Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences

Psychometric Characteristics of Nostalgia-Proneness in Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2015

Z. Shafiee[1], A. Ghamarani[2]

Received: 13/11/2016      Sent for Revision: 14/12/2016 Received Revised Manuscript: 22/04/2017  Accepted: 26/04/2017

Background and Objective: Nostalgia-Proneness is defined as a state of eager joy and happiness mixed with sadness. Students who are non-native to a region and are away from their families tend to experience a sense of "homesickness" that is associated with nostalgia for several reasons such as being unfamiliar with the university environment or the culture of the region. Therefore, given the role of nostalgia in the personal, interpersonal and mental health, it is essential to measure this variable among college students. The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Nostalgia-Proneness scale in the students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional validation research effort. It was conducted in 2015 on a group of 203 of medical students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who were selected through convenient sampling. After investigating content validity of Nostalgia-Proneness scale, the correlations between the scores and the overall score and the subscales were used. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the factor structure of the scale. Finally, internal consistency and reliability were established via Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and test-retest, respectively.

Results: Item-score correlations varied from 0.20 to 0.60 and were significant (p<0.001). Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the scale as having four factors: (1) Personal nostalgia; (2) Interpersonal nostalgia; (3) Cultural nostalgia; and (4) Virtual nostalgia. In total, factor loadings explained 63.24 percent of variance of total items. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.83 while the half-split reliability coefficient was equal to 0.75.

Conclusion: The results indicated the instrument enjoys sufficient reliability and validity among students. Therefore, the scale can be used in students of medical sciences.

Key words: Nostalgia-Proneness, Validity, Reliability, Students, Isfahan

Funding: This article did not have any funds.

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Ethical approval: The Ethics Committee of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences approved the study.

How to cite this article: Shafiee Z, Ghamarani A. Psychometric Characteristics of Nostalgia-Proneness in Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2015. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2017; 16(2): 131-44. [Farsi]