Translation and Validation of the Negative Core Beliefs Inventory (NCBI) in Urdu

The recently developed Negative Core Beliefs Inventory (NCBI) aligns with Beck’s theoretical framework on negative core beliefs. It assesses two key dimensions: self-related and other-related negative core beliefs, along with four sub-dimensions specific to self-related beliefs. Despite its widespread utility, the NCBI had not been translated into Urdu. Therefore, this study aimed to translate and validate the NCBI for Urdu-speaking populations. The forward-backward translation approach was employed to obtain a precise and context-specific translation. The factor structure of NCBI Urdu translation was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) with Amos, based on a sample of 421 young adults (aged 17-25). The CFA results demonstrated acceptable fit indices for subfactors of belief about self and a decent fit for the factor solution of the NCBI translation. Moreover, SEM also demonstrated a significant fit to the first and second-level factors of the NCBI Urdu Translation, showing excellent psychometric properties. The convergent and discriminant validity were determined using a sample of 279 young adults, wherein the NCBI original scale and its Urdu translation were used as concurrent validity measure, while Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was used as a discriminant validity measure. The results revealed a marked positive correlation between the NCBI and its Urdu translation, in contrast, the NCBI Urdu translation showed a significantly high negative correlation with SWLS. Thus, the NCBI Urdu translation proved to be a valid measure for a non-clinical Pakistani normative sample, although it still needs to be evaluated on a clinical population.