Future Orientation Scale: A Psychometric Evaluation Across Health-Vulnerable Samples.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Future orientation, characterized by positive future expectations and goal pursuit, is linked to better health outcomes.
• Assessing future orientation is crucial for understanding psychological well-being in vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the six-item Future Orientation Scale (FOS).
• To examine future orientation levels across racially and ethnically minoritized undergraduates, individuals with fibromyalgia, and sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were employed.
• Multigroup CFA was used to test measurement invariance across three distinct samples.
• The Future Orientation Scale (FOS) was administered to 3,219 undergraduates, 508 individuals with fibromyalgia, and 496 SGM individuals.

Main Results:

• A single-factor solution for the FOS was identified in the developmental sample.
• CFA confirmed adequate model fit across all three samples.
• Full measurement invariance (configural, metric, scalar) was supported, enabling latent mean comparisons.
• Undergraduates reported the highest future orientation, followed by SGM individuals, and then individuals with fibromyalgia.

Conclusions:

• The six-item Future Orientation Scale (FOS) exhibits robust measurement invariance.
• The FOS effectively captures variations in future orientation among diverse populations at elevated health risk.
• Findings support the FOS's utility for research and clinical applications involving future orientation in at-risk groups.