Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T20:03:15.445Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale in Brazil and Portugal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2013

Vanessa B. R. Leme*
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de São Carlos (Brazil)
Susana Coimbra
Affiliation:
Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
Jorge Gato
Affiliation:
Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
Anne Marie Fontaine
Affiliation:
Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
Zilda A. P. Del Prette
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de São Carlos (Brazil)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Vanessa B. R. Leme. Av. Frederico Ozanan, 633. Jardim São Vicente. Santa Rita do Passa Quatro. São Paulo (Brazil). CEP: 13670–000. Phone: +55–2198069526. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the construct validity, internal consistency and cross-cultural invariance of the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale-Portuguese version (GSE) in a Brazilian and Portuguese sample. The GSE is composed of 10 items, designed to parsimoniously and comprehensively assess self-efficacy beliefs to deal with a wide range of stress-inducing situations. The construct validity (factorial, convergent and discriminant) and internal consistency of the instrument were established within a sample of 304 Portuguese adolescents (study 1) and a sample of 477 Brazilian adolescents (study 2). Then, the invariance of the GSE was tested in a sample of Brazilian adolescents (study 3), using Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA). In the first two studies, the construct validity of the GSE was demonstrated in its three components and the reliability of the scales was confirmed based on satisfactory levels of internal consistency. In the third study, the cross-cultural invariance of the instrument was established. This work adds to previous research on generalized self-efficacy instruments, with good psychometric qualities. Moreover, comparisons can now be made with confidence using this instrument among adolescent samples from Portugal and Brazil.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anastasi, A., & Urbina, S. (1997). Psychological Testing (7ª Ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Arbuckle, J. L. (2008). Amos 17 users’ guide. Chicago, IL: SPSS.Google Scholar
Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Pesquisa [ABEP] (2011). Dados com base no Levantamento Socioeconômico de 2009. [Data based on the Socioeconomic Survey 2009]. Säo Paulo, Brazil: Author. Retrieved from http://www.abep.org/novo/Content.aspx?ContentID=302 Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American Psychologist, 37, 122147. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0003-066X.37.2.122 Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman and Co, Publishers.Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (2006a). Adolescent development from an agentic perspective. In Pajares, F. & Urdan, T. (Eds.). Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp.143). Greenwich, CT: IAP - Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (2006b). Guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. In Pajares, F. & Urdan, T. (Eds.). Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 307337). Greenwich, CT: IAP-Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (2006c). Toward a psychology of human agency. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1, 164180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2006.00011.x Google Scholar
Bandura, A., Reese, L., & Adams, N. E. (1982). Microanalysis of action and fear arousal as a function of differential levels of perceived self-efficacy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43, 521. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.43.1.5 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barreira, D. D., & Nakamura, A. P. (2006). Resiliência e a auto-eficácia percebida: Articulação entre conceitos [Resilience and perceived self-efficacy: Articulation between concepts]. Aletheia, 23, 7580.Google Scholar
Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 238246. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.107.2.238 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Block, J., & Kremen, A. M. (1996). IQ and ego-resiliency: Conceptual and empirical connections and separateness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 349361. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.70.2.349 Google Scholar
Bryman, A., & Cramer, D. (2003). Análise de dados em ciências sociais: Introdução às técnicas utilizando o SPSS para Windows [Data analysis in the social sciences. Introduction to techniques using SPSS for Windows]. (3ª Ed.). Oeiras, Portugal: Celta.Google Scholar
Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14, 464504. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834 Google Scholar
Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 233255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5 Google Scholar
Coimbra, S. (2008). Estudo diferencial de autoeficácia e resiliência na antecipação da vida adulta [Differential study of self-efficacy and resilience in early adulthood]. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.Google Scholar
Coimbra, S., & Fontaine, A. M. (1999). Adaptação da escala de auto-eficácia generalizada percebida (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1993) [Validation of the general self-efficacy scale]. In Soares, A. P., Araújo, S., & Caires, S. (Eds.), Avaliação psicológica, formas e contextos VI [Psychological assessment, forms, and contexts] (pp. 10611069). Braga, Portugal: APPORT Google Scholar
Coimbra, S., & Fontaine, A. M. (2010). Será que sou capaz? Estudo diferencial de auto-eficácia com alunos do 9° ano.[Can I make it? Self-efficacy differential study among 9th graders] Revista Brasileira de Orientação Profissional , 11, 522.Google Scholar
Davidov, E., Schmidt, P., & Schwartz, S. (2008). Bringing values back in: The adequacy of the European social survey to measure values in 20 countries. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72, 420445. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfn035 Google Scholar
Del Prette, A., & Del Prette, Z. A. (2002). Psicologia das relações interpessoais e habilidades sociais: Vivências para o trabalho em grupo [Psychology of interpersonal relationships and social skills: Experiences for group work] . (2ª Ed.). Petrópolis, Brazil: Vozes.Google Scholar
Flammer, A. (1995). Developmental analysis of control beliefs. In Bandura, A. (Ed). Self-efficacy in changing societies (pp. 69113). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fornell, C., & Larker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating SEM with unobserved variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18, 3950.Google Scholar
Hackett, G. (1995). Self-efficacy in career choice and development. In Bandura, A. (Ed.). Self-efficacy in changing societies (pp. 232258). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis (5 th ed). New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Hu, L.-t, & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 155. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118 Google Scholar
Jew, C. L., Green, K. E., & Kroger, J. (1999). Development and validation of a measure of resiliency. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 32, 7581.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3ª Ed. Rev). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Luszczynska, A., Gutiérrez-Doña, B., & Schwarzer, R. (2005). General self-efficacy in various domains of human functioning: Evidence from five countries. International Journal of Psychology, 40, 8089. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207590444000041 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maddux, J. E. (1995). Self-efficacy theory: An introduction. In Maddux, J. E. (Ed.), Self-efficacy, adaptation, and fit: Theory, research, and application (pp. 333). New York, NY: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Marôco, J. (2010). Análise de equações estruturais: Fundamentos teóricos, software & aplicações [Structural equations modeling: Theoretical, software & applications] . Pêro Pinheiro, Portugal: ReportNumber, Lda.Google Scholar
Pajares, F. (2006). Self-Efficacy during childhood and adolescence: Implications for teachers and parents. In Pajares, F., & Urdan, T. (Eds.). Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 339367). Greenwich, CT: IAP - Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar
Pajares, F., & Urdan, T. (2006). Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents. Greenwich, CT: IAP - Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar
Scholz, U., Gutiérrez-Doña, B., Sud, S., & Schwarzer, R. (2002). Is general self-efficacy a universal construct? Psychometric findings from 25 countries. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 18, 242251. http://dx.doi.org/10.1027//1015-5759.18.3.242 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwarzer, R., & Jerusalem, M. (1995). Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale. In Weinman, J., Wright, S., & Johnston, M., Measures in health psychology: A user’s portfolio. Causal and control beliefs (pp. 3537). Windsor, UK: NFER-NELSON.Google Scholar
Schweizer, K. (2010). Some guidelines concerning the modeling of traits and abilities in test construction. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 26, 12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000001 Google Scholar
Souza, I., & Souza, M. A. (2004). Validação da escala de auto-eficácia geral percebida [Validation of the general self-efficacy scale]. Revista Universidade Rural: Série Ciências Humanas, Seropédica, 26, 1217.Google Scholar
Wagnild, G. M., & Young, H. M. (1993). Development and psychometric evaluation of the Resilience Scale. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 1, 165178.Google Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J., & Cleary, T. J. (2006). Adolescents’ development of personal agency: The role of self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulatory skills. In Pajares, F. & Urdan, T. (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 4569). Greenwich, CT: IAP - Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar