The factorial validity and measurement invariance of the 7Cs of positive youth development among emerging adults in Southeast Asia

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9787688
AutoresJet U Buenconsejo (0000-0003-3777-8601, Education University of Hong Kong), Laura Ferrer-Wreder (Stockholm University), Nor Ba’yah Abdul Kadir (0000-0002-4439-1221, National University of Malaysia), Nor Ba'yah Abdul Kadir, Steven Eric Krau (0000-0003-4168-6224, University of Missouri), Steven Krauss, Yue Yu (0000-0003-3991-964X, National Institute for Education), John Jamir Benzon Aruta (0000-0003-4155-1063, De La Salle University), Angela Oktavia Suryani (0000-0001-5016-4802, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia), Priyoth Kittiteerasack (0000-0002-5621-2972, Thammasat University), Radosveta Dimitrova (0000-0003-3773-8482, Stockholm University)
Año2026
Volumen62
Número1
Páginas176-189
Fecha de publicación2026-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaDevelopmental Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0012-1649 • E-ISSN: 1939-0599
EditorialAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/dev0001956
PMID40167544
OpenAlexW4409064528
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1

Positive youth development (PYD) has gained considerable traction among developmental scientists, but past studies were generally conducted among youth samples from Minority World countries. This study investigated the factorial validity of the newly developed 7Cs model of PYD (competence, confidence, connection, character, caring, contribution, and creativity). Specifically, we compared four measurement models (one-factor, seven-factor, higher order, and bifactor) among emerging adults living in five Southeast Asian countries. The study also aimed to establish evidence of measurement invariance across gender, age, education, and country of origin. Criterion-related validity was also sought using COVID-19 socially responsive behaviors and anxiety. Controlling for the influence of gender, age, and education, sample-level comparisons were also performed on the 7Cs. Data came from 1,888 emerging adults ( M age = 24.10; SD age = 6.89) from Indonesia ( n = 253), Malaysia ( n = 289), the Philippines ( n = 496), Singapore ( n = 306), and Thailand ( n = 544) during the pandemic. The results supported the superiority of the seven-factor model, which exhibited strict invariance across gender, age, and education and partial scalar invariance across country of origin. The 7Cs exhibited mixed associations with the pandemic-related measures. Significant differences were found in the 7Cs across the five countries. The study provides additional evidence on the theoretical validity of the 7Cs model among youth from understudied settings, while also highlighting avenues for refining current PYD measures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)

Adolescent development · Confirmatory factor analysis · Developmental psychology · Factorial · Measurement invariance · Psychometrics · Statistics · Structural equation modeling · Test validity · Educational Leadership and Innovation · Leadership, Behavior, and Decision-Making Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support