Assessing the prevalence of benevolent childhood experiences in two samples in Hungary: Validation of the original and revised BCE scales

Background Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) may counteract the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Narayan and colleagues have developed the Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) Scale, which has been the most cited PCE measure in recent years. Objectives There is no validated instrument available to measure PCEs in the Hungarian population, so we aimed to adapt the original and extended versions of the BCE Scale and to test their psychometric properties. Participants and setting Our research was conducted on three samples. Sample A consisted of mothers of hospitalized children ( N = 167); sample B consisted of adults ( N = 1201) from 24 GP districts. A third sample, which was a subsample of Sample A ( N = 31) was included for test-retest reliability analysis. Methods The Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCE) Scales were used along with the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Hopelessness Scale (HS), and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Results Based on the test-retest reliability analyses, no significant differences were found between the two administrations of the BCEs Scales. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed that a one-factor model best fits the scales for both the original (RMSEA = 0.064, GFI = 0.996, CFI = 0.845) and the revised versions (RMSEA = 0.038, GFI = 0.991, CFI = 0.790). Conclusions The Hungarian adaptations of the BCE Scales demonstrate adequate psychometric properties, supporting their utility in research and applied settings. The BCE Scales appear to be reliable and valid tools for assessing positive early life experiences in diverse populations which contributes to the intercultural validity of these measures.