Instrument development of the Self-Efficacy Scale for Abused Women

The development of a scale to measure an abused woman's self-efficacy is described. The Self-Efficacy Scale for Abused Women (SESAW) originally was a 27-item 100-mm visual analog scale. It underwent face and content validity testing and was administered to a community sample of abused women (N = 50). The SESAW was tested for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. Cronbach's alphas were.95 and.96 at times 1 and 2, respectively. The bivariate correlation between the SESAW at times 1 and 2 was r =.85, p <.01. Construct validity was established by a moderate bivariate correlation with the criterion as measured by the Self-Efficacy Scale-general/global subscale (r =.64, p <.01 at time 1, and r =.78, p <.01 at time 2). The SESAW was streamlined to 19 items. The SESAW is an acceptable measure of situation-specific self-efficacy in community-based abused women.