Background: Need for closure (NFC) has been found to be implicated in different forms of psychopathology. The 15-item Need for Closure Scale (NFCS) is an efficient and easy tool for assessing individuals' NFC in Western contexts. However, the psychometric properties of the 15-item NFCS have not yet been validated in Chinese populations.
Methods: Two different samples of university students from China were recruited in this study. The first sample (N = 5080, 49.9% females) was used to conduct exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis. The second sample (N = 3968, 64.2% females) was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and bifactor models, followed by tests of measurement invariance and criterion validity.
Results: The full scale showed good internal consistency. The bifactor-ESEM result with a general factor and four specific factors was chosen as our final model. Strong measurement invariance across sex and ethnicity groups was supported. Evidence was obtained for the criterion validity of NFCS scores with respect to depression, anxiety, and psychological distress.
Conclusion: The Chinese NFCS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the NFC, which could promote both the assessment and research of the NFC in Chinese populations.
Keywords: China; NFCS; mental health; need for closure; scale validation.
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