Retaining qualitative validity while gaining quantitative reliability and validity: development of the Transition to...

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Psychology
• Education

Background:

• Developing reliable and valid scales for assessing expectant parents' needs is crucial for targeted support.
• Qualitative methods are valuable for concept generation but require careful psychometric evaluation.
• Balancing qualitative integrity with quantitative rigor in scale development presents challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe practical procedures for pilot testing qualitatively derived scales.
• To maintain qualitative validity while establishing psychometric estimates (reliability and validity).
• To assess and evaluate the learning needs and concerns of expectant parents in the pre-birth trimester.

Main Methods:

• Development of a scale based on inductively generated concepts from qualitative data.
• Implementation of three pilot testing procedures: clarity, apparent internal consistency, and content validity estimation.
• Utilizing ratings from pilot procedures to inform scale revisions and further quantitative testing.

Main Results:

• The described procedures provide estimates for clarity, apparent internal consistency, and content validity.
• These methods successfully preserve the underlying assumptions of qualitative research.
• Pilot testing results offer a foundation for refining scale items and preparing for formal quantitative validation.

Conclusions:

• Practical pilot testing procedures can bridge qualitative concept generation and quantitative psychometric validation.
• These methods support the development of robust scales for assessing specific population needs, such as expectant parents.
• Successful scale revision and further testing are facilitated by the proposed pilot testing framework.