Psychometric Qualities of the Life Attitude Profile Revised (LAP-R) in Higher Education Students and Graduates: Its Use in Educational Psychology Counseling

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to present the psychometric qualities of the Revised Life Attitude Profile as a contribution to psycho-pedagogical and pedagogical counselling, considering it a useful instrument for guiding new generations. Within a quantitative approach, the study analyzes the discriminative power of the items, factorial validity, internal consistency, and examines the mean scores obtained by subjects in the dimensions of the instrument, as well as differences based on sex and age groups. A sample of 305 students or graduates of higher education in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (Argentina), aged between 18 and 54 years with a mean age of 28.62 years, was used. The results showed that the validated test is composed of 4 factors and 32 items, each presented coherently in relation to the original version. Reliability indexes, compared with the original and those of other studies, were similar or higher. The analyses performed and the data obtained demonstrate that the LAP-R is reliable for assessing life attitude in the studied population. Statistically significant differences were found only in the Choice/Responsibility dimension, favoring subjects aged between 25 and 44 years. The test proved reliable for use in pedagogical and psycho-pedagogical guidance, a very useful tool given the alarming rates of lack of future projection in the younger generations of the region. It is recommended to continue the study with a sample of adolescents at the secondary education level.