Abstract
Objectives: Aim of this study is the validation of the I AM I, a pictorial questionnaire for the assessment of subjective well-being in elementary school children. Aspects of content validity and construct validity are examined.
Method: The analyses are based on interviews (oral or in writing) of 495 children and their parents. The validation instruments for the children were the KINDL® and the Harter Self-Esteem-scale; parents filled out a proxy version of the I AM I, the internalizing-subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist, and a school performance appraisal form.
Results: A principal component analysis of the I AM I revealed four dimensions: self-esteem, physical-emotional well-being, school perception, and social integration. The dimensions were moderately related to equivalent KINDL®-subscales and the Harter-Scale. Parents’ evaluations significantly corresponded to the children's self-reports; however, their associations were much lower. A principal component analysis on all sum-scores of instruments used yielded a two-dimensional solution, with children and parent appraisals loading on different components.
Discussion: The content validity and construct validity of the I AM I were empirically corroborated. The I AM I is a new questionnaire appropriately designed for children, which shows satisfactory convergent validity with existing instruments. Its associations, however, are not so large to appear redundant.
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