The “will to exist, live, survive, and fight” “(WTELS-F)” scale was constructed using a pool of 26 items that were selected to represent the three factors of the construct: “will to exist,” “will to live,” and “will to survive and fight.” The study used two samples, one consisting of adolescents and young adults from Egypt (N = 610) and the other consisting of adults from Kuwait (N = 490). The study also used measures for resilience, post-traumatic growth (PTG), identity salience, and psychopathology. We conducted two exploratory factor analyses to examine the construct’s structural validity and its independence from similar constructs. The first was on the measure’s items, and the second was on the combined items of WTELS-F, resilience, and PTG. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the second sample. Correlation and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis were conducted to establish discriminant, convergent, and predictive criterion validity. Multigroup invariance was conducted to check the invariance of the measure and SEM model across genders. Results showed that WTELS-F was independent of resilience and PTG and explained a significantly larger variance. The measure and its short version had high internal consistency, test-retest stability, and adequate discriminant, convergent, divergent, and predictive validity. The measure and the SEM model were strictly invariant between genders. Finally, the study’s potential and limitations were briefly discussed.
References
[1]
Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2007). Love of Life as a New Construct in the Well-Being Domain. SocialBehaviorandPersonality:AnInternationalJournal,35, 125-134. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2007.35.1.125
[2]
Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., Tedeschi, R. G., Taku, K., Vishnevsky, T., Triplett, K. N. et al. (2010). A Short Form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Anxiety,Stress&Coping,23, 127-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615800903094273
[3]
Caspi, A., Houts, R. M., Belsky, D. W., Goldman-Mellor, S. J., Harrington, H., Israel, S. et al. (2014). The P Factor: One General Psychopathology Factor in the Structure of Psychiatric Disorders? ClinicalPsychologicalScience,2, 119-137. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702613497473
[4]
Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of Goodness of Fit Indexes to Lack of Measurement Invariance. StructuralEquationModeling:AMultidisciplinaryJournal,14, 464-504. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834
[5]
Cohen, J. (1992). A Power Primer. PsychologicalBulletin,112, 155-159. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155
[6]
Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. T. (2003). Development of a New Resilience Scale: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). DepressionandAnxiety,18, 76-82. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.10113
[7]
Gaudreau, P., Schellenberg, B. J., Gareau, A., Kljajic, K., & Manoni-Millar, S. (2022). Because Excellencism Is More than Good Enough: On the Need to Distinguish the Pursuit of Excellence from the Pursuit of Perfection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 122, 1117-1145.
[8]
Horn, J. L. (1965). A Rationale and Test for the Number of Factors in Factor Analysis. Psychometrika,30, 179-185. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02289447
[9]
Kira, I. A., Aboumediene, S., Ashby, J. S., Odenat, L., Mohanesh, J., & Alamia, H. (2013). The Dynamics of Posttraumatic Growth across Different Trauma Types in a Palestinian Sample. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 18, 120-139.
[10]
Kira, I. A., Alawneh, A. N., Aboumediene, S., Lewandowski, L., & Laddis, A. (2014). Dynamics of Oppression and Coping from Traumatology Perspective: The Example of Palestinian Adolescents. PeaceandConflict:JournalofPeacePsychology,20, 385-411. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000053
[11]
Kira, I. A., Alawneh, A. W. N., Aboumediane, S., Mohanesh, J., Ozkan, B., & Alamia, H. (2011). Identity Salience and Its Dynamics in Palestinians Adolescents. Psychology,2, 781-791. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2011.28120
[12]
Kira, I. A., Arıcı Özcan, N., Shuwiekh, H., Kucharska, J., Al-Huwailah, A. H., & Kanaan, A. (2020a). The Compelling Dynamics of “Will to Exist, Live, and Survive” on Effecting Posttraumatic Growth Upon Exposure to Adversities: Is It Mediated, in Part, by Emotional Regulation, Resilience, and Spirituality? Traumatology,26, 405-419. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000263
[13]
Kira, I. A., Ayna, Y. E., Shuwiekh, H. A. M., & Ashby, J. S. (2021a). The Association of WTELS as a Master Motivator with Higher Executive Functioning and Better Mental Health. CurrentPsychology,42, 7309-7320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02078-8
[14]
Kira, I. A., Shuwiekh, H. A. M., Ahmed, S. A. E., Ebada, E. E., Tantawy, S. F., Waheep, N. N. et al. (2022). Coping with COVID-19 Prolonged and Cumulative Stressors: The Case Example of Egypt. InternationalJournalofMentalHealthandAddiction,21, 2138-2159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00712-x
[15]
Kira, I. A., Shuwiekh, H. A. M., Rice, K., Ashby, J. S., Alhuwailah, A., Sous, M. S. F. et al. (2021c). Coping with COVID-19 Continuous Complex Stressors: The “Will-to-Exist-Live, and Survive” and Perfectionistic Striving. Traumatology,28, 352-365. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000352
[16]
Kira, I. A., Shuwiekh, H., & Kucharska, J. (2017). Screening for Psychopathology Using the Three Factors Model of the Structure of Psychopathology: A Modified Form of GAIN Short Screener. Psychology,8, 2410-2427. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2017.814152
[17]
Kira, I. A., Shuwiekh, H., Kucharska, J., Al-Huwailah, A. H., & Moustafa, A. (2020b). “Will to Exist, Live and Survive” (WTELS): Measuring Its Role as Master/Metamotivator and in Resisting Oppression and Related Adversities. PeaceandConflict:JournalofPeacePsychology,26, 47-61. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000411
[18]
Kira, I. A., Templin, T., Lewandowski, L., Ashby, J. S., Oladele, A., & Odenat, L. (2012). Cumulative Trauma Disorder Scale (CTD): Two Studies. Psychology,3, 643-656. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2012.39099
[19]
Kira, I., Özcan, N. A., Shuwiekh, H., Kucharska, J., Al-Huwailah, A. H., & Bujold-Bugeaud, M. (2021b). Mental Health Dynamics of Interfaith Spirituality in Believers and Non-Believers: The Two Circuit Pathways Model of Coping with Adversities: Interfaith Spirituality and Will-To Exist, Live and Survive. Psychology,12, 992-1024. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2021.126060
[20]
Kobasa, S. C. (1979). Stressful Life Events, Personality, and Health: An Inquiry into Hardiness. JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,37, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.37.1.1
[21]
Laceulle, O. M., Vollebergh, W. A. M., & Ormel, J. (2015). The Structure of Psychopathology in Adolescence: Replication of a General Psychopathology Factor in the TRAILS Study. Clinical Psychological Science, 3, 850-860. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702614560750
[22]
Meade, A. W., & Lautenschlager, G. J. (2004). A Comparison of Item Response Theory and Confirmatory Factor Analytic Methodologies for Establishing Measurement Equivalence/invariance. OrganizationalResearchMethods,7, 361-388. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428104268027
[23]
Rice, K. G., Lopez, F. G., & Richardson, C. M. E. (2013). Perfectionism and Performance among STEM Students. JournalofVocationalBehavior,82, 124-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2012.12.002
[24]
Sherbourne, C. D., & Stewart, A. L. (1991). The MOS Social Support Survey. SocialScience&Medicine,32, 705-714. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(91)90150-b
