Assessing psychometric properties of scales: A case study

Marshall, AP; Fisher, MJ; Brammer, J; Eustace, P; Grech, C; Jones, B; Kelly, M

Assessing psychometric properties of scales: A case study

Marshall, AP

Fisher, MJ Brammer, J Eustace, P Grech, C Jones, B Kelly, M

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2007, 59 (4), pp. 398 - 406
Issue Date:: 2007-08-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Marshall, AP https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7692-403X	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Fisher, MJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Brammer, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Eustace, P	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Grech, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Jones, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kelly, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6380-1150	en_US
dc.date.issued	2007-08-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2007, 59 (4), pp. 398 - 406	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0309-2402	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/4742
dc.description.abstract	Title. Assessing psychometric properties of scales: a case study Aim. This paper is a report of a study to examine the construct validity of The Nursing Students' Attitudes and Awareness of Research and Development within Nursing Scale. Background. The validity of instruments is critical in ensuring that data collected are sound and that the data measures what it purports to measure. When a new instrument is used in a different population or when it has been modified, it is useful to re-examine the construct validity of the instrument. Method. A survey design was used in September 2004 with a sample of 615 undergraduate nursing students to test the factor structure of The Nursing Students' Attitudes and Awareness of Research and Development within Nursing Scale and to estimate its similarity to the factor structure reported for the original scale developed and tested in a group of Registered Nurses. Results. Using Maximum Likelihood Factor Analysis and then Principal Axis Factoring, we were unable to obtain a similar factor structure to that originally identified for the scale. Our data resulted in a two-factor structure. One factor consisted of 16 items that reflected a positive attitude to nursing research and the other consisted of 14 items that reflected a negative attitude to nursing research. Conclusion. The substantially different factor structure identified suggests that this scale requires further refinement and testing. This case study highlights the importance of a systematic and comprehensive approach to determining construct validity of scales, thus enabling researchers to determine their suitability as data collection instruments. © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Advanced Nursing	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04316.x	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Nursing	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Questionnaires	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Factor Analysis, Statistical	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Reproducibility of Results	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Attitude	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Psychometrics	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nursing Research	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Australia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Students, Nursing	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Surveys and Questionnaires	en_US
dc.title	Assessing psychometric properties of scales: A case study	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	59	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	59	en_US

Abstract:

Title. Assessing psychometric properties of scales: a case study Aim. This paper is a report of a study to examine the construct validity of The Nursing Students' Attitudes and Awareness of Research and Development within Nursing Scale. Background. The validity of instruments is critical in ensuring that data collected are sound and that the data measures what it purports to measure. When a new instrument is used in a different population or when it has been modified, it is useful to re-examine the construct validity of the instrument. Method. A survey design was used in September 2004 with a sample of 615 undergraduate nursing students to test the factor structure of The Nursing Students' Attitudes and Awareness of Research and Development within Nursing Scale and to estimate its similarity to the factor structure reported for the original scale developed and tested in a group of Registered Nurses. Results. Using Maximum Likelihood Factor Analysis and then Principal Axis Factoring, we were unable to obtain a similar factor structure to that originally identified for the scale. Our data resulted in a two-factor structure. One factor consisted of 16 items that reflected a positive attitude to nursing research and the other consisted of 14 items that reflected a negative attitude to nursing research. Conclusion. The substantially different factor structure identified suggests that this scale requires further refinement and testing. This case study highlights the importance of a systematic and comprehensive approach to determining construct validity of scales, thus enabling researchers to determine their suitability as data collection instruments. © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/4742