مجله علوم روانشناختی (Sep 2021)
Investigating of factor structure, validity and reliability of the Effortful Control Scale (ECS) in Iranian adolescents
Abstract
Background: Effortful control is a temperamental structure of self-regulation.This structure as a cognitive control system helps individuals to control their thoughts and actions voluntarily and consciously. The Effortful Control Scale, developed by Ellis and Rothbart (2001), is a tool for assessing this structure in adolescents. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factor structure, validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Effortful Control Scale in a sample of adolescents aged 15 to 18. Method: The design of this study was descriptive-correlation (factor analysis). The statistical population of the study was all the high school students living in Ahvaz in 98-99 academic year. 448 students were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. In order to collect the required data, Ellis and Rothbart's Effortful Control Scale (2001), Aquino and Reed's Moral Identity Questionnaire (2002) and Mouton, Dewitt, and Glazier's School Attachment Questionnaire (1993) were used. Results: The results of principal component analysis with varimax rotation indicated that the scale consists of three factors: attention, inhibition, and activation control. The results of confirmatory factor analysis, aimed to test three-factor structure, showed that the structure of this scale has acceptable fitness with data and all of the fitness Indicators confirmed fitness of the model. Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.79) indicated the optimal internal consistency of the scale. The correlation between this scale and subscales of the moral identity (0/22) and school attachment (0/25) questionnaires was measured, all of which were positive and significant. Conclusions: The results indicated that the Effortful Control Scale is a valid and reliable tool which can determine developmental risks for this important dimension in adolescents by assessing this structure. Moreover it helps identifying adolescents with self-control problems in clinical and educational settings. It also helps researchers to plan and implement necessary interventions.
