Statistical Testing of a Measure of Youth’s Perceived Improvement in Life Skills

• Main Authors: Lisa A. Guion, Blanca F. Rivera
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2006-09-01
• Series: Journal of Youth Development
• Subjects: 4-h youth life skills; 4-h measures of life skills; intstrument reialbility; instrument validity
• Online Access: http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/389

This article presents findings from the statistical test of an instrument designed to measure youth’s perceptions of the life skills that were improved as a result of their participation in 4-H Clubs. The questionnaire was administered to 126 4-H club members in Florida. The 19-item self-rating Life Skills Improvement Scale was examined for face and content validity. The results were also submitted for exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency testing. The factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution to the 19-item scale, which accounted for 62.6% of the variance in the scale. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for the 19 items was 0.88. The article also discusses implications and future use of the instrument, as well as recommendations for further study.