Factorial structure and invariance of the academic expectations stress inventory across Hispanic and Chinese adolescent samples.

Using confirmatory factor analysis, the current study provided further evidence for the two-factor structure of the Academic Expectations Stress Inventory [AESI; Ang RP, Huan VS (2006) Educ Psych Meas 66:522-539] using a sample of 191 US Hispanic adolescents and a sample of 211 Singapore Chinese adolescents. This study also examined the cross-cultural validity of the AESI using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis to investigate the invariance of the factor structure of the AESI across both samples. Results from multigroup confirmatory factor analysis suggested that while partial invariance was observed across the samples, the consistency of fit indices indicating either no change or a minimal loss of fit between the unconstrained basic model and the partially constrained models, provided support that partial invariance was acceptable. Analyses of covariance results indicated that perceived overall academic stress and academic stress arising from self-expectations were significantly higher among Singapore Chinese adolescents compared with US Hispanic adolescents.