Volume 8 | Issue - 8
Volume 8 | Issue - 8
Volume 8 | Issue - 8
Volume 8 | Issue - 7
Volume 8 | Issue - 7
The Epistemological Beliefs Scale originally developed by Hofer & Pintrich (1997) adopted by Conley, Vekiri, and Harrison (2004) was validated in Indian context using the novel approach of Network Psychometrics. The sample of the study comprised to 549 (Boys=260, Girls=289)Secondary School students from different districts of Andhra Pradesh in India. In the statistical analysis, R Studio version 4.2.2 was employed, with Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) carried out using the EGA Net Package. This technique facilitated the identification of the underlying structure of the epistemological beliefs among the students. The study also employed Ordinal Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using the Lavaan Package, which provided a moderate fit for the hypothesized model based on the original scale. The original Epistemological Beliefs Scale consisted of 26 items across four dimensions. However, the analysis revealed a more refined structure, reducing the items to 16, which were then grouped into three distinct clusters or nodes. This reduction indicates a potential reconfiguration of the underlying epistemological beliefs structure in the Indian context. Furthermore, the study explored various centrality indices, such as strength, closeness, and betweenness, which are crucial for understanding the roles of different nodes within the network. The regularized network edge weight accuracy, edge weight stability, and structural consistency were also examined using packages like qgraph and bootnet. These metrics provide insights into the robustness and reliability of the network structure, indicating how stable the identified relationships between items are across different subsamples or conditions. This study highlights the importance of context in the validation of psychological scales and demonstrates how Network Psychometrics can offer a nuanced understanding of the interrelationships between different components of epistemological beliefs. The findings suggest that the original scale's structure may not entirely align with the beliefs of students in Andhra Pradesh, necessitating further investigation and potential adaptation of the scale for different cultural contexts.