Validation of the cultural influence on helping scale among Chinese adolescents

Abstract

The influence of culture on adolescent prosocial behavior is a neglected aspect in existing studies. Objectives: This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Cultural Influence on Helping Scale (CIHS) among Chinese adolescents. CIHS is an instrument that assesses Chinese cultural influence on helping other people. Method: The CIHS was administered to 5,812 high school students in Hong Kong. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed three factors, namely, ‘‘Advantages of helping people,’’ ‘‘Disadvantages of helping people,’’ and ‘‘Self-centeredness,’’ which support the hypothesized dimensions. The CIHS demonstrated good internal consistency. Construct validity and criterion-related validity were also supported. Conclusions: The psychometric properties of CIHS are adequate in the assessment of cultural influence on helping in Chinese adolescent samples.