Post-Earthquake Social Life Perception Scale: Validity and Reliability Study

The Kahramanmara & scedil; earthquakes of February 6, 2023 in T & uuml;rkiye displaced the socially embedded structure of spaces due to significant material losses and human fatalities. The earthquakes destroyed symbolically valuable and emotionally comforting "lived spaces". The displacement of the taken-for-granted world likely transformed individuals' emotional states, perceptions of space, and perspectives toward social relationships. This study aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure adults' perceptions of social life after the earthquake (Post-Earthquake Social Life Perception Scale, PESLPS). The study sample consisted of individuals residing in the container cities of Kahramanmara & scedil; and Hatay. The results indicated that the final scale comprises 10 items across three dimensions (perception of container city, emotional state, and social relationships), explaining 51.62% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor structure with acceptable fit indices (chi 2/df = 1.536; RMSEA = .037; SRMR = .0531; TLI = .921; CFI = .946; GFI = .976). The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients were adequate, with a value of .889 for the entire scale. These findings demonstrate that the PESLPS possesses acceptable levels of validity and reliability. Given T & uuml;rkiye's susceptibility to earthquakes, developing such a scale presents significant societal benefits.