An Adaptation and Validation Study of Strength Use Scale: Urdu Version

Abstract

Studying human strengths is central to understanding and promoting one’s well-being. Evidence suggests that positive outcomes of strengths depend not only on knowing/possessing them but also on how frequently they are used in daily life. The Strength Use Scale (Govindji & Linley, 2007) has been the most widely used instrument to assess this phenomenon. This study has attempted to adapt this scale and establish its psychometric properties for Pakistani adolescents. Participants of this study were 266 adolescents (aged 13-17 years) recruited through multistage cluster random sampling from schools in Pakistan. This study reached a consensus on translating the construct ‘strength’. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to establish the construct validity of the adapted version (SUS-Urdu) supporting its unidimensional structure (Factor loadings ≥ 0.5) with a good model fit (χ 2 (105) = 151.89, p < .001; CFI = .95, TLI=.94, IFI=.95, RMSEA=.06). Additionally, the psychometric assessment revealed that SUS-Urdu showed good internal consistency (α =.91), construct reliability (CR=.91), convergent validity (AVE=.42) and content validity, (S-CVI=0.91). This study adds to the existing body of knowledge by establishing the applicability of SUS to a wider population and diverse cultural context