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Model Invariance Across Genders of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire

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Abstract

ASD is one of the most heritable neuropsychiatric disorders, though comprehensive genetic liability remains elusive. To facilitate genetic research, researchers employ the concept of the broad autism phenotype (BAP), a milder presentation of traits in undiagnosed relatives. Research suggests that the BAP Questionnaire (BAPQ) demonstrates psychometric properties superior to other self-report measures. To examine evidence regarding validity of the BAPQ, the current study used confirmatory factor analysis to test the assumption of model invariance across genders. Results of the current study upheld model invariance at each level of parameter constraint; however, model fit indices suggested limited goodness-of-fit between the proposed model and the sample. Exploratory analyses investigated alternate factor structure models but ultimately supported the proposed three-factor structure model.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to heartily thank Simons Foundation for the use of the Simons Simplex Collection. Furthermore, a version of this manuscript served as one of three manuscripts within a doctoral dissertation as well as a poster presentation at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in May 2013.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standard

The Institutional Review Board for the Social and Behavioral Sciences at the university with which the authors were affiliated approved the study this manuscript detailed. The research was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards established in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical and School Psychology, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, 405 Emmet Street, P.O. Box 400270, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4270, USA

    Neill Broderick, Jordan L. Wade & Ronald E. Reeve

  2. Research, Statistics, and Evaluation, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, 405 Emmet Street, P.O. Box 400265, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4270, USA

    J. Patrick Meyer & Michael Hull

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  1. Neill Broderick
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Correspondence to Neill Broderick.

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Broderick, N., Wade, J.L., Meyer, J.P. et al. Model Invariance Across Genders of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 3133–3147 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2472-z

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