Reliability and validity evidence of the 4-item Brief Sensation Seeking Scale in a Colombian population
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21134/984Keywords:
Brief Sensation Seeking Scale, McDonal's Omega, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, ReliabilityAbstract
Introduction. The Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS-4) is the most widely used instrument for assessing sensation seeking worldwide. A review of the literature revealed no studies reporting its psychometric properties in the Colombian population. Method. The aim of this study was to estimate the psychometric properties of the SSS-4 in a sample of Colombian adults (n = 800). Results. The results indicated adequate linguistic adaptation based on item clarity evaluations. Reliability was acceptable, with internal consistency indices from McDonald’s omega and Cronbach’s alpha (? and ? values of .75). Validity evidence based on relationships with other constructs showed significant positive correlations with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (r? = .38, p < .001) and its dimensions. Regarding internal structure, exploratory factor analysis (n = 400) suggested unidimensionality, which was confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis (n = 400) with good model fit indices. Measurement invariance was found across sex and occupational status, allowing for valid score comparisons across these groups. Conclusions. The SSS-4 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity in a Colombian sample. However, some limitations are discussed, and future research directions are proposed.
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