Measurement Matters: A Revised Scoring System for the Infant Behavior Questionnaire – Revised Short Form (IBQ-R SF) and Age Noninvariance
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Researchers frequently rely on the Infant Behavior Questionnaire–Revised Short Form (IBQ-R SF) to assess caregiver-reported infant temperament. However, understanding infant temperament depends on the validity of the measures used to assess it. This study examined the validity of the IBQ-R SF factor structure, which underlies its scoring system that uses 14 dimension scores to generate three factor scores (Surgency/Extraversion, Negative Affectivity, and Orienting/Regulation). In a sample of 979 infants aged 3, 5, 7, 10 or 12 months, results suggested that the original and several subsequently published factor structures showed inadequate fit. After testing in discovery and replication datasets, we propose an alternative factor model with four factors that adds a Sustained Engagement factor consisting of the Duration of Orienting and Low Intensity Pleasure scales. The corresponding alternative scoring system is provided. Additional measurement invariance analyses assessed whether the IBQ-R SF measures temperament similarly at each age. Configural and metric invariance were achieved, indicating comparable relationships between IBQ-R SF dimension and factor scores across ages and rank-order stability. Failed scalar invariance may reflect age-related changes in the expression of temperament; we recommend using age as a covariate in IBQ-R SF analyses, as scores are not directly comparable across ages.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Language: English
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7205006584