EVALUATING THE RELIABILITY AND SCALABILITY OF THE SINHALESE TRANSLATION OF THE PERMA PROFILER FOR SRI LANKANS: INTERNAL CONSISTENCY AND MOKKEN ANALYSIS

Abstract

The PERMA-Profiler is a reliable measure of wellbeing that has been translated and validated for use in many languages. However, there is a notable gap in evaluating its reliability for the Sri Lankan Sinhalese. Therefore, the present study aimed to translate and assess the reliability and scalability of the PERMA Profiler. The process of translation involved a parallel translation, followed by an iterative process with a review panel. Data for reliability testing were collected from thirty Sri Lankan participants recruited online. Omega Total and G6 (SMC) coefficient were calculated as measures of internal consistency. The overall wellbeing scale had excellent internal consistency. The subscales of e had excellent internal consistency. In line with previous studies, the Engagement subscale had questionable internal consistency. The Mokken scale analysis that was conducted to evaluate item scalability and the structure of subscales confirmed strong hierarchical scalability across all subscales except for Engagement. Weaker cohesion among its items and issues with the question item, “In general, how often do you lose track of time while doing something you enjoy” were identified. This warrants further investigation to establish its relevance to the Sri Lankan context. Overall wellbeing was substantially lower in the early adult age groups (26- 35 and 36- 45 years) compared to the middle-aged group (46- 55 years). The emerging adult group (18- 25 years) experienced markedly fewer positive emotions and considerably more negative emotions compared to middle-aged adults (46 - 55 years). No differences in age were observed in Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health. The translated tool is valuable for researchers’ investigating wellbeing among Sri Lankans and practitioners who require a reliable tool to assess wellbeing in their clients to inform treatment decisions.