Adaptation, validity and reliability of the Leahy Emotional Schema Scale Turkish version based on Turkish university students and workers / Üniversite öğrencileri ve çalışanları örnekleminde Leahy Duygusal Şema Ölçeği’nin Türkçe uyarlaması, geçerlilik ve güvenilirliği

Abstract

Objective: Emotional schema concept is developed for determining beliefs and attributions about emotions. The aim of this study was to examine validity and reliability of the Turkish version of “Leahy Emotional Schema Scale” (LESS). Method: The sample consisted of 436 participants including students, workers and their relatives from various faculties of two Turkish universities. Translation, back-translation and pilot assessment of LESS Turkish version completed. Socio-demographic data form, LESS Turkish version and short form of the Metacognition Questionnaire (MCQ-30) were administered to participants. For reliability of LESS test-retest correlation, split-half technique, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and item-dimension total score correlations were used. Principal component analysis and varimax rotation used for factor analysis and Pearson correlation analysis was used for convergent and divergent validity. Results: The mean age of participants was 22.5±4.84 years (age range: 18-53 years) and 51.1% (n=223) were female. Statistically significant results supported LESS Turkish version’s reliability. Item-dimension total score correlation analyses revealed statistically significant correlation coefficients that show high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.86). Factor analysis revealed that LESS Turkish version, as the original version, had 14 dimensions, and these explained 56.8% of the total variance. In five dimensions, factor analysis showed inconsistency with original version of LESS. For convergent and divergent validity, we compared related subscales of LESS and MCQ-30 and revealed significant relations. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the Turkish version of LESS is a reliable and valid scale for the assessment of beliefs and attributions about emotions on non-clinical population.