Measuring dynamic goals for marriage: Development and validation of the Marital Goal Scale using Rasch modeling.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Relationship Science

Background:

• Marital satisfaction theories emphasize the role of marital goals.
• Existing measures for marital goals lack validation, hindering research.
• The dynamic goal theory and suffocation model highlight goal importance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Marital Goal Scale (MGS).
• To provide a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing marital goals.
• To facilitate empirical research on the link between marital goals and satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Marital Goal Scale (MGS) using Rasch modeling.
• Confirmatory factor analysis to confirm the scale's factorial structure.
• Validation of subscale functioning and psychometric properties across diverse samples.

Main Results:

• The MGS demonstrated strong validity and reliability.
• The scale comprises three subscales: personal growth, instrumental, and companionship goals.
• Rasch modeling supported the functioning of the 4-point rating scale for all subscales.
• Discriminant and convergent validity were confirmed in both married and unmarried samples.
• Partial support was found for key assumptions of the dynamic goal theory.

Conclusions:

• The Marital Goal Scale (MGS) is a validated instrument for measuring marital goals.
• The MGS can advance empirical research into marital satisfaction and dynamics.
• Future research should utilize the MGS to explore the influence of marital goals.