Transition to Adulthood Autonomy Scale for Young People: Design and Validation

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Autonomy is crucial for transitioning to adulthood.
• Existing autonomy scales often focus narrowly on the individual.
• There's a need for scales that incorporate social and interpersonal influences on autonomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate the Transition to Adulthood Autonomy Scale (EDATVA).
• To develop a scale measuring autonomy as influenced by others and society.
• To provide a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing adolescent autonomy.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on 61 items.
• Rasch Model analysis for psychometric properties.
• Data collected from 1,148 Spanish and Colombian adolescents (16-21 years).

Main Results:

• A 4-factor structure with 19 items was identified (weights >0.3).
• High KMO values (Spain: 0.80, Colombia: 0.83) indicate good sampling adequacy.
• Excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha: Spain 0.86, Colombia 0.85) and Rasch model Item Separation Reliability (0.99).

Conclusions:

• The EDATVA scale effectively measures autonomy in a socially mediated context.
• The scale comprises four dimensions: self-organization, understanding context, critical thinking, and socio-political engagement.
• EDATVA is a valuable, easy-to-use tool for research and intervention in family, educational, and social settings.