Psychometric Properties of Persian-Prospective Imagery Task in a Non-clinical Iranian Population

Abstract

Background: Imagery involves the mental simulation of sensory experiences without external stimulation and plays a significant role in the development and persistence of various mental disorders. However, there is currently no suitable tool available in Persian to assess both positive and negative imagery abilities. Objectives: Therefore, the present study aimed to adapt the prospective imagery task (PIT), which measures positive and negative imagery abilities, and evaluate its factor structure. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 365 participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. Participants completed several scales, including the ambiguous scenarios test relevant to depressed mood II (AST-D-II), Spontaneous Use of Mental Imagery Scale (SUIS), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI-II), PIT, and Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS). The psychometric properties of the scales, including validity, reliability, and factor structure, were analyzed. Results: Cronbach’s alpha was used to evaluate the internal consistency of the scales, which was 0.90. The test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.75 (P < 0.001) over a two-week interval. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.84. Significant correlations were found between the PIT and BDI-II, AST, DARS, and SUIS, indicating good convergent validity. Two factors were identified through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal component analysis with varimax rotation, accounting for 55% of the total variance. Conclusions: The validated Persian PIT provides a reliable tool for assessing positive and negative imagery abilities in Iranian populations, facilitating future research on imagery’s role in mental health and the evaluation of imagery-based interventions. Its strong psychometric properties make it suitable for clinical applications, such as diagnosing imagery disturbances and monitoring treatment progress.