A Differential Item Functioning Analysis of the German Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire for Adolescents

Abstract

The German Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A[G]) for adolescents assesses four regulatory styles within Deci and Ryan's (1985) self-determination theory: intrinsic, identified, introjected, and external regulation. The study on N = 2,123 students (1,057 girls) from secondary schools in Austria analyzes the effects of differential item functioning (DIF) on individual and group-level estimates of the latent regulatory styles. The scale demonstrated small DIF for sex and the ages from 10 to 17. The DIF items favored, if anything, younger students and lead to a slight overestimation of their introjected motivation level. However, the practical impact on group-level means was negligible. The SRQ-A[G] represents a reliable instrument to capture sex-and age-related differences in the four regulatory styles throughout adulthood.