Factorial structure of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS): A test of longitudinal invariance.

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Title:	Factorial structure of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS): A test of longitudinal invariance.
Authors:	Martinez, M. Loreto, Black, Maureen, Starr, Raymond H.
Source:	Journal of Community Psychology. Jan2002, Vol. 30 Issue 1, p23-43. 21p. 1 Diagram, 5 Charts.
Subjects:	Neighborhoods, Parent-child relationships, Parenting, Preschool children, Community psychology, Longitudinal method
Abstract:	This article analyzes the invariance of the factor structure of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS)—a measure of neighborhood perceptions for parents of young children—across two waves of data. Scale items were theoretically derived to represent four dimensions of neighborhood context: social embeddedness, sense of community, satisfaction with neighborhood, and fear of crime. The longitudinal invariance of the factor structure of the scale was confirmed by testing the goodness-of-fit of four nested models. Results from longitudinal confirmatory factor analytic models (a) provide support for the hypothesized scale structure, (b) demonstrate convergent validity, and (c) demonstrate nonmetric and strict metric invariance. In addition, correlation analyses examining the associations between neighborhood characteristics and scale scores indicated external validity. Both sense of community and satisfaction with neighborhood were significantly associated with parental sense of efficacy. Findings are discussed in light of the implications for longitudinal research with children and the effects of neighborhood characteristics on parenting and the development of preschool children. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
	Copyright of Journal of Community Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database:	Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Description
Abstract:	This article analyzes the invariance of the factor structure of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS)—a measure of neighborhood perceptions for parents of young children—across two waves of data. Scale items were theoretically derived to represent four dimensions of neighborhood context: social embeddedness, sense of community, satisfaction with neighborhood, and fear of crime. The longitudinal invariance of the factor structure of the scale was confirmed by testing the goodness-of-fit of four nested models. Results from longitudinal confirmatory factor analytic models (a) provide support for the hypothesized scale structure, (b) demonstrate convergent validity, and (c) demonstrate nonmetric and strict metric invariance. In addition, correlation analyses examining the associations between neighborhood characteristics and scale scores indicated external validity. Both sense of community and satisfaction with neighborhood were significantly associated with parental sense of efficacy. Findings are discussed in light of the implications for longitudinal research with children and the effects of neighborhood characteristics on parenting and the development of preschool children. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	00904392
DOI:	10.1002/jcop.1048