Introduction: Mentalizing incapacity is increasingly identified as a common factor in psychopathology. The Mentalization Scale (MentS) is a cost-effective measure built upon the dimensional model of mentalizing. We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Iranian version of MentS.
Methods: Two samples of community-based adults (N1 = 450, N2 = 445) completed different batteries of self-report measures. In addition to MentS, participants completed measures of reflective functioning and attachment insecurities in the first sample and a measure of emotion dysregulation in the second sample.
Results: Due to the conflicting results of confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses, an item-parceling approach was applied, which replicated the original three-factor structure of MentS, yielding Self-Related Mentalization, Other-Related Mentalization, and Motivation to Mentalize. The reliability and convergent validity of MentS were supported in both samples.
Conclusion: Our findings provided preliminary evidence for using the Iranian version of MentS in nonclinical populations as a reliable and valid measure.
Keywords: Mentalization Scale; mentalizing capacity; psychometric properties.
© 2023 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.