Development of a Psychological Capital Scale Applicable to Japanese Rural Communities

Abstract

This study focused on monitoring and enhancing individualsʼ psychological resources and developed a psychological capital scale applicable to rural communities in Japan. Psychological capital encompasses an individualʼs positive state, composed of four elements, namely hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Previous studies have demonstrated its correlation with individual and organizational performance. We first created a provisional version of the scale, considering previous studies on psychological capital primarily utilized in the workplace and its relevance to rural planning in Japan. Then, we assessed its construct validity and finalized the scale using data from a questionnaire survey. The respondents were 300 rural residents from 43 prefectures, selected and gathered through an online survey. We devised two types of scales : a standard type consisting of 12 questions and a shorter version with eight questions, both reflecting the four facets of psychological capital. We named these scales Psychological Capital Scale for Rural Community : PCR-12 and PCR-8. Both scales demonstrated reliability and construct validity across content, substantive, and external aspects, indicating their ability to capture the concept of psychological capital and describe and predict attitudes and activity levels toward rural development. Employing this scale in empirical studies or rural planning initiatives alongside other capital types such as human capital and social capital could enhance both rural planning efforts and the refinement of this scale.