The Adolescent Vigor Measure: Explorations in Times of Crisis and Calm

Abstract

Vigor is one of the terms that represents an individual’s positive affect, hence it is expected to be embedded in wellness measures. However, vigor is understudied especially when it comes to adolescents’ wellness. Two studies were performed to check the adaptability of the Adolescent Vigor Measure (AVM), a slightly revised version of Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure (SMVM; Shirom, 2005) for the measurement of adolescents’ vigor. Study 1 was conducted among adolescents who experience stressful life-threatening circumstances (N = 563) and confirmed the internal structure of the AVM and concurrent validity in relation to measures of coping with stress. Study 2 was conducted among adolescents who live in peaceful and welcoming circumstances (N = 124) and replicated Study 1’s findings, including its structure and association to related measurements of students’ positive feelings. The similar findings in the two studies support the usefulness of the AVM as an easy tool to administer and an efficient scale of adolescents’ vigor.