Exploring the reliability and validity of the Michigan State University Student Assets Survey

This study sought to contribute to the area of positive youth development, and more specifically to the developmental assets framework. It did so by exploring the reliability and construct validity of a newly developed instrument to measure assets in a previously overlooked population of young people, college students. The instrument measures assets and risk behaviors in such students, as well as a number of demographic variables. The sample included 1083 students at Michigan State University. Scale reliabilities were examined and confirmatory factor analysis was used to explore construct validity. Reliability analyses resulted in the exclusion of 48 survey items and the combining of 6 scales into 3 scales. Confirmatory factor analysis of the updated model demonstrated good construct validity.