Personality Speaks Urdu: Translation and Validation of the Big Five Inventory

Abstract

Big Five Inventory (BFI) is an established measure to access personality encompassing five dimensions: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience. The aim of the present research was to translate the BFI (44 items) into Urdu and validate its psychometric attributes in the Pakistani population. In Study 1, the scale was translated using forward and back-translation procedures, followed by expert review and pilot testing with 40 participants. In Study 2, BFI-Urdu was administered to N =500 participants. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the five-factor structure with excellent model fit indices (χ²/df = 2.84, CFI = .94, GFI = .96, RMSEA = .06, SRMR = .05). Internal consistency coefficients ranged from .86 to .91, with evidence supporting satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. These findings support the psychometric soundness and cultural appropriateness of the Urdu version of the BFI. The availability of a validated Urdu-BFI facilitates reliable personality assessment in clinical, educational, and organizational settings and provides a robust tool for future cross-cultural and indigenous personality research in Pakistan.