How do laypersons interpret the Authentic and Hubristic Pride Scales? A three-study content validity investigation

The two-facet model of pride posits that the emotion of pride comes in two distinguishable forms: authentic pride and hubristic pride. To date, most empirical research in this vein has relied on the Authentic and Hubristic Pride Scales. Yet, there has been vigorous debate as to whether these scales, particularly the Hubristic Pride scale, are valid as measures of pride. At present, this debate hinges on a question for which there has not yet been empirical evidence sufficient to draw conclusions: do laypersons perceive and interpret these scales as assessing "pride" as they understand that lay emotion term? In three studies (total N = 509), conducted with native English speakers living in primarily western cultures during summer 2022, we investigate layperson interpretations of these scales across multiple levels of analysis: layperson interpretations of the scales holistically, layperson interpretations of the scale items individually, and layperson free descriptions applying the AP and HP items to their own recalled experiences. Our results indicate that, much as scholars widely disagree as to the meaning of the Hubristic Pride scale, so too do laypersons. These lay interpretations are diffuse, lacking convergence on any single kind of construct. We conclude that layperson interpretations of the Hubristic Pride scale are so extensively varying that its scores probably cannot be used to validly assess pride or any other specific psychological construct.