Francescato, D., Mebane, M., Sorace, R., Giacomantonio, M., & Lauriola, M.
The construction of two short factor-marker scales measuring women’s perceived obstacles (WO) and women’s coping efficacy (WOC) in politics
The aim of this study was to develop two scales aimed to assess the perceived obstacles to a successful political career (WO) and the evaluation of a number of strategies useful to cope with these obstacles (WOC). A sample of three hundred and forty-nine women politicians elected to National and local office was collected. A random half of the dataset was subjected to exploratory factor analyses to detect the number of core factors measured by each list and to identify the simplest markers of each factor. Two and four major core dimensions, labeled External and Internal Obstacles, and Mass Media, Empowerment, Conciliation, and Gate-keeping coping efficacy, accounted for most of the variance in WO and WOC ratings. Confirmatory factor analyses of selected markers carried out on the other half of the dataset yielded two well fitting models: a two-factor model with correlated factors for the WO and a hierarchical factor model positing a general coping factor along with four specific coping efficacy factors for the WOC.
