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Background. Knowing what a psychological test measures and if it works the same way in different contexts, i.e. has measurement invariance (MI), is crucial for its valid and reliable use. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) was published in Finland in 2012. However, recent research suggests that the factor model given in the WAIS-IV test manual and the information regarding MI between different age groups and levels of education are lacking. Methods. This study employed the normative sample of the Finnish WAIS-IV. First, the factor model in the manual was examined and improved using confirmatory factor analysis with a mixed data-theory approach. Second, the new model was tested for strict residual MI for different age groups and levels of education, in order to study if the test reaches an acceptable level of MI. Results and conclusions. The results indicated that the normative data is best modeled by an oblique non-g model. The study also replicated a Spatial Visualization factor with loadings from Block Design, Visual Puzzles and Picture Completion, and Quantitative Reasoning factor with Figure Weights and Arithmetic. A previously unmentioned link in factor analytic literature on WAIS-IV was found between Block Design and Processing Speed factors. The results questioned the link between Arithmetic and Verbal Comprehension factor and found the underlying source of shared variance to be links between Information and Arithmetic, which was interpreted as Educational Achievement. WAIS-IV reached strict residual MI for both different age groups and levels of education. The study offers a more accurate factor model of WAIS-IV and gives confidence that psychologists can reliably apply it over different ages and levels of education in the normal population of Finland.

The purpose of this article-based master’s thesis is to validate the Finnish translation of the teacher subscale of the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS 2000). Previous studies have shown that perceived teacher social support is associated with many positive outcomes, e.g., academic achievements (Tennant et al., 2015, 11) and mental health (Rueger et al., 2016, 1045). While the original CASSS has been properly validated, the same validity cannot be assumed for the translated version because validity is context specific (Griffee, 2001, 1). For future studies on perceived teacher support in Finnish schools, the validation of the measure is needed. This study examines the translated subscale, its factor structure, and its ability to associate with background variables similarly with the original. The data for this study are a part of larger data collection collected in a project called Schooling, teaching and well-being in the school community during the COVID-19 pandemic (CEA, University of Helsinki; REAL, Tampere University; NEDIS, Tampere University; Ministry of Education and Culture). The data were collected in the spring of 2021 and total of 51 105 students from 4th–9th grades participated in the study. The methods used in this quantitative study included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and variance analyses. Different ways of assessing the reliability of the translated subscale were used as well. The results showed that the translated version of the teacher subscale of CASSS is a valid and reliable instrument for researching Finnish 4th–9th grade students perceived teacher social support. Both EFA and CFA demonstrated sufficient results in this regard. While analysing the criterion validity of the subscale, associations between teacher support and academic outcomes, and depressive symptoms were found. These results are in line with prior research (e.g., Tennant et al., 2015, 11; Sikora et al., 2019, 93). These results indicate that the Finnish translation of the teacher support subscale can be used in future studies. The article manuscript The Validity and Reliability of the Finnish Version of the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS 2000) on Teacher Support in Basic Education is intended to be published in the European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research.