A Construct Validity Study of a Self-Concept Scale for a Sample of Hospital Nurses

Abstract

Using a sample of 107 registered nurses who were employed on medical-surgical units and intensive care units in two acute care hospitals in California, the twofold purpose of this study was to provide additional evidence of the internal-consistency reliability and construct validity of scores on each of six dimensions of the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) Scale, Form W. Internal consistency estimates of reliability of scores on the six subscales varied between .83 and .92. From each of the six factor subscales, 3 subtests each of five items were formed, scored, and intercorrelated (18 subtests in all). Confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analyses for several alternative factor models indicated that a six-factor oblique model accounted for the greatest proportion of covariance in the matrix of 18 subtests.

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