Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic conformity scale: psychometric assessment and correlates in Lebanese adults

Conformity, the adjustment of attitudes and behaviors to align with group norms, is a key aspect of social influence, yet no validated tool exists to measure this construct in Arabic-speaking populations. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Arabic version of the Mehrabian Conformity Scale (MCS) among Lebanese adults, with a secondary objective to examine its associations with relevant sociodemographic and behavioral variables. A cross-sectional online study was conducted between February and March 2025 among 460 participants recruited via snowball sampling. The 11-item MCS was translated using forward–backward translation. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed a two-factor solution explaining 68.7% of total variance (KMO = 0.887, Bartlett’s p < 0.001). The Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the model with acceptable fit indices (χ2/df = 4.46, CFI = 0.918, TLI = 0.895, RMSEA = 0.124). The Arabic MCS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.93). Concurrent validity was supported by significant correlations with social desirability scales (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, living in rural areas predicted higher conformity (β = 0.13, p = 0.011), while older age (β=-0.01, p = 0.001) and greater cigarette dependence (β=-0.007, p = 0.022) were associated with lower conformity. The Arabic version of the Mehrabian Conformity Scale is a reliable and valid tool for assessing conformity among Arabic-speaking populations. Further research should examine test–retest reliability and cross-cultural invariance across diverse Arab populations.