Development and validation of the College Students’ Social Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

Background Social self-efficacy (SSE) is a key cognitive-motivational construct predicting social adjustment and mental health. However, existing SSE scales were developed in Western individualistic cultures, neglecting collectivistic characteristics (e.g., relational harmony, emotional restraint) and online social contexts. This study developed and validated a culturally adapted multidimensional College Students ‘Social Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (CSSEQ) for Chinese students. Methods A mixed-method, multi-phase design was used. Phase 1 involved semi-structured interviews ( n = 13) and open-ended surveys ( n = 266) to explore the indigenous structure. Phase 2 included item generation, expert review, content validity, item analysis, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 572). Phase 3 performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 1,011), reliability, validity, and common method bias tests. Results The final 24-item CSSEQ exhibited a three-factor correlated model: Social Interaction Competence Confidence, Emotional Regulation Confidence, and Interpersonal Awareness Confidence. CFA showed excellent fit: χ 2 /df = 2.59, RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.95, SRMR = 0.03. A higher-order model also fit acceptably. Reliability was excellent (Cronbach’s α = 0.96, composite reliability = 0.95, test–retest = 0.96). Convergent validity (AVE > 0.50), discriminant validity (HTMT < 0.85), criterion validity ( r = 0.88 with PSSE; r = 0.72 with social self-esteem), and incremental validity (Δ R 2 = 0.124) were all supported. Content validity was excellent (I-CVI > 0.78). Common method bias was not substantial (Harman’s single-factor: 28.6%). Measurement invariance across gender, grade, and major was supported (ΔCFI ≤ 0.01, ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.015). Conclusion The CSSEQ is a psychometrically rigorous, culturally grounded, and structurally robust instrument for assessing social self-efficacy among Chinese college students. Compared to the Western Perceived Social Self-Efficacy Scale (PSSE), the CSSEQ demonstrated significant incremental validity (Δ R 2 = 0.124) and a correlation of r = 0.88 (below the redundancy threshold of 0.90), indicating that it captures culturally specific components not covered by existing Western measures. It captures culturally specific components missing from Western scales and integrates modern social contexts, making it suitable for cross-cultural research, mental health screening, intervention design, and educational assessment.