The Development of A Scale to Measure The Fear of Earthquake

Abstract

This study aims to develop a scale to measure the fear level of individuals towards earthquakes. The population of the research consists of individuals who were directly and indirectly affected by the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaraş province of Turkey on 6 February 2023. The sample of the research consists of 357 people who voluntarily participated in the survey. Data were collected through an online survey. Experts’ opinions, literature review and pilot study were utilized in the creation of the scale items. Psychometric properties of the scale were analyzed by test-retest, calculation of internal consistency coefficient, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and calculation of CR and AVE values. It was observed that the internal consistency levels, structure and adaptive levels of the statements on the scale of fear of earthquakes were very good. In addition, the validity and reliability of the scale were revealed through explanatory factor and confirmatory factor analyses. It was concluded that the earthquake fear scale is a measurement tool that can be used to measure the level of fear of earthquakes in Turkey and in the world.