The translation and validation of the Mini-K scale in Japanese

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to validate the 20-item Mini-K scale, which is the short form of the Arizona Life History Battery, as translated into Japanese. Two samples of Japanese adults (N=2000; 50.0% men; Mage=40.9 for the first survey; N=400; 50.0% men; Mage=42.2 for the second survey) completed a web-based questionnaire, including the Japanese translation of the Mini-K. The results showed that the psychometric properties of the Japanese Mini-K scale were comparable to those of the original English version. The scale had good reliability based on Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω. Convergent validity was demonstrated by the correlation between the Mini-K scores and life history indicators. In addition, the Mini-K score was related to both personality and psychosomatic health. The translated scale provides a valid and reliable instrument in Japanese that measures human life-history strategy.