Data from 3,085 respondents from metropolitan Sydney, Australia were used to refine the 14-item Hong Psychological Reactance Scale. Results consistently showed three problematic items, which led to a refined 11-item scale. A series of factor analyses yielded a distinctive four-factor structure that was perfectly congruent among the total sample and the four subsamples: males, females, university students, and nonuniversity students. Cronbach alpha, split-halfs, and theta coefficients were found to be very satisfactory for the refined scale. The convergent and discriminant validities for the 1 1-item scale were tested with various personality constructs.
This paper describes the development of Hong's Psychological Reactance Scale. An exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation yielded a clearly defined four-factor structure based on the data from 257 tertiary students. This structure compared favourably with previous research findings. Reliabilities for the scale were satisfactory and its use is recommended for gathering further psychometric data with different populations.
Data from 462 members of the general public were used to evaluate Hong's Psychological Reactance Scale. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation yielded a four-factor solution which was almost identical to previous research findings with a sample of college students, thereby indicating factorial stability. Reliabilities for the scale were satisfactory so use is recommended.
A self-report, attitudinal questionnaire was administered to 1,717 adult Australians between 18 and 40 years old to examine the effects of age and gender on psychological reactance. Analysis yielded a significant age effect: As age increased, the level of reactance tended to decrease. No significant differences in reactance emerged in relation to gender. A significant interaction between age and gender was found.
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