Validation of the multi-dimensional scale for Anti-Social Behavior in a higher education setting (ASB) in a sample of Afghan students

BACKGROUND: Antisocial behavior extends across multiple layers of society, including communities, workplaces, and educational systems. Consequently, the study of Antisocial behavior in children, adolescents, and adults has attracted considerable interest from researchers across a wide range of disciplines. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to translate and validate the Anti-Social Behavior in a Higher Education Setting (ASB) in a sample of Afghan students. The present study employed a descriptive and validation-based approach. METHOD: The statistical population of this study consisted of 230 undergraduate students at Herat University, Afghanistan, who were enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year. In this study, students were selected using convenience sampling and completed an online survey (Qualtrics). To calculate test-retest reliability, 40 individuals were also selected and completed the ASB within two weeks. In this study, the ASB and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) were administered. RESULTS: The confirmatory factor analysis (CFI) indicated that ASB had a good fit as a two-factor model (X2/df = 1.84, CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.06). Convergent validity results showed that ASB had positive and significant relationships with depression, anxiety, and stress (P < 0.05). The findings also showed that ASB had good reliability, as indicated by internal consistency, test-retest reliability, composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the Dari/Farsi ASB questionnaire demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability and may be used to assess antisocial behavior among Afghan university students.