Empirical Evidence Regarding the Bifactor Structure of the Planned Happenstance Career Inventory (PHCI)

ABSTRACT The Planned Happenstance Career Inventory (PHCI) assesses skills aimed at turning unplanned events into career opportunities under unpredictable conditions. While various studies on the PHCI generally validate its factorial structure, past findings encourage us to deepen the analysis by examining bifactor models. This article primarily aims to examine the bifactor structure of the PHCI, with the additional goal of validating a French version. Results from two studies conducted with French university students (Study 1, N = 586; Study 2, N = 262) support the original structure of the PHCI and offer a tool adapted to the French context. However, results suggest a general factor of planned happenstance skills may coexist with specific subscale factors. Results highlight the need for further research on Flexibility, a theoretically central yet empirically distinct construct. These findings enable counselors to tailor interventions using both overall scores and individual skill profiles.