Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Daniel W. McNeil

Committee Member

Mary L. Marazita

Committee Member

Christa Lilly

Abstract

The concept of genetic literacy continues to grow in clinical and social significance. Whether transforming current healthcare practices or raising questions about genetically-modified foods, genetic information and technologies are primed to further influence people’s lives. There is a growing need to understand how genetic literacy is currently assessed in order to inform and improve future test development. This study aimed to investigate the assessment of genetic literacy by psychometrically examining three contemporary genetic literacy instruments (i.e., Genetic Knowledge Survey, International Genetic Literacy and Attitudes Survey (iGLAS-GK), and University of North Carolina Genomic Knowledge Scale (UNC-GKS). Psychometric properties, including internal consistency reliability, reading level, convergent validity (i.e., health literacy and oral health literacy), and discriminant validity (i.e., logical reasoning) were assessed across knowledge tests of genetic literacy in a national USA sample of 809 participants. Results demonstrated each genetic literacy instrument to be positively associated, to a similar degree, with health literacy, oral health literacy, and logical thinking or reasoning capacity. Test difficulty, reading level, and internal reliability varied among the genetic literacy instruments. The study results represent a necessary step toward understanding the measurement of genetic literacy. Such findings and recommendations may inform choice of which genetic literacy scale to use in which circumstances, and the future refinement and development of these assessment tools.

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