Developing the College Student Stress Inventory for Black Women (CSSI-BW)

Abstract

Researchers have attempted to develop psychometrically sound measures of stress in a variety of populations, including college students. Still, there has yet to be a measure designed specifically for Black college women. The aim of the present research was to validate the College Student Stress Inventory for Black Women (CSSI-BW), a gender and culturally specific measure of stress. This test is needed because current measures of stress inadequately reflect the way in which general college stressors and minority status overlap for Black college women. Seventeen items were initially written, and through initial item analyses using a sample of 40 undergraduate students, the measure was reduced to a final set of 10 items. Individuals responded to each test item on a 5-point Likert scale. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and split half reliability. Convergent and discriminant validity were also assessed. Results demonstrated that the CSSI-BW is both reliable and valid. Scores from a measure like the CSSI-BW can be used to identify Black college women who should seek preventive programs, which can then be tailored to meet their psychological needs.