Measuring self-efficacy to approach contamination: Development and validation of the facing-contamination self-efficacy scale

Despite a rich literature on the effects of self-efficacy (SE) on various outcomes, there is little discussion of its effects on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Facing-Contamination Self-Efficacy Scale (FC-SES), a measure of beliefs about one's capability to face OCD-relevant contamination triggers. The final sample consisted of 129 participants, age 18 and over, who were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Factor structure, reliability, and validity were assessed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and correlational analyses, respectively. Factor analysis yielded 2 clearly interpretable factors: human-related contamination (9 items), and animal-related contamination (5 items). The 14-item FC-SES demonstrated very good internal consistency reliability (alpha = .87), as well as good convergent and discriminant validity. Results suggest the FC-SES is a valid and reliable tool that can be used in future research exploring the relationship between SE and contamination-related OCD symptoms.