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The Irritation Scale as an Instrument to Measure Stress among University Students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2013

Enrique Merino-Tejedor*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valladolid (Spain)
Joan Boada-Grau
Affiliation:
Universidad Rovira i Virgili (Spain)
José C. Sánchez-García
Affiliation:
Universidad de Salamanca (Spain)
Pedro Miguel Hontangas-Beltrán
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Enrique Merino Tejedor. Department of Psychology. Universidad de Valladolid. Campus María Zambrano. Plaza Alto de los Leones, 1. 40005. Segovia (Spain). Phone: +34–921112300. Fax: +34–921112301. E-mail enmerino@psi.uva.es

Abstract

The objective of this study was to verify the factor validity and structure of the “Irritation Scale” in a sample of 578 Spanish university students. At the same time, the study aimed to verify the criterion-related validity of the scale, analyzing the results obtained through correlation with other variables, such as general self-efficacy, self-regulation, depression, and certain personality dimensions. The results obtained through the Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling approach (ESEM) using Mplus confirmed the presence of two factors in the Irritation Scale, as observed in other international studies within a workplace setting. The significant correlations obtained between the Irritation Scale and the variables considered in the study confirmed the construct validity and verified that irritation is significantly and positively associated with depression and academic burnout, and is negatively associated with general self-efficacy and self-regulation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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