Scale Overview
The New Personal Fable Scale – NPFS was developed by Daniel K. Lapsley (1989). It is designed to measure Personal Fable (Omnipotence, Invulnerability, Personal Uniqueness). The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and young adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 46 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Omnipotence, Invulnerability, Personal Uniqueness.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Omnipotence |
1,4,5,7,8,10,13,16,19,22,23,26,28,30,32,36,37,38,44 |
19 |
| Invulnerability |
2,11,14,17,20,29,31,35,39,40,41,42,43,45 |
14 |
| Personal Uniqueness |
3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,25,27,33,34,46 |
13 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 15 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 46 to 230. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Personal Fable Ideation: 46 – 107
- Moderate Personal Fable Ideation: 108 – 168
- High Personal Fable Ideation: 169 – 230
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Omnipotence alpha = 0.74, Personal Uniqueness alpha = 0.64, Invulnerability alpha = 0.60.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.