| The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a measurement tool that assesses the four core features of human agency: intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, and self-reflectiveness, based on Bandura (2001). To accomplish this, the study first developed a preliminary version of the assessment of human agency (AHA) with 28 items and validated it using a sample of 725 participants in a large public university in the Eastern United States. Specifically, this study looked at: 1) exploratory factor analyses (EFA); 2) internal consistency reliability analyses; 3) confirmatory factor analyses (CFA); 4) convergent validity tests using correlations, and 5) criterion validity tests with a structural equation modeling (SEM) mediation model containing human agency, age, career decision self-efficacy (CDSE), and vocational identity (VI).;Through the EFAs, the AHA with 12 items was identified. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the overall scale were .88 (N = 345) and .90 (N = 380). CFA results revealed that the 4-factor model with 12 items has a good fit with the data, based on the practical fit indices with a second order solution: NNFI=.96, CFI=.97, and RMSEA=.054. The correlations of the AHA with other related measures also turned out to be sound; for example, the Hope-Centered Career Inventory (.819) and the Adult Hope Scale (.664). The criterion validity with a SEM mediation model revealed that the AHA has an excellent validity in predicting CDSE by controlling age and VI. Overall, the AHA was judged to have sound reliability and validity. Conclusions, plus discussions and future recommendations for research and practice, are provided. |
