The Index of Self-Regulation: Development and Psychometric Analysis

This paper describes the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a measure of individual self-regulation in the maintenance of health behavior change. Items were developed from inductively generated data to index dimensions of self-regulation in behavioral change (Fleury, 1991). Quantification of Index of Self-Regulation (ISR) content validity was supported through the ratings of 10 experts, following criteria established by Imle and Atwood (1988). The instrument was tested in successive steps with 146 individuals who were participating in an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program for reliability and validity, including internal consistency reliability and three forms of validity assessment (content validity, criterion-related validity, and construct validity). The three subscales of Stimulus Control, Reconditioning, and Behavioral Monitoring demonstrated internal consistency ranging from .73-.76. Total scale alpha was .87. Initial estimates of criterion-related and construct validity were documented with correlations between ISR subscales and theoretically related criterion measures (.20-.47). With refinement the ISR will provide a basis for tailoring and evaluating clinical interventions designed to enhance motivation in the maintenance of health behavior change.