Assessing risk propensity in American soldiers: preliminary reliability and validity of the Evaluation of Risks (EVAR) scale--English version.

Risk-taking propensity is a critical component of judgment and decision-making in military operations. The Evaluation of Risks scale (EVAR) was recently developed to measure state and trait aspects of risk proneness. The scale, however, was psychometrically normed in French and no data are available for the English translation. We administered the English version of the EVAR to 165 U.S. soldiers to obtain reliability, validity, and normative data for English-speaking respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the factor structure of the English EVAR differs from that obtained in the French studies. Instead, a three-factor solution, including recklessness/impulsivity, self-confidence, and need for control, emerged. Internal consistency was comparable to the French version. EVAR scores correlated with age, military rank, and years of service, and discriminated soldiers with histories of high-risk behavior. The data support the reliability and validity of the English version of the EVAR for evaluating risk propensity in U.S. soldiers.