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Cohort Sample Size
High School Students 1122
College Students 1651
Adults in Career Transition 996
Prisoners, Parolees, Persons on Probation 564
Youth Development Services - Teenagers 687


Statistical Methods Used:

Item-scale correlations and item-factor analyses were calculated for all samples.

Reliability Measures: Two measures of reliability were computed, one for internal reliability (Alpha coefficient), and one for stability (test-retest).

Validity Measures: Content Validity and Construct Validity were assessed for all sets of items. Content validity was established by (1) examining the face validity of items (2) reviewing the theoretical models and methods used to develop the items, and (3) item-scale correlations. Construct validity was established by comparing the results of the factor analysis across the different samples. The essential question was, did the factor structure remain the same across the four different population samples.



Results

For all instruments, all items had factor analysis loadings reached or exceeded .67 on their respective factors. Two measures of reliability were computed, one for internal reliability (Alpha coefficient), and one for stability (test-retest). The reliability coefficients for all items reached or exceeded .85. Close inspection of the factor structure across the samples gives support to the construct validity.