Psychometric Validation of the Farsi Version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in a Sample of Iranian Students in the USA

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) has been widely used to evaluate for assessing mindfulness. The purpose of this research was psychometric validation of the Farsi version of the MAAS among a sample of Iranian students in the USA. The sample included 181 Iranian students attending universities in San Diego, CA. The MAAS was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis. Results of the CFA indicated a single factor structure with an acceptable fit to the data: sbX2 = 169.53 (P < 0.001); RMR = 0.084; CFI = 0.92; and RMSEA = 0.068. All of the items displayed significant factor loadings. The results indicated a significant negative relationship between MAAS and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) (r =  − 0.51; P < 0.01) and Beck Depression Inventory — Second Edition (BDI‐II) (r =  − 0.407; P < 0.01). These findings demonstrated acceptable levels of discriminant validity. Consequently, the Farsi version of MAAS was a valid and reliable instrument for assessing Iranian students’ mindfulness outside Iran. This study indicated directions for future researches.