Psychometric testing of the children's resourcefulness scale.

PROBLEM

Resourcefulness is known to reduce depression in adults, but its effects on children are less well known, possibly for lack of a psychometrically sound measure.

METHODS

This study examined the reliability and validity of the 32-item Children's Self-Control Scale (C-SCS), which measures resourcefulness, in 122 school-aged children.

FINDINGS

Standard scale refinement methods produced a 10-item scale with alpha= .72 and correlations with the C-SCS (r = .86), positive thoughts (r = .38), and depressive symptoms (r =-.32). Factor analysis revealed two factors: problem-solving and delay of gratification.

CONCLUSIONS

The 10-item scale may be useful for identifying children who are not resourceful and are at risk for depression.