Measurement Invariance of the Fear of Happiness Scale in Adults Samples From Six Countries

Abstract: Previous cross-cultural research on the measurement invariance of the fear of happiness scale has largely been limited to small student samples, making it difficult to generalize findings to more diverse populations. This study examined the measurement invariance of the fear of happiness scale in adult samples from South Korea, Canada, Turkey, Poland, Portugal, and the United States. Sample sizes ranged from 256 to 1,177 participants per country (total N = 3,930). The single-factor model of fear of happiness fitted the data well, and the reliabilities were acceptable in all countries. After adjustment for age, partial scalar invariance was supported, with Items 3 and 5 being non-invariant. Latent mean analysis revealed significant country differences, with Turkey having the highest fear of happiness score and Portugal having the lowest. These findings suggest that the scale can be used to measure fear of happiness in diverse adult samples. However, Items 3 and 5 may not be interpreted consistently across cultures. Therefore, caution should be used when comparing observed means across countries. For meaningful cross-cultural comparisons, researchers should compare latent means after considering and addressing any potential non-invariance issues.