Construct Validity of the Social Coping Questionnaire

Abstract

The Social Coping Questionnaire (SCQ) measures strategies used by gifted adolescents to minimize the negative effect they believe their high ability has on their social interactions. Previous studies have supported the factor structure, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the SCQ The current study provides construct validity evidence for the SCQ by comparing it with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Upon entrance to a residential academy, 339 gifted adolescents completed the SCQ and the MBTI. Results were similar to previous research with gifted adolescents in terms of the factor structure of the SCQ, a high frequency of Intuitive (N) and Intuitive/Perceiving (NP) codes on the MBTI, and gender differences on both measures. Participants were most likely to use social interaction and least likely to focus on popularity/conformity in their social coping. Correlations between the SCQ and MBTI were in expected directions, but were not large in magnitude; they provided evidence for the construct validity of the SCQ