Use of Item Response Theory to Validate Emotional Vacillation Scale for Undergraduates in Nigeria.
Publication Date: 18/11/2025
Author(s): Godwin Matthew Sabboh.
Volume/Issue: Volume 8, Issue 3 (2025)
Page No: 72-85
Journal: British Journal of Education, Learning and Development Psychology (BJELDP)
Abstract:
A ten-item emotional vacillation scale (EVS) was coined from the literature of Sullivan and Strongman (2003) on mixed emotion and was adapted by the author to measure how emotion changes and/or fluctuate rapidly and its levels among undergraduates. Unlike other similar concepts, such as emotional regulation, there are no scales developed to measure emotional vacillation among undergraduates. A cross-sectional research design was adopted and a non-probability sampling technique known as convenience sampling was used. The sample size comprised five-hundred and sixty-one (N =561) undergraduates in Nigerian Universities. Also, psychometric evidence was obtained to evaluate whether it is appropriate to use the scale on the university students. Participants were asked to report on anticipated positive and negative affect around a hypothetical event (such as how their moods change over time). Accordingly, a parameterization of emotional vacillation items was performed by using the graded response model. Using the discrimination parameters and item fit statistics, some items were removed from the original scale, and a ten-item emotional vacillation version was developed. An analysis was carried out using the graded response model (GRM) in order to give a good fit for the scale and using flexMIRT to estimate the parameters. It was found that the GRM provided a better fit to the data. The reliability values computed based on the classical approach and IRT were above .80 after the item elimination process with only a minor drop. It was also found that none of the items showed DIF between males and females. It was concluded that the emotional vacillation scale was a valuable measurement tool to determine how the mood of university students changes and/or fluctuates over time, as this would also allow academicians and researchers to conduct research with this population using EVS.
Keywords:
Item response theory, Graded response model, Emotional vacillation, Undergraduates.
