Evidence of structural validity for the Turkish version of solution-focused inventory: a study of measurement invariance

Abstract The study aimed to validate the Turkish version of Solution-Focused Inventory by assessing the measurement invariance of solution-focused thinking scores among university students majoring in Special Education and Guidance and Psychological Counseling, considering gender, grade level, and department. The study also aimed to determine which subgroups think more solution-focused in the variables where measurement invariance was established. The study, conducted in 2023 in Turkey, included 365 participants from both departments. The Solution-Focused Inventory’s validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α , McDonald’s ω , item statistics, and item-total correlations. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis was employed to test measurement invariance. One-Way ANOVA and t-tests were used to determine the differences between subgroups. The results established strict invariance across gender, grade level, and department. Subgroup comparisons revealed significant differences in favor of males, the Special Education department, and fourth-grade students. The study confirmed the structural validity of the Turkish version of Solution-Focused Inventory without biases, ensuring comparability of scores across gender, grade level, and department. Practical implications of the results are discussed in the context of therapists, counselors, psychologists, educators and researchers.