The Chinese version of the social problem-solving inventory: Some initial results on reliability and validity

Abstract

The development of an instrument that measures social problem solving of Chinese adolescents is reported. The Social Problem-Solving Inventory Revised (SPSI-R) was translated to Chinese, and content validity, cultural relevance, and reading level of the translated measure were reviewed by panels of experts. The Chinese version of the scale (C-SPSI-R) was then administered to a sample of 352 junior secondary-school students. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a 5-factor structure that was largely consistent with the structure of the original English-language SPSI-R. The C-SPSI-R and its subscales were found to be internally consistent and temporally stable over time. The scores of the subscales were also correlated with depression scores, a correlation that supported the convergent validity of the subscales. Adolescents with high and low Chinese Beck Depression Inventory scores had significant differences in four out of five subscales of the C-SPSI-R (except Rational Problem-Solving). On the whole, the results supported that the C-SPSI-R is a reliable and valid instrument in the assessment of social problem solving in Chinese adolescents.