Evaluation of Youth Social Capital Scale in a Malaysian Undergratuate Sample: A Confirmatory Factorial Analysis

Abstract

Studies on adolescents’ development have shown that social capital plays an important role in reducing engagement in risky behaviours. However, social capital has been broadly conceptualized. The differences in definition raise the need for a comprehensive scale to capture the full picture of social capital especially among young people. Onyx, Wood, Bullen, and Osburn (2005) developed the 34-itemYouth Social Capital Scale (YSCS), which taps on seven dimensions of social capital (Family and Friends, Participation in Community, Moral Principles, Neighbor Connections, Trust and Safety, Friends and Youth Social Agency). The YSCS is one of the few scales available to measure social capital among young people. Although the YSCS has been found to be reliable and valid, a study using Greece sample revealed that only five out of the seven subscales were psychometrically sound. The inconsistency suggests that structure of the YSCS may vary culturally. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate factor structure of the YSCS in Malaysia context. Confirmatory factor analysis on responses obtained from 194 undergraduates supported the theoretical structure of seven first-order factors and one second order factor upon running the necessary modifications. Specifically, all items loaded on the corresponding seven dimensions as assumed except two items (item 3 and 15). Moreover, a general social capital score can be accounted for by the seven dimensions. The findings offer preliminary evidence that YSCS is a valid measure of social capital among young Malaysians.However, some items were found conceptually overlapped and modifications are needed to improve qualities of the YSCS.