Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Trait Schadenfreude Scale (J-TSS)

Abstract

This study investigated individual differences in responses to the new Schadenfreude Scale, which was named the Japanese Version of the Trait Schadenfreude Scale (J-TSS). In Study 1, the 54 items of the original scale were translated into Japanese, and a survey was conducted with Japanese undergraduates (n=301). The items for the Japanese scale were extracted by item analysis and the content validity of the items was re-examined. Factor analysis indicated that the new J-TSS consists of two factors. The reliability of the J-TSS was confirmed, and each subscale was developed. In Study 2, a test battery consisting of the J-TSS and another scale was administered to two samples of university students (n=183 and 184). The results of Study 2 corroborated the previous study. However, the precise validity of the scale was not established due to the procedure for examining the accurate expression of items in Japan. The future possibilities of J-TSS are discussed.