Do different scales measure the same construct? Three Sense of Coherence scales

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Sciences
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Multiple scales exist to measure the Sense of Coherence (SOC) construct.
• Previous research has compared results from different SOC scales without verifying if they measure the same construct.
• This study critically evaluates two versions of Antonovsky's original Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-29 and SOC-13) and a brief SOC-3 scale, all translated into Swedish.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the psychometric properties of the SOC-29, SOC-13, and SOC-3 scales.
• To determine if the SOC-3 scale is a reliable and valid measure of Sense of Coherence compared to the original scales.
• To assess the interchangeability of different Sense of Coherence measurement tools.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was employed.
• Data were collected from 395 university students in social work programs.
• Psychometric properties, including reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and intercorrelations, were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The SOC-29 (alpha=0.93) and SOC-13 (alpha=0.89) demonstrated acceptable reliability and high intercorrelation (r=0.96).
• The SOC-3 scale exhibited severe distribution problems and unacceptable reliability (alpha=0.39).
• While SOC-3 correlated with SOC-29 (r=-0.72) and SOC-13 (r=-0.67), these correlations were significantly weaker than between the original scales.

Conclusions:

• The SOC-29 and SOC-13 scales are reliable and measure the same construct of Sense of Coherence.
• The SOC-3 scale is not a reliable or valid substitute for the original Sense of Coherence scales.
• Researchers must ensure they use the same Sense of Coherence scale to allow for meaningful comparison of results across studies.