Bengali translations, reliability assessment and validations of four happiness scales in a representative population from Kolkata, India

Abstract

Background: Happiness is a key parameter that governs both individual as well as societal well-being and correlates with subjective well-being across multiple life domains. Aim: Reliability assessment and validation of four happiness scales with their translated Bengali versions to estimate happiness and subjective well-being among a group of individuals from University of Calcutta. Methods: A group of 506 participants from Kolkata were randomly selected and asked to self-administer for comparative assessment of happiness scales. The scales originally constructed in the English version viz. Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI), COMPAS-W (CWS) and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) was translated into native Bengali versions. Participants had the choice of responding to either of the versions for assessment of their individual happiness. Results: Both Bengali and English version of the scales’ reliability test showed high internal consistency; Cronbach’s α (α > 0.7) for all the questionnaires. Test-retest and bilingual validity showed good reliability for all four scales. Studies on convergent and discriminant validity also confirmed validity of the scales’ construct.  Critical comparison revealed high scale reliability in both versions of SHS and PHI, and a better construct compared to CWS and OHQ. Conclusion: This study is first of its kind where Bengali translations of four worldwide cross-culturally validated scales have been carried out effectively. Our analyses revealed that both versions of SHS and PHI were better and are valid instruments for measuring individual happiness in a representative eastern Indian population.