Psychometric evaluation of Schwarzer & Jerusalem's General Self-Efficacy Scale among Indian adolescents: A factor analysis and multidimensional item response theory approach

Introduction: The General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale developed by Schwarzer and Jerusalem has been found in previous studies to be both unidimensional and multidimensional constructs. Objective: This study applied factor analysis (FA) and multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) techniques to evaluate the GSE scale’s factor structure in Indian adolescents. Method: The data for this study was taken from the latest round of the Young Lives Survey (YLS) conducted in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 2016. The GSE scale’s dimensionality was confirmed with factor analysis, and item parameters were estimated using the graded response model in the MIRT approach. Sex-wise measurement of invariance was also checked using the factor analysis approach. Results: The value of Cronbach’s alpha was 0.75, demonstrating a fairly good internal consistency. Both FA and MIRT indicated the presence of two dimensions of the GSE scale. Items 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 were associated with one-dimension named ‘general self-efficacy’, while Items 1, 3, and 6 were highly loaded with another dimension named ‘task-specific self-efficacy’. The statistics obtained from MIRT showed that this scale is useful for studies involving subjects with lower levels of self-efficacy. Slight modifications to items 2 and 3 may be made before using them in an Indian context.