Developing a Peer Relationship Scale for Adolescents: a validity and reliability study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Adolescent Development

Background:

• Adolescent peer relationships are crucial for social and emotional development.
• Existing measurement tools may lack comprehensive validity and reliability for this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new scale for measuring adolescents' peer relationships.
• To ensure the tool is reliable and suitable for secondary and high school students.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 543 adolescents (aged 11-18).
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used for construct validity.
• Criterion validity was assessed using established scales; reliability was determined via Cronbach's alpha, split-half, and test-retest methods.

Main Results:

• A 29-item scale with four sub-dimensions (intimacy, popularity, trust, insightfulness) was developed.
• Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit.
• High reliability was confirmed (Cronbach's α = .93, split-half = .85, test-retest = .82).

Conclusions:

• The developed scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing peer relationships in adolescents.
• The scale is suitable for use in research involving secondary and high school students.