Psychometric Evaluation and Misophonic Experience in a Portuguese-Speaking Sample

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Audiology

Background:

• Misophonia is an extreme sensitivity to specific sounds.
• The S-Five scale measures misophonia severity in English speakers.
• Cross-cultural validation of psychometric tools is crucial for global research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the European Portuguese version of the S-Five scale.
• To assess the psychometric properties of the S-Five scale in a Portuguese-speaking sample.
• To establish the cross-cultural stability of the S-Five scale.

Main Methods:

• Forward-backwards translation of the S-Five scale into Portuguese.
• Psychometric evaluation of the translated scale in 491 Portuguese-speaking adults.
• Confirmatory factor analysis to assess the scale's structure.

Main Results:

• The Portuguese S-Five scale demonstrated a robust five-factor structure.
• Factors included internalizing/externalizing appraisals, threat/avoidance, outbursts, and impact on functioning.
• The scale showed satisfactory psychometric properties and cross-cultural stability.

Conclusions:

• The European Portuguese S-Five scale is a psychometrically sound tool for measuring misophonia.
• This validated scale enables research on misophonia within Portuguese-speaking populations.
• The findings support the cross-cultural applicability of the S-Five scale.