Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the Cognitive Social Capital Scale in a Colombian sample
Social capital is a polysemic concept that hinders the construction of an instrument that addresses all meanings. However, the concept has been used with increasing frequency in health sciences, which has motivated the need for valid and reliable tools. The study aimed to perform exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on a seven-item scale to measure social capital in adults of the general Colombian population. An online validation study was done, including a sample of 700 adults aged between 18 and 76 years (M = 37.1, SD = 12.7), and 68% were females. Participants completed a seven-item scale called the Cognitive Social Capital Scale (CSCS). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to explore the dimensionality of the CSCS. Moreover, Cronbach alpha and McDonald omega were computed to test internal consistency. The CSCS presented poor dimensionality and low internal consistency. Then, it was tested a five-item version (CSCS-5). The CSCS-5 showed one dimension with better goodness-of-fit indicators, Cronbach alpha of 0.79 and McDonald omega of 0.80. In conclusion, CSCS-5 presents one dimensional and high internal consistency. It can be recommended for the measuring of social capital in the general Colombian population. Further researches should corroborate these findings.