Development and validation of mindfulness measurement scale for adults across cultures

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop a scale on mindfulness applicable to adults from different demographic and cultural backgrounds. This study employed a multi-stage validation process, starting from item creation to standardization. Initially, 50 items were created based on the theoretical framework of mindfulness. A panel of 20 psychology experts used the Delphi method to rate these items. Experts rated each item's relevance using a yes/no format. Items lacking good content validity were discarded. After this step, 30 items were finalized and formatted using a 10-point Likert scale. Data was collected via Google Forms from 740 adults across five different countries. Finally, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with Varimax rotation was conducted to identify the fundamental factor structures. Considering the loadings, a four-factor model with 24 items was developed. The identified factors were Awareness, Non-judgment, Curiosity, and Presence. The scale demonstrated good psychometric properties and captured relevant psychological constructs for social sciences. The factor loadings ranged between 0.45 and 0.70, indicating meaningful connections between items and factors. The scale's Cronbach's alpha was 0.81, and the Content Validity Index for the final 24-item scale was 0.90, indicating high internal reliability and strong expert agreement on the relevance, dependability, and accuracy of the items. The scale is suitable for application in social and psychological research, clinical environments, and mindfulness-based intervention studies across various cultural contexts.