Validation of the Social Innovation Tendency Scale in Mexico

TL;DR

This study validates a scale to measure social innovation tendency among Mexican university students, revealing two key dimensions and strong reliability.

Contribution

The study introduces a revised, validated scale for social innovation tailored to the Mexican population.

Findings

The scale has two dimensions: behavioral and attitudinal elements of social innovation.

The revised scale shows strong psychometric properties and convergent validity.

The instrument is invariant by sex and semester, supporting its robustness.

Abstract

This study validates an instrument for measuring the tendency toward social innovation at the individual level within the Mexican population. The Social Innovation Tendency Scale was administered to 1129 university students in Mexico. Unlike the original unidimensional structure, the results revealed two distinct dimensions: behavioral elements (concrete actions for social change) and attitudinal elements (beliefs and values that drive social innovation). The revised structure demonstrated strong psychometric properties and acceptable fit indices, supporting its suitability for application in the Mexican population. Evidence of convergent validity and invariance by sex and semester further supports its robustness. This study contributes to a reliable instrument for assessing social innovation in higher education, offering evidence that can inform the integration of these competencies into professional training for sustainable development.

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