Psychometric Properties of the Job Search Assessment Questionnaire (CEBE) in Ecuadorian University Graduates: A Validation Study

Abstract

The “job search” is an essential life skill for adults and has varying economic, emotional, and social implications. The Job Search Assessment Questionnaire (CEBE) measures important areas including information, planning, skills, self-efficacy, and motivation. While it has demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties in the Spanish population, its psychometric properties have not been assessed in Latin American countries, which have very different labor market dynamics. This research aimed to analyze the psychometric characteristics of the CEBE with a sample of graduates from universities in Ecuador, with the aim of investigating reliability, factorial structure, and discrimination of the items. 395 graduates from a private university in Ecuador (66.3% female; M age = 33.26 years, SD = 8.53) participated. A cross-sectional instrumental design was used. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega; item discrimination using corrected item-total correlations; factor structure using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with maximum-likelihood factor extraction and varimax rotation; and Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to determine the original factor structure. Internal consistency was excellent (α = .918; ω = .920). Eleven items with DI < .30 were dropped, leaving a 28-item version. EFA recommended that the total variance was explained by six factors (KMO = .885; Bartlett’s test of sphericity χ² = 5806, df = 378, p < .001). However, the original factor structure was poorly represented in this sample in CFA, with the following fit statistics: CFI = .722, TLI = .697, SRMR = .0825, RMSEA = .107 (90% CI = .102–.111). The CEBE demonstrated excellent internal reliability in the Ecuadorian population, but its factorial validity was only partially supported and was not confirmed by CFA. Exercising caution in career situations is advisable, and additional research is needed to further clarify the factor structure or to consider adapting the instrument to the local context. There is a need for further research, including alternative models (bifactor or six-factor models) and factorial invariance across countries.