Development of a Multifaceted Cooperativeness Scale based on a three-factor solution

Abstract

The first purpose of this study was to confirm whether the cooperativeness of adolescents comprises the following three aspects: finding better solutions for self and others, cooperating with others, and concurring with others. Three factors describing these concepts were extracted from the data of three surveys conducted with university and senior high school students. The revised version of the Multifaceted Cooperativeness Scale was developed based on this three-factor solution. The revised scale consists of three subscales: collaborative problem-solving, cooperation, and harmoniousness. The second purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between these subscales and activity and creativity, using two types of the Big Five Scale and the Creativity Scale. The following assumptions were made: collaborative problem-solving correlates with activity and creativity; cooperation correlates with activity, but not with creativity; and harmoniousness correlates negatively with activity and creativity. Another survey conducted with university students generally supported these hypotheses and verified the construct validity of the revised Multifaceted Cooperativeness Scale. The results also indicated that harmoniousness was related to neuroticism.