Translation, Validation and Reliability Testing of the Subjective Mental Effort Questionnaire (SMEQ) from English into the Malay Language

Abstract

A self-report tool called the Subjective Mental Effort Questionnaire (SMEQ) was used to evaluate a person’s mental workload function. Mental workload is also a widely used concept in cognitive ergonomics. Currently, assessment tools to measure cognitive ergonomic status have not been developed based on studies in Malaysian population. The study’s objectives were to translate, validate, and test the reliability of the SMEQ Malay version among Melaka-based allied health practitioners. Phases of translation, content validation, face validation, cognitive interviewing, and test-retest of the SMEQ Malay version were all included in the development process. The Malay version of the SMEQ had perfect content validity index (CVI) and Kappa scores for content validation. Face validity and cognitive interviews confirmed that the questionnaires had appropriate grammar, clarity, correct word spelling, accurate sentence structure, appropriate font size, and was a clear instrument structure for the target population. Further validation and reliability testing indicated that the SMEQ Malay version had good test-retest reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.961 and an standard error of measurement (SEM) = 2.725. According to this study, the SMEQ Malay version was proven to be a viable and reliable instrument for evaluating mental workload function in the Malaysian population. Future studies are recommended to compare the SMEQ Malay version among different types of jobs in Malaysia using a larger sample size and investigate complete psychometric testing among various occupations and tasks.