Refinement and validation of sources of reading self-efficacy scale for college and university students (SOURSES-C) in college students with concussion

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to refine and validate the Sources of Reading Self-Efficacy Scale for College and University Students (SOURSES-C). Method: Using an iterative, user-informed approach grounded in Bandura’s Sources of Self-Efficacy theory, the study proceeded in two phases. Phase 1 involved distributing the original scale via an online survey to college students with and without concussion, followed by interviews with students with concussion to guide item refinement. Phase 2 tested the revised SOURSES-C with new samples to evaluate its structural validity, convergent validity, and reliability. Results: The SOURSES-C was refined to a 10-item scale with three components: Effort, Enjoyment, and Processing. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-component structure with structural invariance across students with and without concussion. The scale showed strong convergent validity through significant correlations with both reading performance and academic self-efficacy. Internal consistency was high for the total scale (Cronbach’s α =.88) and each component: Effort (α =.90), Enjoyment (α =.83), and Processing (α =.75). Conclusion: These findings support the SOURSES-C as a psychometrically sound tool for assessing reading self-efficacy in college students with concussion. With further validation, the scale shows promise as a measure that clinicians and educators can use to identify changes in reading self-efficacy following concussion and to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted interventions.