Career Adapt-Abilities Scale–Short Form: Validation among Portuguese University Students and Workers

Abstract

Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) was recently reduced to a briefer 12-items version, the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Short Form (CAAS-SF). Considering its advantages in long protocols, we validated CAAS-SF for the Portuguese context. Participants were 314 university students (17–47 years old, Mage = 21.50, SDage = 4.32, 82.8% females), and 899 working adults (17–66 years old, Mage = 40.14, SDage = 11.95, 76.8% females). Sociodemographic, career adaptability, vocational identity, and life satisfaction measures were applied. Confirmatory factor analyses supported CAAS-SF four-factor hierarchical structure, Cronbach alpha estimates supported CAAS-SF good reliability, and Pearson correlations indicated positive associations with CAAS, vocational identity, and life satisfaction. Multigroup analyses indicated CAAS-SF adequate configural invariance, full metric and scalar invariance across genders, and partial scalar invariance across students and workers’ groups. These findings support CAAS-SF usage as a valid and reliable measure to assess career adaptability with Portuguese university students and workers both in research and practice.

The Super-Short Form of Career Adapt-Abilities Scale: Cross-Cultural Validation in China and the United Kingdom

“…It comprises three items per dimension, totaling 12 items. The CAAS-SF has been validated in various nations, including not only European (Soares et al, 2022) but also Asian countries (Yu et al, 2020). Although the CAAS-SF is only half the length of the original, it retains the same factor structure and similar psychometric properties to the full version (Yu et al, 2020).…”

“…Although this study provides a psychometrically and contently valid super-short scale, it is important to acknowledge its limitations. First, scales of career adaptability are often used for two populations: undergraduates and working employees to evaluate their ability to adapt in career environment (Hou et al, 2012; Savickas & Porfeli, 2012; Soares et al, 2022; Yu et al, 2020). Yet this study only collected data from the working adults to validate the CAAS-SSF.…”

“…The Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS), which consists of 24 items, was collaboratively constructed by scholars from different countries and proved to achieve satisfactory reliability and validity across various cultural settings (Hou et al, 2012; Savickas & Porfeli, 2012). To easier integrate career adaptability with other constructs into surveys and facilitate career counseling, Maggiori et al (2017) shortened the CAAS, forming a briefer version with 12 items, which has been validated in various cultural samples (Soares et al, 2022; Yu et al, 2020).…”

Internalization of Religious and Cultural Values as Career Guidance Content for Urban and Rural Muslim Students’

“…The career guidance process also provides an understanding of work adaptation because change and displacement are inevitable for every individual, even if only slightly. Adjustments to rules, policies, health issues, new people and environments (Soares et al, 2023). Adaptation outcomes are important, and career adaptability is a crucial resource for achieving positive adaptation outcomes (Parola & Marcionetti, 2021).…”

Analysis of the Mediation Role of Career Adaptability In the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Achievement Motivation For Generation Z Students in West Kalimantan

“…The quality of adaptability is reflected in a person's readiness to face various changes related to the conditions he faces [26]. This ability has been proven to play a major role in senior female workers in building and maintaining relationships in the workplace [27]. Even other research states that career adaptability has become a major resource for adolescents, adults and elderly workers when facing a period of transition.…”