Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Moulage Authenticity Rating Scale and Proposed Adaptations

Background and Purpose: Moulage plays an important part in enhancing simulation-based learning experience fidelity; however, limited tools exist to measure the fidelity of moulage. The original Moulage Authenticity Rating Scale (MARS) is a possible tool to determine moulage's physical and conceptual fidelity in simulation. Although the MARS was proven reliable and valid in the original context, the authors sought to validate it in South Africa. Methods: Eighty-five third-year undergraduate nursing students at a higher education institution in South Africa completed the MARS after a burn simulation. The coefficient alpha and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were calculated. Results: The coefficient alpha (α = .87) suggests the MARS is reliable. However, the EFA did not confirm the construct validity of the MARS. Conclusion: The MARS needs to be adapted to measure all types of fidelity, which can in turn be used to determine whether moulage is authentic enough to improve students' learning experience; however, further research is required to determine the validity of the suggested MARS included in this article.