Construct Validity of the 29-Item Sense of Coherence Scale: Exploratory Analysis of a Compatible Three-Factor Model Using a Rasch Measurement Model1

Abstract

Sense of coherence means perceiving one's experiences as coherent; it has been shown to be important for mental health and well-being. This study examined the item fit and construct validity of the 29-item Sense of Coherence (SOC) Scale using the Rasch measurement model and confirmatory analysis. Based on the values of item Infit and Outfit mean square, the total number of items in the scale was reduced from 29 to 20. Verifying the three-factor structure using the fitted items revealed an acceptable goodness-of-fit (CFI =.915, SRMR =.058, RMSEA =.064). All results, including the values of item difficulty for each response category, suggest that omitting some items and revising the number of response categories is effective. Examinations improving the structural validity and measurement accuracy of the SOC Scale in this study may contribute to psychological assessment in epidemiological and clinical studies.