Adapting the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) for Kazakh-Speaking University Students in Kazakhstan: Translation, Validation, and a Three-Factor Model

Introduction Psychological capital is a positive psychological state that helps a person cope with difficulties, maintain optimism, and look to the future with confidence. Developing psychological capital can improve an individual’s mental health and overall well-being. Objective To translate, culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (“PsyCap-24”) developed by Luthans, Youssef, and Avolio (2007) into Kazakh for use in the context of Kazakhstan, and to determine the level of psychological capital among university students in the country. Methods The procedure complied with international standards and included independent translations, expert evaluation, and pilot testing. Psychometric testing was performed on a sample of 656 individuals (N=656) aged 16 to 27 years (M=18.5; SD=1.22). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods were used (EFA: n=456; CFA: n=200). Results The cultural adaptation of the questionnaire enabled the assessment of psychological capital among Kazakhstani students and resulted in the development of a Kazakh-language version of the instrument. The questionnaire consists of three scales: Self-efficacy, Resilience, and Hope. The validated scales demonstrated high internal consistency. Cronbach’s alpha (α) and McDonald’s omega (ω) reliability coefficients ranged from 0.894 to 0.908. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed high model fit indices, indicating good structural validity of the instrument. Discussion The empirical findings of the present study indicate that optimism items in the Kazakh sample functionally converge with components of resilience and hope. Optimism often shows weaker discriminant validity, and its items may load onto other factors in Asian, Middle Eastern, and post-Soviet samples. Conclusion The final model is a three-factor model. The adapted version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, along with its subscales (Self-efficacy, Resilience, and Hope), can be used in research, diagnostics, and educational initiatives in Kazakhstan.