Psychometric Evaluation of the Action Control Scale in Turkish Samples and the Relationship of Action-State Orientation with Emotional Labor

• Published in: Journal of personality assessment Vol. 104; no. 5; pp. 637 - 649
• Main Authors: Peker, Mehmet, Meşe, Gülgün
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Routledge 03.09.2022; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Action control; Emotional labor; Individual differences; Preoccupation; Quantitative psychology; Reliability; Translation
• ISSN: 0022-3891; 1532-7752
• DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2021.1981344

The Action Control Scale (ACS-90) measures action-state orientation (ASO), which describes individual differences in volitional processes such as goal initiation and maintenance. In this study, we examine psychometric properties of a Turkish translation of the ACS-90 (ACS-T). Moreover, we extend past research by investigating the relationship between ASO and emotional labor measured as a trait and a state construct. We conducted four studies to address our aims. Study 1 (N = 569) shows that the revised 23-item ACS-T with three factors (preoccupation, hesitation, and volatility) provides a good fit to the data and displays acceptable reliability. Study 2 (N = 377) confirms the factor structure of the 23-item ACS-T and provides evidence for construct validity. Study 3 (N = 159) shows that the hesitation subscale negatively predicts trait surface acting. Study 4 (N = 74, daily responses = 231) indicates that the preoccupation and hesitation subscales negatively predict state surface acting. Altogether, the results show that the 23-item three-factor ACS-T displays good psychometric qualities in Turkish samples and that ASO is relevant to emotional labor research.