title: Examination of the psychometric properties of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II in African American college students.
abstract: Personal growth initiative (PGI), an individual's active and intentional desire to engage in the growth process, has been an important construct in studies of physical and mental health around the world. However, there is a dearth of research examining this construct in African American samples. In addition, PGI has recently undergone a revision of both its theory and measure; the resulting Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II) has been validated for use only with European American and international college student samples. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the PGIS-II in a sample of African American college students. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded results consistent with previous studies, and the PGIS-II showed evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for three of its four factors. In addition, the PGIS-II was significantly related to aspects of Black racial identity, suggesting that it is a viable construct in this population.
authors.affiliation: The University of Akron, Akron, OH, USA weigold@uakron.edu.
authors.forename: Ingrid K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Weigold
authors.affiliation: Notre Dame College, South Euclid, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weigold
authors.affiliation: The University of Akron, Akron, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.affiliation: The University of Akron, Akron, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Naomi M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Drakeford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D003469:Culture; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011594:Psychometrics; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: African Americans; Personal Growth Initiative Scale–II; college students; personal growth initiative; racial identity