Items analysis and reliability evidences of ERCE scale

Abstract

ERCE Scale (De los Santos-Roig, 2009) was developed to assess patients´ beliefs about illness. They are assumed to be related to coping and health outcomes in Leventhal´s Common Sense Model (Hagger and Orbell, 2003; Leventhal et al., 1997). This model has been proved empirically and evidence about the relevant role of Cognitive Illness Representation has been found. The need of an instrument able to assess Illness Representation in our cultural setting is highlighted, because of its theoretical importance for the model but for the measure and assessment of physically ill patients, from an applied perspective. The aim of this work is to present the results about item analysis, factorial analysis and reliability evidences of ERCE and its five sub-scales scores. This will be presented as a continuation of first steps done (semantic definition of construct, items and test specifications, preliminary items, etc.) showed in other papers (De los Santos-Roig, 2009; De los Santos-Roig y Pérez-Meléndez, 2013). We conclude about the adequacy of items.