Psychometric analyses of the general mattering scale, anti-mattering scale, and the fear of not mattering inventory in Chinese youth

The importance of mattering for children and adolescents has garnered increasing attention. However, systematic psychometric examination for the related scales is lacking in this population. To address this gap, the present study employed classical test theory and Rasch analysis to evaluate the reliability and validity of the General Mattering Scale (GMS), Anti-Mattering Scale (AMS), and Fear of Not Mattering Inventory (FNMI) in a sample of 4,225 Chinese children and adolescents from 16 schools spanning primary, middle, and senior high school levels. The scales exhibited high reliability and validity, with Rasch analysis confirming unidimensionality for each, although one of the five GMS items showed poor fit for primary and senior high school samples. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated strong measurement invariance for the AMS and FNMI across age groups, but not for the GMS. Scores on the GMS, AMS, and FNMI each accounted for a significant and unique portion of variance in depression, anxiety, and stress, underscoring their incremental validity. The AMS and FNMI are well-suited for assessing anti-mattering and fear of not mattering across Chinese youth populations, while the GMS requires refinement due to Item 1's poor fit and lack of cross-group invariance. Notably, anti-mattering showed the strongest associations with depression, anxiety, and stress across all age groups, highlighting its particular importance for youth mental health.