The validation of the Malaysian Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale
Keywords:
Basic psychological needs, satisfaction, frustration, validity, reliabilityAbstract
This study examined the validity and reliability of the Malaysian version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) for assessing the basic psychological needs of lecturers, administrative personnel, and management staff in Malaysian educational institutions. The original instrument was developed by (Chen et al., 2019) and was culturally adapted for the Malaysian context. Content validity was evaluated through expert review involving five subject-matter experts. The evaluation focused on the minimum, maximum, and mean scores assigned to each item. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Overall, the experts agreed that the instrument items were relevant and appropriate for measuring the intended constructs. Nevertheless, minor revisions were recommended to improve sentence clarity, wording, and the distinction between behavioural action statements and belief-based statements. The instrument achieved an overall mean content validity score of 8.83, indicating excellent content validity. Furthermore, the reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.80, demonstrating good internal consistency. These findings suggest that the Malaysian version of the BPNSFS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs among educational personnel in Malaysia. The instrument is therefore suitable for use in future research and psychological assessment within Malaysian educational settings.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nurul Fathihah Nor Azhar, Siti Nurulhida Abdul Rahman, Mirala Sathiasheelan, Syed Mohd Hamzah, Nur Jannah Bali Mahomed (Author)
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