Validation Study of the Spanish Version of the Measure of Happiness (MH) Questionnaire

• Published in: European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education psychology and education, 2024-05, Vol.14 (5), p.1369-1382
• Main Authors: Rizzato, Matteo, Miraglia, Laura, Arnau Mollà, Antonio Francisco, Romero Naranjo, Francisco Javier, Di Dio, Cinzia, Antonelli, Michele, Donelli, Davide
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; being; Construct Validity; Data Analysis; Discriminant analysis; Economic Status; Emotions; Factor Analysis; Factor Structure; Happiness; International organizations; Interpersonal Relationship; Italian; Job Satisfaction; Life Satisfaction; Likert scale; Likert Scales; measure of happiness; Native Speakers; Psychometrics; Quality of life; Quantitative psychology; Questionnaires; Resistance (Psychology); Romance Languages; Spanish; Translation; Validity; well; well-being
• ISSN: 2254-9625; 2174-8144; 2254-9625
• DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe14050090

This study aims to validate the Spanish version of the Measure of Happiness (MH), a questionnaire that identifies the specific areas of an individual's life that are related to experienced happiness. The sample consisted of 458 Spanish native speakers (65.7% women, 34.3% men; mean age = 24.14, = 8.45) and was divided into two groups: Sample 1 (N = 226) underwent Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Sample 2 (N = 232) underwent Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The convergent and discriminant validity of the Spanish version of the MH and its subscales was assessed by calculating Pearson correlations between the MH factors and the Subjective Happiness Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the WHOQOL-BREF. The EFA and CFA confirmed the original five-factor structure of the MH questionnaire. The only difference in the Spanish version of the MH is that Item 4, which was originally assigned to Factor 2 "Financial Status", was reallocated to Factor 1 "Psychophysical Status". The reliability of the Spanish version of the MH questionnaire was also confirmed, and the factors correlated in the expected direction with the constructs of quality of life, happiness, anxiety, and depression. The MH questionnaire demonstrated excellent psychometric properties among Spanish respondents.