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Development and validation of the College Students' Social Self-Efficacy Questionnaire
TingHong Huang1,2, Junchao Chen2, Jinghong Guo1
1School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|July 1, 2026
Summary
This study developed the College Students' Social Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (CSSEQ) for Chinese students, offering a culturally relevant measure of social self-efficacy. The CSSEQ demonstrates strong reliability and validity, capturing unique cultural aspects missed by Western scales.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cross-cultural Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Social self-efficacy (SSE) is crucial for social adjustment and mental health.
- Existing SSE scales lack cultural relevance for collectivistic societies and online contexts.
- This study addresses the need for a culturally adapted SSE measure for Chinese college students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the College Students' Social Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (CSSEQ) for Chinese college students.
- To ensure the CSSEQ captures culturally specific aspects of social self-efficacy.
- To provide a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing SSE in a Chinese context.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-method, multi-phase design including interviews, surveys, expert reviews, and factor analyses (EFA and CFA).
- Data collected from a large sample of Chinese college students (n=1849).
- Rigorous statistical analyses for reliability, validity (convergent, discriminant, criterion, incremental), and measurement invariance.
Main Results:
- The 24-item CSSEQ demonstrated a robust three-factor structure (Social Interaction Competence, Emotional Regulation, Interpersonal Awareness) with excellent model fit.
- High reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.96) and strong validity, including significant incremental validity over Western scales (ΔR² = 0.124).
- Measurement invariance supported across gender, grade, and major, indicating consistent measurement properties.
Conclusions:
- The CSSEQ is a psychometrically sound and culturally grounded instrument for assessing social self-efficacy in Chinese college students.
- It captures unique cultural components absent in Western measures, enhancing cross-cultural research utility.
- The CSSEQ is suitable for mental health screening, intervention design, and educational assessment in diverse cultural settings.
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