The 2nd Pilot Study in Germany focussing on 8-year-olds Zoe Clark, Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Structure 1.The pilot study 2.Main result: „Kids are happy“ a.Abstract questions b.Content validity c.Problems with the scale d.Construct validity 3.Some reservations about the questionnaire 4.Possible next steps Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Pilot Study: Work in Progress Pilot study for 8-year-olds in Germany: Mixed methods: 1. Quantitative pilot with 8-9 year olds (N=55) 2. Cognitive interviews with 8 year olds (N=3) 3. Group discussions with 8-9 year olds (2) Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Main Result: „Kids are happy“ With our Data we Cannot go Further Beyond this Result: “Kids are happy”. Nearly all of the children agreed that they were happy with most of the things asked, like, for example: -Family interaction -School peer/friend interaction -Subjective well-being -With their town and neighbourhood -School achievement -Health -Leisure time -Things they have access to Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Main Result: a. Abstract Questions Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Main Result: a. Abstract questions Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Main Result: b. Content Validity Extended family [boy who lives with his parents] : I: “Who are you thinking about, if I ask you about your family?” C: “About my uncle a little and also a little about playing with my friend.“ I: “Who are you thinking about?” C: “Actually about everybody.” I: “Do you have a big family?” C: “I have big family.“ (Interview 3, line 25/26) Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts Nuclear family [girl, living with parents and a brother]: I: “ Who are you thinking about now, if it is about your family? C: “About my mother, my father, my brother.“ (Interview 1, line 41-42) Who is the family? Three interviews, two family models:  There seem to be different concepts about the family in different sociocultural environments  what does this mean for our questionnaire?

Main Result: b. Content validity 1.Do the children understand the questions in the way they were intended? 2.Are we as researchers sure about the meaning of each question? 3.Is there one unequivocal meaning of the question? 4.Can the child duplicate that intended meaning? 5.Hence, can answers by different children to the same question be compared? Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Main Result: c. Problems with the scale The middle category ‘neither...nor’ also caused confusion: C2: “What should it mean: neither nor? I: “If you do not agree and do not disagree.” C2: “Thus it is somehow both?” I: “yes, or none of them” C2: “mhm” [she doesn’t sound very convinced]. (Interview 2, line 119) In addition, the children tend to transform the 5 likert scale into a binary scale. A 5 endpoint scale could be a good alternative: Fully agree ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ fully disagree Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Main Results: d. Construct Validity: Independent Factors? Stability of the factors when rotated with others: 1. Items switch between factors when rotated 2. Some items have double loadings; they have similar loadings on more than one factor. Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Some Reservations about the Questionnaire The questionnaire consists of 59 single items which are related to at least 11 dimensions (plus demographic items). Is it suitable for 8 and 9 year olds? Do we need a better operationalization with respect to comparisons? Does the questionnaire show a tendency to solicit positive answers? How can we solve the problem of items having too little variance? Can we conclude that variance is related to a lack of content validity? Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Possible Next Steps A reduction in the number of dimensions  restructure the questionnaire. More detailed operationalization of the items of those dimensions used  clearer questions Discussing the complexity of scales for eight year old children. We should try to include more questions on the life situation of children, to make questions better understood Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts

Thank you! Prof. Dr. Sabine Andresen Goethe-University Frankfurt Zoe Clark Goethe-University Frankfurt Katharina Gerarts World Vision Institute for Research and Innovation Zoe Clark, Prof. Sabine Andresen, Katharina Gerarts