DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUMENT FOR ASSESSING SELF-EFFICACY IN SCHIZOPHRENIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Self-efficacy constructs recently have been incorporated into a model of social functioning for schizophrenics. This model proposes that sel f-efficacy mediates patients' coping efforts. To assess this hypothesi s accurately, it is critical to have a scale that measures self-effica cy reliably and validly. Such a scale was developed in this research, which used two independent samples of schizophrenic-spectrum patients. Results indicate that this scale is both valid and reliable. The data support the validity of two underlying subscales, one that measures p ositive symptom self-efficacy and one that measures negative symptom/s ocial interaction self-efficacy. Future directions of psychosocial con structs in schizophrenic-symptom development are discussed, including the need for concurrent tracking of symptom development and self-effic acy.