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A Combined Measure of Civic Engagement for Use Among Emerging Adults

Objective: Civic engagement during emerging adulthood (18–25 years) has been found to be a protective factor for mental illness and substance abuse. However, few measures to assess behaviors and attitudes related to civic engagement among emerging adults are available. This study investigates the factorial validity of a combined measure of civic behavior and attitudes in a sample of undergraduate college students. Method: Two samples of first-year undergraduate students at a private university completed an online survey during fall and spring terms. We investigated the factor structure of the Civic Mindedness and Civic Acts measures in two steps: (a) exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 226), and (b) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 352). Results: EFA revealed a 4-factor, 15-item structure that aligned with the original Civic Mindedness and Civic Acts measures; all factor loadings were greater than .40. CFA found the 4-factor structure to have marginally acceptable fit with no modifications (χ2(84) = 225.99, p < .05; RMSEA = .07 [.06–.08]; CFI = .92). Conclusions: We provide preliminary evidence for factorial validity of a combined measure of civic engagement. Implications for future research to confirm whether this measure is appropriate for broad use during emerging adulthood are discussed.