Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of the Constructed Awareness Scale (CAS): An Exploratory Factor Analysis

This study reports the preliminary development and psychometric results of the Constructed Awareness Scale (CAS), a multidimensional assessment designed to measure orientation styles as theoretically defined in Constructed Awareness (CA). CA is an emerging counseling model that describes experience as constructed from three building blocks: mental, sensation, and external. The CAS was developed and field-tested using recommended instrument development procedures with a sample of 361 participants. Content validity was examined through a panel review using content validity ratios (CVR). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) produced a factor structure that reflected three domains: Mental Orientation (M), Sensation Orientation (S), and External Orientation (E). Cronbach’s alpha (α) and McDonald’s omega (ω) coefficients were calculated for each subscale to estimate internal consistency. The final CAS consists of 12 items, four per subscale. These findings represent an initial, exploratory step toward validating the CAS.