The Social Justice Engagement Scale: Development and Validation on Professional and Student Counselors and Counseling Psychologists from the U.S

Abstract

Objective The Social Justice Engagement Scale (SJES) is a newly developed instrument that assesses a counselor’s prior behavior in social justice activities. Method The first study (N = 249, 80% female, 68% White) examined the internal structure and item response process of the SJES. The second study (N = 219, 79% female, 53% White) examined confirmatory evidence of the factor structure, and discriminatory and convergent validity. The third study (N = 160, 75% female, 47% White) replicated the internal structure and examined evidence of the concurrent validity of the SJES. Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a one-factor, 19-item measure. A graded response model supported the scale of measurement. The SJES demonstrated discriminant and divergent validity evidence. The SJES was the only significant independent variable in an experimental test of concurrent validity. Conclusions The SJES offers a promising new scale distinct from prior social justice instruments.