Evidence of validity and reliability of the general self-efficacy scale in the Peruvian population

Self-efficacy represents a fundamental construct within psychology, since it influences the way people face challenges, make decisions and persevere in the face of adverse situations. The evidence of validity and reliability of the general self-efficacy scale (GSE) in the Peruvian population was evaluated, and an instrumental design was used to evaluate the psychometric evidence. 2283 people participated; they were chosen intentionally, those selected formed population groups according to life stages (adolescents, young people, adults and older adults). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to evaluate the one-dimensional structure of the scale. Good adjustment indices were found (CFI and TLI with values above 0.95, RMSEA with a value < to 0.80 and SRMR < to 0.06). The results show that the data fit the one-dimensional structure of the instrument. The internal consistency presented values of 0.94, indicating high reliability. Therefore, it is concluded that the GSE presents adequate evidence of psychometric properties in samples of adolescents and young people, as well as being valid and reliable to be applied in Peruvian adults and older adults, offering a useful tool for the clinical, psychosocial and community work of this population.