configurational and metric equivalence across the three groups. However, fit indices did not support equivalent structural relations between factors at the variance/covariance level. In sum, the results support the factorial structure of the socialization goal questionnaire, but point to mothers' different conceptualizations of the relationship between both dimensions.

Keywords::

• Socialization goals
• Measurement invariance
• Turkish migrants
• Former Soviet Union migrants

Acknowledgements

This paper is part of the NUBBEK project (Nationale Untersuchung zur Bildung, Betreuung und Erziehung in der frühen Kindheit). Data were provided by the NUBBEK research group. The NUBBEK project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Jacobs Foundation, and the Federal States of Bavaria, Brandenburg, Lower Saxonia and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Notes

² Complete cases (n = 1438): M = 11.89 (SD = 1.57) years; incomplete cases (n = 46): M = 11.30 (SD = 1.76) years. Incomplete cases Turkish migrants mothers: n = 36; FSU migrant mothers: n = 11.

³ First-generation mothers comprised 62% of the sample. First- and second-generation mothers did not differ on any sample characteristic except maternal age (first generation: M = 33.55 years, SD = 5.59; second generation: M = 31.44 years, SD = 4.07). They were nonetheless analyzed together, as there were no differences between first- and second-generation mothers on any of the socialization goals.

⁴ In the non-migrant group (as the reference group), modification indices for regression weights were highest for both items (122.719 and 37.317, respectively) and corresponded to the largest expected parameter change.