Psychometric properties of the Work Valences Scale (WVS) in Portugal: studies with children and adults

Work valences are defined as a general disposition toward work, which includes cognitive and affective dimensions. There is evidence suggesting that work valences begin to develop during the childhood period of the lifespan, through socialization processes across various information sources and contexts, to include parent-child interactions within the family context. Work valences have been found to be associated with career exploration, academic and work motivation, and academic achievement. Prior research on work valences has mostly occurred in the USA and Italy, which suggests that more research in other country contexts is still needed. Two studies analyzing the psychometric properties of the Work Valences Scale (WVS) with Portuguese children and adults are presented, following translation, back-translation, and tryout phases. The first study was conducted with 200 middle-school children (59.5% girls), aged nine to 12 years old (M = 10.05). The second study was developed with 384 working adults (76% women), aged 20 to 70 years old (M = 36.02). Confirmatory factor analyses, internal consistency, and correlational analyses were performed. Results suggest that a four-dimensional measurement model yields a good fit to children’s data, whereas hierarchical measurement models offer good fit to the adults’ data. Additionally, results suggest good internal consistency reliability, as well as statistically significant associations with school/work engagement. These results illustrate the applicability of the WVS with Portuguese children and adults. The assessment of work valences can be useful to deepen and expand international research on the construct and to help plan career interventions throughout the life cycle.