The Willpower Scale for emerging adults: Development and initial psychometric evaluation

The present study aimed to develop a brief and psychometrically sound measure of willpower for young adults. An initial pool of 20 items was generated from relevant theoretical frameworks. Following expert evaluations, the item pool was reduced to 14 items, and a pilot study involving 40 participants resulted in a 10-item form. The main analyses were conducted using data from 700 young adults, who were randomly divided into two independent subsamples. Exploratory factor analysis conducted on the first subsample (n = 350) resulted in the removal of one item and supported a final 9-item, single-factor structure explaining 49% of the total variance. This structure was subsequently examined using confirmatory factor analysis on the second subsample (n = 350). The confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable model fit, with CFI = 0.963, TLI = 0.949, RMSEA = 0.070, and SRMR = 0.042, providing evidence regarding the scale’s internal structure. Internal consistency analyses yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.863 and composite reliability of 0.880. Overall, the findings provide preliminary evidence regarding the internal structure and internal consistency of the Willpower Scale in the current young adult sample.