Reliability of the Jenkins Activity Survey-Form T: Temporal Stability and Internal Consistency

Abstract

During a 2-year period, 678 undergraduate students completed the student version of the Jenkins Activity Survey (Form T) and were retested 7 to 8 weeks later to determine the test–retest reliability of the instrument, which is the most widely used measure of Type A behavior among college students. Pearson γ correlations between the scores for the two administrations on total scores and scores for the Speed/Impatience and Hard-Driving/Competitive subscales ranged from .66 to .85, which are comparable to test–retest reliability estimates for the adult version of the Jenkins Activity Survey and are at levels that are acceptable for both clinical and research purposes. Estimates of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) ranged from .45 to .84. When scores of only those subjects scoring one standard deviation above or below the mean were included in the analyses, test–retest reliability and internal consistency improved.