Beyond Connection: Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Social Connectedness Scale for Indonesian University Students

Background/purpose. Indonesian undergraduates face heightened risks of loneliness, academic stress, and digital-era isolation, yet no student-focused Indonesian adaptation of the Social Connectedness Scale (SCS/SCS R) exists; this study aimed to cross-culturally adapt and validate SCS and SCS R for Indonesian university students.

Materials/methods. Using a cross sectional design, the instruments underwent forward–back translation, expert review with Content Validity Index (CVI), cognitive interviews (n=10), and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on screened survey data from Indonesian undergraduates (n=349); reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω, and multiple fit indices (CFI, TLI, RMSEA, SRMR, GFI) guided model evaluation.

Results. Content validity was excellent (I CVI=1; S CVI=1), and cognitive interviews supported response process clarity with minor wording refinements; demographics showed no meaningful effects. The 8-item SCS achieved a stronger fit (CFI=0.956, TLI=0.939, SRMR=0.035, GFI=0.995; loadings ≥0.419), while the 20-item SCS R showed marginal fit (CFI=0.866, TLI=0.850) but higher reliability (α=0.879; ω=0.904) than SCS (α=0.823; ω=0.824); both models had RMSEA=0.069.

Conclusion. Both SCS and SCS R are valid and reliable for Indonesian undergraduates; SCS offers parsimony and superior model fit, whereas SCS R provides stronger internal consistency, enabling selection by study purpose (screening vs. comprehensive profiling). Future work should test longitudinal/predictive validity, as well as measurement invariance across subgroups and over time, to strengthen generalizability and policy utility in collectivist higher education contexts.

Keywords: Social connectedness, cross-cultural adaptation, psychometrics, Indonesian university students, confirmatory factor analysis

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