Scale Overview
The Perceived Health Competence Scale – PHCS was developed by Smith, M. S., Wallston, K. A., & Smith, C. A. (1995). It is designed to measure Perceived Health Competence. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 8 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly Disagree, 4 = Slightly Agree, 5 = Agree, 6 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 8 to 48. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perceived Health Competence: 8 – 20
- Moderate Perceived Health Competence: 21 – 35
- High Perceived Health Competence: 36 – 48
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.