Validation of the basic psychological needs scale in a South African student group

MA (Positive Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2016During the past few years research has increasingly focused on the constituents of well-being, resulting in the development of various theories aimed at explaining what it means to be psychologically well. Self-determination theory (SDT), a metatheory of human motivation, discerns three basic psychological needs which are universal across cultures, namely autonomy, competence, and relatedness. According to basic psychological needs theory, a subtheory of SDT, all three basic psychological needs must be satisfied for growth and well-being to occur. When one or more of the basic psychological needs are not satisfied, it may result in maladaptive and compensatory behaviour patterns. Research also indicated that need satisfaction, need dissatisfaction, and need thwarting are different constructs, each with its own associations with different levels of well-being or ill-being. This emphasises the importance of having valid and reliable measures to assess an individual’s levels of need (dis)satisfaction. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS), a measure of basic psychological need satisfaction, in a South African student sample, by exploring its factorial validity, internal consistency reliability, and the criterion-related validity. This study formed part of the FORT 3 umbrella project which was approved by the Ethics Committee of the North-West University, South Africa, with project number NWU 00002-07-A2. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed. The participants were a nonprobability sample of 322 students from multiple campuses from a South African university. Participants were between 18 and 54 years of age. Each participant completed a battery of measurement scales, including the BPNS. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the factor structure of the BPNS. The results indicated that neither a one-factor, nor a three-factor model fitted the original 21-item BPNS. After problematic items were removed a three factor, 17-item measure with a negatively worded method effect best fitted our data. However, the fit was only marginal and internal consistency reliability indicators remained low. Although the 17-item BPNS had good criterion-related validity, the marginal factorial validity and low internal consistency reliability suggest that the scale should be used with caution in the present context. Specifically, an inspection of the remaining items indicated potential theoretical problems such as that the real meaning, or the full extent, of the intended constructs was not captured. There were also duplicated and ambiguous items. In addition, negatively worded items could tap a different dimension of each construct, while contextual and cultural factors could also have influenced how items operated in the present sample. Future research may focus on investigating the psychometric properties of the BPNS in different populations. An emic approach to understanding basic psychological needs in a South African context is suggested. Furthermore, the BPNS can be improved by rewriting or removing problematic items, and/or by constructing new items.Master

Factorial validity of the Twi versions of five measures of mental health and well-being in Ghana.

BACKGROUND:Mental health is considered an integral part of human health. Reliable and valid measurement instruments are needed to assess various facets of mental health in the native language of the people involved. This paper reports on five studies examining evidence for the factorial validity of the Twi versions of five mental health and well-being measurement instruments: Affectometer-2 (AFM-2); Automatic Thought Questionnaire-Positive (ATQ-P); Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSEs); Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in a rural Ghanaian adult sample. METHOD:Measures were translated and evaluated using a research-committee approach, pilot-tested, and administered to adults (N = 444) randomly selected from four rural poor communities in Ghana. We applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), bifactor CFA, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and bifactor ESEM to the AFM-2, ATQ-P, and the PHQ-9, and CFA to the GSEs and the SWLS. The omega coefficient of composite reliability was computed for each measure. RESULTS:A two-factor bifactor ESEM model displayed superior model fit for the AFM-2. The total scale and the Negative Affect subscale, but not the Positive Affect subscale, attained sufficient reliability. Two models (a four-factor 22-item bifactor ESEM model and a 5-factor 22-item ESEM model) fitted the data best for the ATQ-P. The bifactor ESEM model displayed a high reliability value for the total scale and satisfactory reliability values for three of its four subscales. For the GSEs, a one-factor CFA model (residuals of items 4 and 5 correlated) demonstrated superior model fit with a high reliability score for the total scale. A two-factor ESEM model outperformed all other models fitted for the PHQ-9, with moderate and satisfactory reliability scores for the subscales. A one-factor CFA model (residuals of item 4 and 5 correlated) demonstrated superior model fit for the SWLS, with a satisfactory reliability value for the total scale. CONCLUSIONS:Findings established evidence for the factorial validity of the Twi versions of all five measures, with the global scores, but not all subscale scores, demonstrating satisfactory reliability. These validated measurement instruments can be used to assess mental health and well-being in the research and practice contexts of the current sample