11:00
20/03/2026 - 16:00 - ISBA C.115 + Online -
(ReSPOND – Department of Sociology, KU Leuven)
Will give a presentation on :
Debates about measurement equivalence have recently intensified across disciplines that rely on cross-group or cross-cultural comparisons. Critics argue that the widespread use of measurement invariance testing has become overly restrictive, discouraging comparative research and imposing unrealistic statistical requirements. Some even call for a paradigm shift away from invariance testing altogether. In this talk, I revisit these critiques and argue that the debate is often framed as a false dichotomy between strict statistical dogmatism and an “anything goes” approach to comparison.
Therefore, I return to the conceptual foundations of (comparative) measurement and make the auxiliary measurement assumptions of invariance testing clear. Based on this, I argue that many of these criticisms rest on misunderstandings or overlook existing methodological developments. At the same time, invariance testing should not be applied mechanically, nor should failed tests automatically preclude comparative analysis. Finally, I outline two productive ways forward: treating deviations from invariance as potentially meaningful information about cross-group differences, and evaluating how consequential such deviations are for the substantive comparisons of interest.
16:00 in person in room C-115 with possibility to follow online, teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/35752674800961?p=6fHZS4j0mZhjCx5OVz