A Report on the Translation into Kiswahili and Subsequent Validation, of Three Positive Psychology Scales

Whilst positive psychology has grown as a strand of the discipline internationally, very little positive psychology research has been conducted in East Africa. It is likely that one reason for this is the scarcity of relevant validated Kiswahili-language psychometric scales. This paper reports the process and outcomes of translation into Kiswahili, refinement, and validation of three commonly-used scales from the positive psychology domain – the Gratitude Questionnaire, Satisfaction With Life Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support – among students of the Universities of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Cronbach’s alpha values, mean inter-item correlations, and correlations with one another and with related measures, all yielded acceptable results. The final versions – K-GQ5, K-SWLS and K-MSPSS – appear valid and reliable, and suitable for use in research. We recommend larger scale investigation of these translations, the translation of further scales, and the development of positive psychology research in East Africa.