Biomaterial Database

The development of an instrument to measure self-consistency. 1994

L Zhan, and C Shen

College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Boston.

The maintenance of self-consistency is a task that engages elderly people, and it can be viewed as an indicator of how well a person can cope with stress in the ageing process. However, there is no reliable and valid instrument to date that measures this phenomenon. To help elderly people to accomplish the task warrants the necessity to develop an instrument to measure self-consistency. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure self-consistency in elderly people with chronic conditions. The Self-Consistency Scale (SCS) was designed and administered to hearing-impaired elderly people (n = 130) in the north-east part of the USA. Psychometric properties of the SCS were evaluated and the results indicated a promising psychometric integrity. The obtained alpha coefficient for the SCS total scale was 0.89, with a score range of 51-104 and a mean total score of 85.10 (SD = 11.04). Convergent validity of the SCS was established by correlating the SCS to a Visual Analogue Scale--A Sense of Self (VAS), r = 0.60 (P < 0.01). Divergent validity with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was established, r = -0.57 (P < 0.01). Maximum likelihood factor analysis with oblimin rotation resulted in a two-factor solution: Factor I, self-knowledge; and Factor II, stability of self-concept.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D011581	Psychological Tests	Standardized tests designed to measure abilities (as in intelligence, aptitude, and achievement tests) or to evaluate personality traits.	Parenting Stress Index,Trier Social Stress Test,Trier Stress Test,Psychologic Tests,Psychological Test,Test, Psychological,Tests, Psychological,Index, Parenting Stress,Psychologic Test,Stress Index, Parenting,Stress Test, Trier,Test, Psychologic,Test, Trier Stress,Trier Stress Tests
D011594	Psychometrics	Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures.	Psychometric
D002908	Chronic Disease	Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2).	Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D003073	Cognitive Dissonance	Motivational state produced by inconsistencies between simultaneously held cognitions or between a cognition and behavior; e.g., smoking enjoyment and believing smoking is harmful are dissonant.	Cognitive Dissonances,Dissonance, Cognitive,Dissonances, Cognitive
D003863	Depression	Depressive states usually of moderate intensity in contrast with MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER present in neurotic and psychotic disorders.	Depressive Symptoms,Emotional Depression,Depression, Emotional,Depressive Symptom,Symptom, Depressive
D005163	Factor Analysis, Statistical	A set of statistical methods for analyzing the correlations among several variables in order to estimate the number of fundamental dimensions that underlie the observed data and to describe and measure those dimensions. It is used frequently in the development of scoring systems for rating scales and questionnaires.	Analysis, Factor,Analysis, Statistical Factor,Factor Analysis,Statistical Factor Analysis,Analyses, Factor,Analyses, Statistical Factor,Factor Analyses,Factor Analyses, Statistical,Statistical Factor Analyses
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000223	Adaptation, Psychological	A state of harmony between internal needs and external demands and the processes used in achieving this condition. (From APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed).	Behavior, Adaptive,Healthy Adaptation,Positive Adaptation,Psychological Recovery,Adaptation, Psychologic,Adjustment,Psychological Adaptation,Adaptation, Healthy,Adaptation, Positive,Adaptive Behavior,Adaptive Behaviors,Healthy Adaptations,Positive Adaptations,Psychologic Adaptation,Psychological Recoveries,Recovery, Psychological