Feryal SAVCI, Aysel KÖKSAL AKYOL
İnönü Üniversitesi Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksek Okulu Dergisi - 2026;14(2):401-415
This study reports the development and psychometric evaluation of a novel instrument designed to assess self-regulation capacities in infants aged 6-24 months. The methodological framework of the study was grounded in contemporary measurement theory and relied on data obtained from 316 parents residing in the central districts of Istanbul via an online assessment. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form and the Self-Regulation Skills Scale for Infants, the latter of which was specifically constructed to capture early manifestations of self-regulatory functioning. The scale was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct encompassing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components of self-regulation. The content relevance and representativeness of the items were established through systematic expert appraisal, and quantitative evidence was derived using the Lawshe content validity framework. The latent structure of the scale was tested via confirmatory factor analysis, and item-level performance was examined through item-total correlation coefficients. Internal consistency estimates were computed using Cronbach's alpha. The results demonstrated that the hypothesized three-factor model exhibited acceptable model fit indices, providing empirical support for the proposed dimensional structure. The final form of the scale consists of 29 items distributed across three subscales. The overall reliability coefficient (alpha = 0.919) indicates a high degree of internal consistency. Taken together, the findings provide robust evidence that the instrument yields reliable and valid measures of infant self-regulation and may serve as a methodologically sound tool for empirical research and applied practice in early childhood development.
