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Adapting the Existential Gratitude Scale to Turkish: A Measure of Gratitude in Painful Times

Year 2022, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 23 - 36, 15.02.2022
https://doi.org/10.37898/spc.2022.7.1.160

Abstract

This study aims to adapt the Existential Gratitude Scale (Jens-Beken & Wong, 2019) to Turkish culture and to examine the scale’s psychometric properties in this respect. The study uses the convenience sampling method, and the sample consists of 286 participants between the ages of 18 to 53, of whom 212 (74.1%) are female and 74 (25.9%) are male. The structural validity of the scale has been examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The CFA results confirm the original EGS’ one-dimensional structure over a Turkish sample, and the scale has good fit indices (χ2=94.655, df=34, χ2/df =2.784, GFI=0.936, NFI=0.930, CFI=0.954, SRMR=0.0420, and RMSEA=0.079). The factor loadings range from .46 to .77. For the criterion validity, Pearson correlations were calculated for the EGS with the Short Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Scale and Transpersonal Gratitude Scales, which resulted in significant positive correlations (respectively r=0.476 and r=0.579 at p= 05). The item-total correlation and comparison of the upper 27% and lower 27% groups were examined for the item analysis of the scale; these have revealed the EGS to possess satisfactory discriminating power. As a result of the reliability analysis, Cronbach’s alpha of internal consistency was calculated as .893. This study shows the EGS to be a valid and reliable tool useable in the context of Turkey for measuring individuals’ existential gratitude levels. The EGS can be a valuable tool for practitioners in mental health settings in developing appropriate interventions for individuals’ coping skills in celebrating adversity.

References

  • Arbuckle, J. L. (2014). IBM SPSS Amos 20 user’s guide. IBM. Retrieved from http://www.amosdevelopment.com/download/amos.pdf.
  • Bozkurt, T. (2019). Gratitude interventions to reduce negative effects of extrinsicgoals on psychological well-being (Master's thesis, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey). Retrieved from https://open.metu.edu.tr/handle/11511/27944
  • Brown, T. A., & Moore, M. T. (2012). Confirmatory factor analysis. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Handbook of structural equation modeling (pp. 361–379). New York: The Guilford Press.
  • Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 132-162). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
  • Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç-Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2012). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. Pegem Akademi.
  • Child, D. (2006). The essentials of factor analysis. Continuum.
  • Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design(pp. 155–179). Sage Publications.
  • Drążkowski, D., Kaczmarek, L. D., &Kashdan, T. B. (2017). Gratitude pays: A weekly gratitude interventioninfluences monetary decisions, physiological responses, and emotional experiences during a trust-relatedsocial interaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 110, 148–153.
  • Emmons, R. A., & Mccullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: Anexperimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389.https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.84.2.377
  • Erdugan, C., & Araz, A. (2019). The cognitive, emotional and behavioral indicators of dispositional gratitude in close friendship: The case of Turkey. PsikolojiÇalışmaları – Studies in Psychology, 39(2), 321–344.https://doi.org/10.26650/SP2019-0001
  • Gable, S. L., & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of general psychology, 9(2), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.1037%2F1089-2680.9.2.103
  • George, D., & Mallery, P. (2012). IBM SPSS statistics 19 step by step: A simple guide and reference. HPB-Ohio.
  • Hlava, P., Elfers, J., &Offringa, R. (2014). A transcendent view of gratitude: The Transpersonal Gratitude Scale. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 33(1), 1–14. Retrieved fromhttps://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-00558-002 Hoe, S.L. (2008). Issues and procedures in adopting structural equation modeling technique. Journal of Application Quantity Method, 3(1), 76–83.
  • Hoy, W. K., & Tarter, C. J. (2011). Positive psychology and educational administration: An optimistic research agenda. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(3), 427–445. Retrieved from http://jaqm.ro/issues/volume-3,issue-1/pdfs/hoe.pdf.
  • Ivtzan, I., Lyle, L., & Medlock, G. (2018). Second wave positive psychology. International Journal of Existential Positive Psychology, 7(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-015-9668-y.
  • Jans-Beken, L., Lataster, J., Leontjevas, R., & Jacobs, N. (2015). Measuring gratitude: A comparative validation of the Dutch Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ6) and Short Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Test (SGRAT). PsychologicaBelgica, 55(1), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.5334/pb.bd.
  • Jans-Beken, L., Jacobs, N., Janssens, M., Peeters, S., Reijnders, J., Lechner, L., &Lataster, J. (2019). Gratitude and health: An updated review. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(6), 743–782. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1651888
  • Jans-Beken, L., & Wong, P. T. (2019). Development and preliminary validation of the Existential Gratitude Scale (EGS). Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 34(1), 72–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2019.1656054
  • Jiang, H., Sun, P., Liu, Y., & Pan, M. (2015). Gratitude and late adolescents’ school well-being: The mediating role of materialism. Social Indicators Research, 127(3), 1363–1376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-10075.
  • Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. P. (1982). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues. Cengage- Learning

Varoluşsal Şükür Ölçeği’nin Türkçe’ye Uyarlanması: Zor Zamanlarda Şükrün Ölçülmesi

Year 2022, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 23 - 36, 15.02.2022
https://doi.org/10.37898/spc.2022.7.1.160

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, Jens-Beken ve Wong (2019) tarafından geliştiren Varoluşsal Şükür Ölçeği’nin Türk kültürüne uyarlanması amaçlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda, ölçeğin psikometrik özellikleri incelenmiştir. Çalışmada kolay örnekleme yöntemi uygulanmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemini 212’si kadın ( %74.1), 74’ü erkek (%25.9), yaşları 18 ile 53 arasında değişen 286 kişi oluşturmuştur. Yapı geçerliliği Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi (DFA) ile analiz edilmiştir. DFA sonuçları original ölçeğin tek faktörlü yapısını Türk örnekleminde doğrulamış ve iyi uyum değerleri göstermiştir (χ2/df =2.784, GFI=0,936, NFI=0,930, CFI=0,954, SRMR=0,0420 ve RMSEA=0,079). Ölçeğin factor yükleri .46 ile .77 arasında değişmiştir. Ölçüt geçerliliği için ölçeğin Minnettarlık Gücenme ve Takdir Ölçeği Gözden Geçirilmiş Kısa Formu (K-MGTÖ) ve Manevi Şükür Ölçeği arasındaki Pearson Korelasyon Katsayısı hesaplanmış ve pozitif yönde anlamlı sonuçlar çıkmıştır (r=0,476, r=0,579, p= .05). Ölçeğin madde analizi için yapılan madde-toplam puan korelasyonu ve %27 alt-üst grup karşılaştırması sonucunda ölçeğin iyi bir ayırt edicilik düzeyine sahip olduğu görülmüştür. Güvenirlik analizi sonucuna göre, Cronbach iç tutarlık katsayısı .893 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Bu çalışma, Varoluşsal Şükür Ölçeği’nin Türkçe versiyonunun kişilerin varoluşsal şükür düzeyini ölçmede geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu ölçek, ruh sağlığı alanında çalışan uygulamacıların, kişilerin zorlukları daha iyi karşılamak için baş etme becerilerini geliştirecek uygun müdahaleler tasarlaması için değerli bir araç olabilir.

References

  • Arbuckle, J. L. (2014). IBM SPSS Amos 20 user’s guide. IBM. Retrieved from http://www.amosdevelopment.com/download/amos.pdf.
  • Bozkurt, T. (2019). Gratitude interventions to reduce negative effects of extrinsicgoals on psychological well-being (Master's thesis, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey). Retrieved from https://open.metu.edu.tr/handle/11511/27944
  • Brown, T. A., & Moore, M. T. (2012). Confirmatory factor analysis. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Handbook of structural equation modeling (pp. 361–379). New York: The Guilford Press.
  • Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 132-162). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
  • Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç-Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2012). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. Pegem Akademi.
  • Child, D. (2006). The essentials of factor analysis. Continuum.
  • Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design(pp. 155–179). Sage Publications.
  • Drążkowski, D., Kaczmarek, L. D., &Kashdan, T. B. (2017). Gratitude pays: A weekly gratitude interventioninfluences monetary decisions, physiological responses, and emotional experiences during a trust-relatedsocial interaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 110, 148–153.
  • Emmons, R. A., & Mccullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: Anexperimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389.https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.84.2.377
  • Erdugan, C., & Araz, A. (2019). The cognitive, emotional and behavioral indicators of dispositional gratitude in close friendship: The case of Turkey. PsikolojiÇalışmaları – Studies in Psychology, 39(2), 321–344.https://doi.org/10.26650/SP2019-0001
  • Gable, S. L., & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of general psychology, 9(2), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.1037%2F1089-2680.9.2.103
  • George, D., & Mallery, P. (2012). IBM SPSS statistics 19 step by step: A simple guide and reference. HPB-Ohio.
  • Hlava, P., Elfers, J., &Offringa, R. (2014). A transcendent view of gratitude: The Transpersonal Gratitude Scale. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 33(1), 1–14. Retrieved fromhttps://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-00558-002 Hoe, S.L. (2008). Issues and procedures in adopting structural equation modeling technique. Journal of Application Quantity Method, 3(1), 76–83.
  • Hoy, W. K., & Tarter, C. J. (2011). Positive psychology and educational administration: An optimistic research agenda. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(3), 427–445. Retrieved from http://jaqm.ro/issues/volume-3,issue-1/pdfs/hoe.pdf.
  • Ivtzan, I., Lyle, L., & Medlock, G. (2018). Second wave positive psychology. International Journal of Existential Positive Psychology, 7(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-015-9668-y.
  • Jans-Beken, L., Lataster, J., Leontjevas, R., & Jacobs, N. (2015). Measuring gratitude: A comparative validation of the Dutch Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ6) and Short Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Test (SGRAT). PsychologicaBelgica, 55(1), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.5334/pb.bd.
  • Jans-Beken, L., Jacobs, N., Janssens, M., Peeters, S., Reijnders, J., Lechner, L., &Lataster, J. (2019). Gratitude and health: An updated review. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(6), 743–782. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1651888
  • Jans-Beken, L., & Wong, P. T. (2019). Development and preliminary validation of the Existential Gratitude Scale (EGS). Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 34(1), 72–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2019.1656054
  • Jiang, H., Sun, P., Liu, Y., & Pan, M. (2015). Gratitude and late adolescents’ school well-being: The mediating role of materialism. Social Indicators Research, 127(3), 1363–1376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-10075.
  • Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. P. (1982). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues. Cengage- Learning
There are 20 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Psychology
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Hale Çanakçı This is me 0000-0003-2401-7782

Halil Ekşi 0000-0001-7520-4559

Publication Date February 15, 2022
Submission Date November 29, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2022 Volume: 7 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Çanakçı, H., & Ekşi, H. (2022). Adapting the Existential Gratitude Scale to Turkish: A Measure of Gratitude in Painful Times. Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, 7(1), 23-36. https://doi.org/10.37898/spc.2022.7.1.160