Abstract

This study aimed to validate the Psychological Distance Scale (PDS) within the cultural context of Korea by examining its factor structure and testing its measurement invariance. A total of 698 participants completed the survey, with 350 responses used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 348 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EFA results supported a four-factor structure-geographical, temporal, social, and uncertainty distance-consistent with the original scale. However, two items originally classified under uncertainty in the initial version of the scale were found to load onto the temporal factor in the Korean data. Excluding these two items, the factor structure of the remaining 14 items replicated that of the original scale. Based on these findings, a revised factor structure reflecting the Korean cultural context was proposed. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good model fit, thereby supporting the structural validity of the scale. Furthermore, multi-group CFA demonstrated measurement invariance across age, gender, and disaster experience. The validated scale developed in this study can be used to assess the psychological distance of climate change among the Korean population.