CONFLICTING RESULTS WITH QUESTIONNAIRES O N ANTONOVSKYS-SENSE-OF-COHERENCE

Based on the theoretical considerations of Antonovsky's Sense of Coher ence (SOC), a new scale, independent of the existing questionnaire (SO C-A), was designed to measure the construct Sense of Coherence (SOC-HD ). Using the deductive-rational method for development, the SOC-HD Sca le proved to be as internally consistent as the SOC-A Scale. Correlati ons and factor analyses showed almost identical validity for both scal es based on the responses of 5,133 subjects. Differences in mean value s for health status (self-reported heal? disease or cancer vs. healthy ) conformed to expectations. That is, healthy subjects scored higher o n the construct SOC. Similar results were, however, found for other va riables measuring similar constructs (Optimism, Depression, and Neurot icism). No statistically significant differences could be found betwee n healthy and unhealthy subjects in regard to their SOC scores by cont rolling for Depression and Neuroticism.