Is a Global Measure of Anger Proneness Truly Comparable in Latin America? An Analysis of the Measurement Invariance of García’s Anger Proneness Scale (APS-G) in Six Latin American Countries

Anger is a negative emotion often associated with mental or psychological distress. This study examines anger proneness from a psychometric perspective, aiming to gather evidence on the internal structure and measurement invariance of the García’s Anger Proneness Scale (APS-G) in a sample of 2,513 individuals from six Latin American countries (El Salvador, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru). First, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the internal structure of the latent construct of anger proneness. Second, measurement invariance across countries was evaluated using traditional multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) and the alignment method (CFA-MIAL). Results showed that the fit indices of the APS-G unidimensional model were adequate in all participating countries. According to the MGCFA, measurement equivalence was supported at the configural and metric levels across the six countries; however, scalar invariance thresholds were not met. Using the CFA-MIAL method, approximate invariance of the APS-G was observed among the six countries. Cross-national comparisons of anger proneness scores revealed generally negligible differences. In conclusion, the APS-G demonstrates approximate invariance across different countries and is therefore suitable for use in cross-national studies on mental health in Latin American contexts.