Exploratory Factor Analysis of the adapted version of the Wagnild and Young’s Resilience Scale for the Paraguayan population

Abstract

This pilot study adapts and validates the Wagnild and Young´s Resilience Scale for the Paraguayan population using the exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The research is instrumental, quantitative, non-experimental, and cross-sectional, involving 207 participants: 30.4% were male and 69.6% female, aged under 18 to over 60, predominantly with university education and residents in Asunción. A 25-item Likert scale, developed by Wagnild and Young and culturally adapted to the Paraguayan context, was used to assess equanimity, personal satisfaction, self-sufficiency, self-confidence, and perseverance. Psychometry experts reformulated and validated the items, and the adapted version was distributed through Google Forms and WhatsApp. The EFA eliminated items with non-significant factor loadings, resulting in a more concise version of the scale. However, the sampling method does not allow for the generalization of the results to the entire Paraguayan population, indicating the need for future studies with representative samples to exhaustively validate the scale. The findings highlight the importance of cultural adaptation in psychometric measurement and the necessity of comparative research in different contexts. The refined scale has the potential for use in personal and professional development programs, promoting resilience in Paraguay.