Acceso usuarios
Temuco, Chile
El desarrollo positivo hace referencia a un ajuste social y psicológico positivo que focaliza su atención en las potencialidades manifiestas de los jóvenes y en la plasticidad del desarrollo humano, así como también en la importancia de la relación entre los individuos y sus contextos próximos. Es de particular importancia en la adultez emergente, debido al potencial de cambio positivo que se presenta en esta etapa. En Australia se formuló un Modelo de Desarrollo Positivo –MDP– en adultos emergentes en el cual se proponen cinco indicadores para medir dicho constructo: competencia social, satisfacción con la vida, compromiso cívico, confianza y tolerancia con los otros, y confianza en las autoridades e instituciones. El objetivo de la investigación fue adaptar culturalmente los instrumentos que evalúan los cinco componentes del MDP, para adultos emergentes universitarios del sur de Chile. Este proceso se realizó mediante tres fases: 1) traducción-retrotraducción de los instrumentos; 2) valoración del contenido por juicio de expertos, y 3) estudio piloto. Los resultados indican que los 69 ítems evaluados mantuvieron la equivalencia o el sentido original de los ítems –aunque existieron pequeños ajustes– y se obtuvo un nivel de concordancia media entre jueces tanto para el instrumento global como en los criterios evaluados, con evidencias de validez de contenido. En el estudio piloto se obtuvo una positiva valoración de los instrumentos y se realizaron modificaciones menores en los enunciados y lenguaje. Esta investigación permite obtener una adaptación cultural de los instrumentos que integran el Modelo, con miras a avanzar hacia una validación psicométrica.
Positive development refers to a positive social and psychological adjustment, focusing on the manifest potentials of young people, on the plasticity of human development, and on the importance of the relationship between individuals and their immediate contexts.
Most of the research and interventions with this approach have been carried out in adolescents. It is particularly important to extend this approach to other stages of the life cycle, such as emerging adulthood, a period of life between 18 and 29 years, due to the potential for positive change present at this stage. In Australia, a Model of Positive Development in Emerging Adults was formulated in which five indicators are proposed to measure this construct: social competence, life satisfaction, civic commitment, trust and tolerance with others, and trust in authorities and institutions. Despite the contributions of the model, most of the studies cited have been developed with Australian emerging adults, and there is no research that accounts for the study of this model in Latin America or for cultural adaptation processes that allow understanding and evaluating the development positive in emerging adulthood in a context other than the Australian one. The objective of this study was to culturally adapt the instruments that evaluate the five components of the Positive Development Model to the population of emerging university adults in southern Chile. Through quantitative research, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design, and a descriptive-correlational scope, a process of cultural adaptation was carried out through three phases: 1) translation-back translation of the items of the instruments that evaluate the five components of the Positive Development Model, 2) quantitative assessment of the content of the instruments by expert judgment, based on criteria such as sufficiency, clarity, coherence, relevance and cultural pertinence, and 3) pilot study of the instrument in its final version. Two expert bilingual translators participated in phase 1. In phase 2, the sample was made up of six expert judges, while in phase 3, 43 university students participated in the pilot study. The results of phase 1 indicate that the 69 items evaluated maintained the equivalence or the original meaning of the items, with minor adjustments in terms of vocabulary or sentences. In phase 2, an average level of agreement between judges was obtained for both the global instrument (Aiken's V of .80) and the criteria evaluated obtaining evidence of content validity and including improvements from the judges’ suggestions. In phase 3 of piloting, a positive evaluation of the instruments was obtained in terms of comprehension, length, clarity, and format, among others. Minor changes were made in the statements and language. This research is the first approach to the process of cultural adaptation of instruments to measure positive development in Chilean university emerging adults, highlighting the importance of carrying out a linguistic and cultural adaptation of the items, to adjust the structural characteristics, language, format, and statements, as well as to adjust the content to the cultural reality in which it is to be used. In addition, this research will allow continuing research associated with the validation of the psychometric properties of the Model and its instruments in Chilean university students.
