Development of the Japanese version of the Spitefulness Scale

This study aimed to develop the Japanese version of the Spitefulness Scale (SS-J) and evaluate its reliability and validity. Japanese participants (N = 1,500) completed the SS-J and questionnaires assessing the Dark Triad personality traits, Big Five personality traits, and Internet trolling behavior. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the SS-J had a unidimensional structure comprising 15 items. The scale demonstrates strong internal consistency. Moreover, the SS-J scores were positively correlated with Dark Triad personality traits-Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism-including Internet trolling behavior. Conversely, SS-J scores were negatively correlated with Agreeableness, a Big Five personality trait. These findings align with previous studies' findings and provide evidence for the SS-J's convergent and concurrent validity.