BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The National Academy of Sciences stressed the need for a doctorally prepared workforce and earlier entry into doctoral study in nursing and the behavioral, social, and basic sciences. Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) suggests that self-efficacy for career related skills informs career choices. Thus, increasing clinical research self-efficacy early in students' studies could increase their choice of a research career. To test interventions, a psychometrically sound measure of clinical research self-efficacy is needed. METHODS: We examined the psychometrics of the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-Short Form (CRAI-SF) in undergraduate and first-year graduate students (N = 268). This scale is a modification of the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory, which measures physician-scientists' clinical research self-efficacy. RESULTS: Content validity was supported by external review. Factor analysis revealed six factors explaining 75% of scale variance. Internal consistency of subscales and total scale ranged from .84 to .98. Differences in scores by gender (p = .016) and discipline of study (p = .000) supported construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: The CRAI-SF is a useful measure of undergraduate and first-year graduate students' perceived clinical research self-efficacy.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The National Academy of Sciences stressed the need for a doctorally prepared workforce and earlier entry into doctoral study in nursing and the behavioral, social, and basic sciences. Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) suggests that self-efficacy for career related skills informs career choices. Thus, increasing clinical research self-efficacy early in students' studies could increase their choice of a research career. To test interventions, a psychometrically sound measure of clinical research self-efficacy is needed. METHODS: We examined the psychometrics of the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-Short Form (CRAI-SF) in undergraduate and first-year graduate students (N = 268). This scale is a modification of the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory, which measures physician-scientists' clinical research self-efficacy. RESULTS: Content validity was supported by external review. Factor analysis revealed six factors explaining 75% of scale variance. Internal consistency of subscales and total scale ranged from .84 to .98. Differences in scores by gender (p = .016) and discipline of study (p = .000) supported construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: The CRAI-SF is a useful measure of undergraduate and first-year graduate students' perceived clinical research self-efficacy.
Authors: Rebecca M DiBiase; Mary Catherine Beach; Joseph A Carrese; Jennifer A Haythornthwaite; Sarah J Wheelan; Meredith A Atkinson; Gail Geller; Kelly A Gebo; Jeremy A Greene; Stephen M Sozio Journal: Med Educ Online Date: 2020-12