Translation, Adaptation, and Validation of the Social Stigma Scale

Abstract

The present study was designed to translate, validate, and adapt the Social Stigma Scale (SSS) (Maria et al., 2020) in the English language. The current study was designed in two phases. The first phase was the SSS’s translation into the English language through the forward and backward translation methods. The linguistic equivalence between the English and Urdu versions of the scale of SSS was measured (r=.97) in the pilot study, where an item was excluded due to low inter-item reliability. Secondly, the psychometric properties of the translated version of the SSS were established using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Convergent and Divergent Validity, and Test-Retest Reliability. The EFA retrieved a factors solution with 19 items, and the CFA confirmed a four-factor model with 12 items. The convergent and divergent validity and test-retest reliability showed that the translated version of the scale was a valid and reliable measure of the Social Stigma Scale among parents of disabled children.