A psychometric analysis of the self-regulation questionnaire

Abstract

The self-regulation questionnaire (SRQ) is a 63-item instrument designed to measure the generalized ability to regulate behavior so as to achieve desired future outcomes. This study extended previous psychometric evaluations of the SRQ by determining the factor structure and internal consistency of the SRQ and providing convergent and discriminant evidence for its validity. Participants were undergraduates (N=391; 55% women) from two consecutive semesters (n(1)=208; n(2)=183). A single-factor solution emerged (31 items), invariant across gender and semester. These items were combined to create a short version of the SRQ (SSRQ; alpha=.92), which was highly correlated with the original SRQ (r=.96). Unrelated to demographic variables and alcohol use, the SSRQ correlated significantly with alcohol-related problems. The association between the SSRQ and problems remained even after controlling for social desirability and alcohol consumption. These results support the use of the SSRQ in young adult samples. Further psychometric evaluation of the SSRQ is necessary, however, to further establish its validity and utility as a measure of generalized self-regulation capacity.