Abstract. The aim of this study was to test the multilevel multidimensional finite mixture item response model of the Forms of Self-Criticising/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS) to cluster respondents and countries from 13 samples ( N = 7,714) and from 12 countries. The practical goal was to learn how many discrete classes there are on the level of individuals (i.e., how many cut-offs are to be used) and countries (i.e., the magnitude of similarities and dissimilarities among them). We employed the multilevel multidimensional finite mixture approach which is based on an extended class of multidimensional latent class Item Response Theory (IRT) models. Individuals and countries are partitioned into discrete latent classes with different levels of self-criticism and self-reassurance, taking into account at the same time the multidimensional structure of the construct. This approach was applied to the analysis of the relationships between observed characteristics and latent trait at different levels (individuals and countries), and across different dimensions using the three-dimensional measure of the FSCRS. Results showed that respondents’ scores were dependent on unobserved (latent class) individual and country membership, the multidimensional structure of the instrument, and justified the use of a multilevel multidimensional finite mixture item response model in the comparative psychological assessment of individuals and countries. Latent class analysis of the FSCRS showed that individual participants and countries could be divided into discrete classes. Along with the previous findings that the FSCRS is psychometrically robust we can recommend using the FSCRS for measuring self-criticism.

中文翻译：

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集群受访者和国家的多级多维有限混合项目响应模型

摘要。本研究的目的是测试自我批评/攻击形式和自我安慰量表 (FSCRS) 的多级多维有限混合项目响应模型，将来自 13 个样本 (N = 7,714) 和来自 12 个国家的受访者和国家聚集在一起. 实际目标是了解在个人（即，要使用多少个临界值）和国家（即，它们之间的相似性和不同点的大小）水平上有多少离散类。我们采用了基于多维潜在类项目响应理论 (IRT) 模型的扩展类的多级多维有限混合方法。个人和国家被划分为具有不同程度的自我批评和自我保证的离散潜在类别，同时考虑到构造的多维结构。这种方法被应用于分析不同层次（个人和国家）观察到的特征和潜在特征之间的关系，并使用 FSCRS 的三维测量跨越不同维度。结果表明，受访者的分数取决于未观察到的（潜在类别）个人和国家成员资格、工具的多维结构，并证明在个人和国家的比较心理评估中使用多层次多维有限混合项目响应模型是合理的。FSCRS 的潜在类别分析表明，个体参与者和国家可以分为离散的类别。