The psychometric analysis of a brief and sensitive measure of perceived manageability

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the newly developed Perceived Manageability Scale (PMnac). The study was retrospective in design. Two hundred sixty-one inpatients with a spinal cord injury were recruited from The National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC), Stoke Mandeville Hospital, UK, as part of a convenience sample. The PMnac was developed to measure an individual's perceived manageability of their situation. The Mood Questionnaire is used to assess an individual's current mood. Both scales are part of the Needs Assessment Checklist; a psychometrically valid and reliable outcome tool and vital part of the rehabilitation pathway at the NSIC. Results indicated that out of the six items in the scale, five were found to load onto one factor. The remaining item (item number five) did not load onto this factor structure and was consequently removed from subsequent analyses. With the removal of this item, the PMnac was found to yield high internal validity correlations, internal consistency coefficients and significant sensitivity to change. The PMnac is a psychometrically reliable and valid clinical measure of an individual's perceived manageability of their situation.

Keywords:

• perceived manageability
• perceived control
• spinal cord injury
• measurement tool
• psychometrics

Acknowledgements

The authors certify that no party having a direct interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on them or on any organisation with which they are associated and, if applicable, the authors certify that all financial and material support for this research (e.g. NIH or NHS grants) and work are clearly identified in the title page of the manuscript. The authors thank Emilie Smithson for help with analysis and all the patients and staff who contributed to this study.

Notes

1. The Eigen value is calculated during factor analysis to determine how many factors should be extracted. Any factor should account for at least the variance of a single variable. If not, its eigenvalue is less than 1.0 and it is dropped.