An Adaptation of the Emotional Autonomy Scale to the Turkish Adolescents and its Psychometric Properties

Abstract

The aim of this study was to adapt the Emotional Autonomy Scale (EAS) developed by Steinberg and Silverberg (1986) so as to use it with Turkish adolescents. The original scale is in English and has four factors, consisting of 20 items. Firstly, the original scale was translated into Turkish by six experts from the field and was retranslated by two experts. Later, the original and Turkish forms of the scale were handed to the experts in the field of measurement and evaluation and the last form of the scale was carried out in the lights of their opinions. The Turkish form of the EAS was conducted to 720 students (aged 14-18 years), attending 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th grades in Ankara, Turkey. The pilot study tested four-factor structure of the original scale revealed that factors were not distributed in accordance with original factor pattern and the subscale “perceive parents as people” had lower factor. Thus, a three factor structure was analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis in this study. Results indicated that a three factor structure of EAS was confirmed and valid and reliable instrument to assess adolescents’ emotional autonomy levels in Turkey