Revisiting the brief self-control scale: The introduction of the brief self-control scale – 9

Self-control refers to the capacity to balance immediate and delayed gratification by adaptively assessing short-term and long-term goals. Self-control is often assessed with the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS). However, while the BSCS has been widely used, studies evaluating the psychometric properties and the factor structure of the BSCS were inconsistent, indicating the current version might not consistently capture self-control across samples. This study aimed to re-evaluate the BSCS to establish a reliable and validated measure to assess self-control. Two independent samples were used to assess the factor structure, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergence of the BSCS. In the first sample ( N = 521), an exploratory factor analysis resulted in an adapted (shorter) version of the BSCS: the Brief Self-Control Scale – 9 (BSCS-9). The BSCS-9 showed an acceptable single factor fit, but had an even better fit when used as a two-factor scale with subscales planned self-control and reactive self-control. In the second sample ( N = 101), confirmatory factor analysis supported this structure. Higher scores on the BSCS-9 and its subscales were associated with lower alcohol consumption and drinking motives, lower disinhibition, callous-aggression, and risk-taking. These findings indicate that the BSCS-9 offers a reliable and valid measure to assess self-control.