Exploring the Reliability and Validity of the PSCP Social Presence Scale

Özek F., FER S.

Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2026
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/07342829261425211
  • Journal Name: Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, CINAHL, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Psycinfo
  • Keywords: construct validity, content validity, convergent validity, educational measurement, EFL students, factor analysis, internal consistency, psychometric validation, reliability, scale development, social presence
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study describes the development and validation of the PSCP Social Presence Scale, created to assess students’ perceived social presence in learning environments. The scale was tested with 446 pre-degree university students studying English as a foreign language. A pilot study with 117 students was first conducted to examine item performance and explore the preliminary factor structure. A second study with 329 students was subsequently conducted to confirm this structure. The final version of the scale includes nine items organized into two factors—Social Interaction and Social Connectedness. The findings suggest strong evidence of content (S-CVI = .96), convergent, and construct validity (CFA fit indices: χ2/df = 2.3, RMSEA = .06, SRMR = .03, CFI = .98, TLI = .97), and the reliability analyses indicate high internal consistency (α = .91) for the overall instrument. Overall, the findings support the PSCP Social Presence Scale as a valid and reliable measure of social presence for use in educational research.