Self-Regulation in Adolescents: Polish Adaptation and Validation of the Self-Regulation Scale

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 17;19(12):7432. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19127432.

Abstract

Self-regulation is associated with life satisfaction, well-being, and life success. For adolescents, who may be exposed to peer pressure and engage in risky behaviors, the ability to self-regulate or control emotions, thoughts, and behaviors is crucial for healthy development. While self-regulatory skills have long been recognized as important for many areas of life, instruments to measure self-regulation remain limited, especially in Poland. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the Self-Regulation Scale in the Polish adolescent sample. The data for this study were obtained as part of the Health Behavior in School-aged Children 2021/2022 pilot study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed that the instrument has satisfying psychometric properties. A three-factor structure of the instrument was obtained with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional subscales, which corresponds to the original instrument and theoretical assumptions. The final version of instrument contains 24 items, and based on the statistical analysis, it is concluded that it is suitable to be used in adolescent samples.

Keywords: adolescence; adolescent health; factor analysis; measurement; self-regulation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Humans
  • Pilot Projects
  • Poland
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Self-Control*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

This research was part of a pilot study of HBSC Poland and this data collection and initial analysis of data (i.e., coding and clearing of data set) was funded by the University of Warsaw.