Objective : This study examined the psychometric properties of the 12-item Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Scale (COPE) using Rasch analysis. COPE is one of the instruments used to measure stress-coping skills.
Methods : The study participants were 480 community-dwelling older adults. We tested the instrument’s unidimensionality assumption using principal component analysis (PCA). Item fit was examined using infit-and-outfit mean-square (MnSq) and standardized fit statistics (ZSTD). The precision and item difficulty hierarchies of the instrument were examined. The item-difficulty hierarchy was investigated to identify the easy and difficult items. We tested differential item functioning (DIF) for sex and age groups.
Results : PCA revealed that the instrument met the unidimensionality assumption (eigenvalue = 1.78). Among the 12 items, item 2 was removed because of misfit (Infit MnSq = 1.33, Infit ZSTD = 5.05, Outfit MnSq = 1.56, Outfit ZSTD = 7.15). The remaining 11 items demonstrated a conceptual item-difficulty hierarchy. The person strata value was 3.10, which is equivalent to a reliability index value of 0.81. There was no DIF for the sex and age groups (DIF contrast <0.27).
Conclusion : The findings indicated that the revised COPE-11 has adequate item-level psychometric properties and can accurately measure stress coping skills.