Navigating Ambiguity: Adapting and Validating the Personal Need for Structure Scale in Spanish.

Area of Science:

• Psychological Assessment
• Social Psychology

Background:

• The Personal Need for Structure (PNS) scale measures the desire for clarity and order.
• Existing versions of the PNS scale differ in dimensionality (1 vs. 2 factors) and item count (12 vs. 11).

Purpose of the Study:

• Adapt the PNS scale for use in Spanish.
• Evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version.
• Compare two existing versions of the PNS scale to resolve debate on Item 5 and dimensionality.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on a sample of 735 individuals.
• Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across sociodemographic variables were assessed.
• Convergent and discriminant validity were examined through correlations with related measures.

Main Results:

• Evidence supported a two-factor structure: Desire for Structure and Response to the Lack of Structure.
• The exclusion of Item 5 did not compromise the scale's validity or reliability.
• The Spanish adaptation demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity, with evidence of measurement invariance.

Conclusions:

• The Personal Need for Structure (PNS) scale has been successfully adapted and validated in Spanish.
• The two-factor model is supported, and Item 5 can be omitted.
• The Spanish PNS scale is recommended for use in research and practice with Spanish-speaking populations.