The Resistance to Change Scale: Assessing dimensionality and associations with personality and wellbeing in adolescents

Abstract

Resistance to change (RTC) is the tendency to have a negative attitude toward change. It is a relevant construct in adolescence because change can be perceived as a challenge to the formation of an integrated independent identity: the primary developmental task of this period. Currently, there are no validated measures of RTC for adolescents. To address this research gap, we tested the psychometric properties of the Resistance to Change Scale in a sample of adolescents from Portugal. Confirmatory factor analyses supported modelling the RTC scale via a bifactor model. Statistical indices indicated that RTC scale scores were largely unidimensional. When this model was applied, RTC was positively related with trait reactance, negatively related with wellbeing, and linked to high Harm Avoidance and low Self-Directedness personality dimensions. The bifactor model was equivalent across gender and early vs. late adolescent groups. Our findings suggest that the RTC scale is a psychometrically sound and potentially useful tool for researchers and educators who wish to measure RTC in adolescents.