[Development of the Life Skills Scale for Adolescents and Adults]

The present study aims to develop and examine the reliability, internal validity, and criterion validity of the Life Skills Scale for Adolescents and Adults (LSSAA) that would enable measurement of the level of life skills in Japanese adolescents and adults. In study 1, 238 university students completed a 41-item questionnaire for the LSSAA based on a previous study (Kase et al., 2016). Exploratory factor analysis was divided into four sub-scales: decision-making (8 items), interpersonal relationships (5 items), effective communication (5 items), and coping with emotion (3 items). In study 2, the reliability, content validity, and criterion validity of the LSSAA were examined by administering the questionnaire to 500 Japanese adolescents and adults. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis showed that the LSSAA had high reliability and validity. Additionally, it was confirmed that the LSSAA was effective for measuring the life skills needed for a satisfactory social life for a wide range (based on sex and/or age) of Japanese adolescents and adults.