Standardizing a Questionnaire of Metacognitive Resources of Human Behavior Regulation in Difficult Circumstances

Abstract

Modern psychology focuses on personal resources that help to overcome difficult circumstances accompanied by anxiety and stress. However, psychological diagnosis in this sphere remains understudied. The present research was an attempt to standardize a questionnaire of metacognitive regulation of human behavior in difficult circumstances. The study involved 559 participants from Tomsk (24.8% men, average age – 22.1). The exploratory factor analysis identified four factors (45.6% variance): self-control of behavior (six items, Cronbach’s alpha, α = 0.780; composite reliability = 0.863); anxiety control (four items, α = 0.823; composite reliability = 0.866); memory efficiency (three items, α = 0.817; composite reliability = 0.832); intuitive cognition of people (four items, α = 0.709; composite reliability = 0.757). Confirmation factor analysis showed high values of the model fitness indices: RMSEA = 0.044; SRMR = 0.059; CFI = 0.991; GFI = 0.986. The scales of the new questionnaire demonstrated the required external convergent validity and were found consistent with similar constructs. The study involved the following methods: D. V. Lyusin’s Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire; Subjective Risk Intelligence Scale developed by G. Craparo et al. and adapted by T. V. Kornilova and E. M. Pavlova, E. Yu. Mandrikova’s Activity Self-Organization Questionnaire, C. D. Spielberger’s Anxiety Test adapted by V. N. Karandashev, C. D. Spielberger’s Questionnaire of Personal Anxiety adapted by Yu. L. Khanin, and the Academic Motivation Scale developed by T. O. Gordeeva, O. A. Sychev, and E. N. Osin. The following scales demonstrated a good discriminative ability associated with statistically significant gender differences: self-control of behavior (p = 0.002); anxiety control (p < 0.001), and memory efficiency (p < 0.001). The questionnaire proved to be an efficient tool of studying human resources related to overcoming difficult circumstances.