DEVELOPMENT AND PRELIMINARY PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF A MARITAL ADJUSTMENT SCALE: DOMAIN MAPPING AND EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS

Abstract

Marital adjustment is a multidimensional process involving the coordination of emotional, behavioral, physical, and financial aspects of intimate relationships. The present study aimed to develop a brief selfreport measure of marital adjustment and examine its preliminary psychometric properties through subjective domain mapping and exploratory factor analysis. Initially, 15 items were developed based on a review of the literature and conceptualization of four domains: financial, emotional, physical, and behavioral adjustment. Each item was subjected to subjective domain mapping and subsequently administered through an online questionnaire using a six-point Likert response format. Preliminary data were obtained from 94 participants, comprising 73 males and 22 females. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using principal axis factoring with Varimax rotation. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was .724, while Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant, χ²(105) = 455.285, p < .01, indicating suitability of the data for factor analysis. Five factors with eigenvalues greater than one were initially extracted, collectively accounting for 60.65% of the variance. Following factor examination, items demonstrating cross-loadings were excluded, and internal consistency analysis yielded Cronbach’s alpha of .701. The findings provide preliminary support for the development of a brief measure of marital adjustment. The proposed scale covers financial, emotional, physical, and behavioral aspects of marital relationships and may provide a basis for further validation among more diverse Indian populations and relationship contexts.