The Oxford Positive Self Scale: psychometric development of an assessment of cognitions associated with psychological well-being

Journal article

Background
Developing, elaborating, and consolidating positive views of the self is a plausible route to increased psychological well-being. We set out to provide an assessment of positive self-beliefs that could be used in research and clinical practice.
Methods
A non-probability online survey was conducted with 2500 UK adults, quota sampled to match the population for age, gender, ethnicity, income, and region. Exploratory factor analysis of a 94-item pool – generated with guidance from people with lived experience of mental health difficulties – was conducted to develop the Oxford Positive Self Scale (OxPos). The item pool was further reduced using regularised structural equation modelling (SEM) before confirmatory factor analysis. Optimal cut-off scores were developed using receiver operating characteristic curves. Additional validations were carried out with two further general population cohorts (n = 1399; n = 1693).
Results
A 24-item scale was developed with an excellent model fit [robust χ2 = 995.676; df = 246; CFI = 0.956; TLI = 0.951; RMSEA = 0.049 (0.047, 0.052); SRMR = 0.031]. The scale comprises four factors: mastery; strength; enjoyment; and character. SEM indicated that the scale explains 68.6% of variance in psychological well-being. The OxPos score was negatively correlated with depression (r = −0.49), anxious avoidance (r = −0.34), paranoia (r = −0.23), hallucinations (r = −0.20), and negative self-beliefs (r = −0.50), and positively correlated with psychological well-being (r = 0.79), self-esteem (r = 0.67), and positive social comparison (r = 0.72). Internal reliability and test–retest reliability were excellent. Cut-offs by age and gender were generated. A short-form was developed, explaining 96% of the full-scale variance.
Conclusions
The new open access scale provides a psychometrically robust assessment of positive cognitions that are strongly connected to psychological well-being.

Authors: Freeman, D; Rosebrock, L; Loe, B; Saidel, S; Freeman, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Psychological Medicine
• Volume: 53
• Issue: 15
• Pages: 7161 - 7169
• Publication date: 2023-03-17
• Acceptance date: 2023-02-20
• DOI: 10.1017/S0033291723000624
• EISSN: 1469-8978
• ISSN: 0033-2917
• Language: English
• Keywords: cognitions; psychometrics; questionnaire; FFR; psychological well-being