A coping self-insight scale for adults: development and preliminary psychometric properties

ABSTRACT

Background

Self-insights focused on the coping process are implicated in the refinement of capacities for resilience. To advance this research, we must identify key coping self-insights and develop a concise measurement tool.

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to develop evidence for the construct dimensionality and validity of a measure of coping self-insight.

Methods

Items measuring 13 coping self-insight dimensions were generated via consultation with theoretical work, subject matter experts, and pre-testing items for clarity. Thereafter, the dimensionality of items was assessed with undergraduate students (N = 232) and an online sample (N = 800) via exploratory and confirmatory analyses. Finally, a multi-trait, multi-method approach was used to test discriminant validity in a further sample of students (N = 228).

Results

The initial item list was reduced to five key dimensions that balanced data-driven and conceptual considerations. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed moderate-to-strong correlations (r = .47–.80) among dimensions. We also demonstrated evidence of internal reliability, convergent, criterion, and discriminant validity. Invariance tests for sub-groups of interest (e.g., sex, sample type) frequently demonstrated metric or scalar invariance, except for age sub-groups.

Conclusions

Findings offer a starting point regarding the types of coping self-insights important for the emergence of resilience and a validated tool for future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Dimensionality
• psychometrics
• stress
• coping
• resilience
• emotion regulation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The dataset that was used will be made available by contacting the corresponding author on reasonable request.