Psycholinguistic Capabilities of Students: A Measurement Construct

Abstract

This study develops and validates a multidimensional construct of psycholinguistic capabilities in the context of higher education. It integrates a PRISMA-guided systematic literature review of 68 high-quality studies with original empirical data from Pakistani universities. This review highlights the lack of integrative measurement frameworks that connect psycholinguistic capabilities to classroom engagement and academic success, specifically in non-Western contexts. To address this gap, survey data were collected from 350 undergraduate students (n = 200 for exploratory analyses and n = 150 for confirmatory analyses) enrolled in Business Administration and Science programs. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) employing principal component analysis with Varimax rotation identified a three-factor structure i.e., Academic Expressive Pragmatic Competence, Academic Language Comprehension and Metalinguistic Awareness, and Verbal Working Memory and Integrative Processing accounting for 68.54% of the total variance. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) conducted on an independent sample affirms the strength of the construct, as evidenced by strong model fit indices, high standardized loadings, and acceptable levels of convergent and discriminant validity. The findings further indicate discipline-specific patterns e.g., students in the sciences prioritized cognitive–memory processing, whereas those in Business Administration exhibited stronger expressive–pragmatic competencies. The validated scale offers a reliable measurement tool for future structural equation modeling and broadens the scope of psycholinguistic research to include underrepresented educational contexts.