The Japanese Versions of the General Mattering Scale-6, the Anti-mattering Scale, and the Fear of Not Mattering Inventory: Psychometric Features and Associations With Loneliness, Depression, and Burnout Among Undergraduate Students

Research on mattering has increased exponentially, yet research in non-Western cultural contexts remains limited, in part because of the lack of valid and reliable mattering scales. Measures are needed both for research purposes and for identifying individual students who may lack this key component of personal worth. This study sought to fill the gap by translating and validating major mattering scales into Japanese. The General Mattering Scale-6, Anti-Mattering Scale, and Fear of Not Mattering Inventory were translated into Japanese and administered to university students in Japan ( N = 481) along with measures of loneliness, depression, burnout, and positive and negative affect. The psychometric results showed that the translated scales were reliable and the model fit indices were acceptable. The scales showed the theoretically expected correlations with self-esteem, depression, loneliness, and burnout, providing evidence of construct validity with clear relevance to student mental health. These findings highlight the utility of these instruments for examining mattering constructs among Japanese students and point to the need for interventions and programs that promote mattering and reduce anti-mattering and the fear of not mattering.