Development and psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the capacity for wonder scale

To develop a Japanese version of the capacity for wonder Scale (J-CfWS) and to examine its psychometric properties.

An anonymous online self-administered questionnaire was distributed to medical undergraduates in three universities in Japan. We assessed the structural (factor analysis and model fitness test (comparative fit index, root mean square error of approximation, and standardized root mean square residual)) and convergent validity and internal consistency reliability of the scale.

384 participants were included in the analysis. We employed a split-half validation approach, with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on one half and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the other. EFA led to a 9-item scale with a three-factor structure. CFA supported this three-factor structure with good model fitness indices (comparative fit index = 0.986, root mean square error of approximation = 0.036, and standardized root mean square residual = 0.036). The Pearson correlation coefficient between J-CfWS total scores and the Epistemic Curiosity Scale total scores was significant, r(382) = .60, p< .001, indicating a positive correlation between the two variables. The internal consistency reliability was good, with an overall Cronbach' alpha of 0.82.

The J-CfWS was developed. We confirmed its psychometric properties. It will be useful in assessing the impact of curricula aimed at cultivating CfW among medical trainees (e.g. arts and humanities courses). It can also be useful to researchers who wish to verify the association between CfW and other concepts.