Assessment of the psychometric properties of the Revised Academic Hardiness Scale in college student samples

Academic hardiness, a construct representing how students tend to respond to academic stressors, has seen increased attention in the recent literature. However, as yet, no measure exists that has been validated for use with college students. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by examining the psychometric properties of the Revised Academic Hardiness Scale (RAHS; Benishek, Feldman, Shipon, Mecham, & Lopez, 2005) in several samples of college students from 2 institutions of higher education. Study 1 showed a 4-factor model (Commitment, Control of Affect, Challenge, and Control of Effort) to be the best-fitting solution. Studies 2 and 3 found support for the test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the 4 factors' scores. Finally, Study 4 showed evidence of the predictive validity of the RAHS scores, which accounted for significant variance in first- and second-semester college grade point average and persistence to a 2nd year at the university beyond the variance accounted for by high school academic variables. Overall, the RAHS appears to be a psychometrically sound measure for use with college students. (PsycINFO Database Record