Psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Spanish version of the psychological capital scale in Ecuadorian university students

Abstract

Background Psychological capital (PsyCap) as a higher-order positive psychological resources (that include hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism, or the HERO within). This construct was widely described and evaluated in the workplace; however, there is little research in other contexts, such as education, due to the lack of validated and adapted instruments in Latin America. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Spanish version of the psychological capital scale in a large sample of Ecuadorian university students. Methods A non-probabilistic convenience sample of 1732 university students (mean age 20 years, SD = 2,29; 55% female) from the city of Loja—Ecuador were surveyed online using a cross-sectional design. Results The respecified second-order 4-factor model showed the best fit to the data (CMIN/DF = 7.99, CFI = .977, TLI = .970 NFI = .974, IFI = .980, AIC = 443.833, RMSEA = .064 [058, .070]), and such model remained invariant across sex, age and public and private institutions. The internal consistency was adequate, with Alpha and Omega coefficients for the total scale (α = .941, ω = .942) and its four factors: self-efficacy (α = .869, ω = .872), hope (α = .888, ω = .889), resilience (α = .774, ω = .785), and optimism (α = .840, ω = .840). Finally, the PsyCap and its dimensions correlated with academic engagement and satisfaction. Conclusions The psychological capital showed adequate psychometric properties in university students, and its use in this context is supported.

Academic psychological capital questionnaire 12 (APCQ-12): psychometric validity and measurement invariance in a Chilean sample of high school students

“…Therefore, the model would be appropriate for Chilean high school students and comparable for boys and girls and across age groups. Although no theoretical reasons are mentioned in the literature of PsyCap for assuming that the APCQ-12 is variable among boys and girls of different ages, we consider it is relevant to show that this evidence is consistent with studies conducted in academic and workplace contexts (Wernsing, 2014;Kang et al, 2021;López-Guerra et al, 2023).…”

“…Since the appearance of the APCQ-12, it is possible to note a growing interest in Spanish-speaking countries in the study of academic PsyCap, preferentially among samples of undergraduate university students (e.g., Ortega-Maldonado and Salanova, 2018;Martínez et al, 2021;Sánchez-Cardona et al, 2021;Ramírez-Pérez, 2022;López-Guerra et al, 2023). Despite these valuable efforts, knowledge about PsyCap in Spanish-speaking countries is still in its infancy, and more research efforts are required to have conclusive results by considering other educational groups, such as secondary education (e.g., Schönfeld and Mesurado, 2020;Carmona-Halty et al, 2021;Tomás et al, 2022).…”