LOISIR & SOCIETE-SOCIETY AND LEISURE, cilt.44, sa.3, ss.443-458, 2021 (ESCI)
Studies that aim to point out structural differences between groups assume that the measurement tool will function similarly, and thus the results of such measurements will have similar psychometric features. Hence, this study aimed to test the measurement invariance (MI) of the construct validity of the Perceived Freedom in Leisure Scale (PFLS). The research sample consisted of 1097 university students (480 women and 617 men). The MI of the PFLS was tested by multigroup confirmatory factor analyses that test the invariance of the covariance structures within the scope of structural equation modeling. The study yielded evidence which indicates that the measurement model defined for the factor structure of the scale provides MI in terms of gender. The fit indexes for formal invariance, which is the first phase of MI, are chi(2)/df = 1.48; CFI = .97; NFI = .91; and RMSEA = .065. Meanwhile, the study observed that a value regarding metric, scalar, and strong invariances, which pertain to other phases of MI, is within acceptable limits (<=-.01 Delta CFI <=.01). According to the results, we can deduce that the items on a psychological measurement tool represent the same psychological structure among groups.