Validation of the English version of the Five-Factor Self-Concept Questionnaire

Background: The Spanish Five-Factor Self-Concept Questionnaire (AF5) is one of the most widely used instruments assessing self-concept with Spanish-speaking samples. It is also one of the few psychometrically sound instruments assessing self-concept from a multidimensional perspective. The availability of the AF5 in both languages (Spanish and English) would expand its potential, and would facilitate cross-cultural research. Method: To validate the English version of the AF5, we used multi-sample confirmatory factor analysis. The sample was 624 USA respondents, 301 males (48%) and 323 females, ranging in age from 14 to 18 (M = 16.21, SD = 1.08). Results: The English version of the AF5 does not change the original factor weights, the variances and covariances of the factors, or the error variances of items, with regard to the original Spanish five-factor model. The five factors proposed -academic, social, emotional, family, and physical satisfactorily reproduce the inter-item relationships of the original Spanish version. The reliability for all items and dimensions of the English version was also good, with similar results as the original version. Conclusions: This preliminary validation study of the English version of the AF5 showed that it is an acceptable measure to be used with English-speaking adolescents.