Positive Psychology Constructs Development and Measurement

Abstract

The present study examines the factor structure of the C. A. R. E Inventory. This newlinepsychological assessment tool was developed by the researcher in response to the COVID newlinepandemic when there was a lacuna of locally developed assessment tools to assess newlinepositivity and hence develop such positive psychology constructs for empirical newlineassessment. After ethical approval, items were generated based on a survey of 2780 adults newlineon the specific positive psychology constructs necessary during the present pandemic newlinescenario and its aftermath. The participants gave the maximum rating for four main newlinepositive psychology constructs based on which the acronym C. A. R. E. was devised newlinewhere: newlineC: stands for Compassion and Self-Compassion newlineA: stands for Achieving a Purpose in Life newlineR: stands for Relationship Building newlineE: stands for Enhancing Positive Emotions newlineFollowing this, items were generated and subjected to content validity with subject experts newlineand stakeholders. After establishing the required content validity ratio, normality newlineassessments were conducted followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for newlinea final sample of 862 adults. CFA models reveal that the 36 item C. A. R. E Inventory has newlinesufficient model fit indices, namely the normed chi-square (3.68), Comparative Fit Index newline(CFI=0.943), Incremental Fit Index (IFI=0.943), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI=0.939), newlineNormed Fit Index (NFI=0.924), and Relative Fit index (RFI=0.918), all above 0.9, newlineindicating good model fit. Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) value of newline0.056 and a Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual (SRMR) value of 0.0295, all of newlinethem indicate a good fit for the model. All items had a factor loading of above 0.70. This newlinepsychological tool is hence ready for use globally as it has no culturally biased items. newlineMoreover, an intervention module with the name C. A. R. E Intervention Module, an newlineactivity-based intervention aimed to improve the four aforesaid constructs is also newlinedeveloped and validated using four randomized control trial experiments.