Further validation of the questionnaire for eudaimonic well-being (QEWB)

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the structural and external validity of the recently developed Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being (QEWB), scrutinising the parcelling approach used by Waterman and colleagues to confirm the unidimensional structure of the scale. Method: A multicultural South African student sample (n = 325) was used. Parceland item-level confirmatory factor analysis and item-level exploratory factor analysis were conducted to explore the scale’s structural validity. External validity was examined via attenuation corrected correlations with scores on criterion measures. Results: On parcel-level a one-dimensional structure fitted well, but since the assumption of unidimensional parcels was violated, the use of parcelling was contraindicated. Item-level analyses revealed a multidimensional factor structure. The scale showed good convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusions: The QEWB shows potential for future use, given that the multidimensionality of the scale is acknowledged. Some items may need revision.