Satisfying Marital Relationship among Dual-Career Couples: A Validation Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a culturally relevant scale of satisfying marriage for dual-career couples. In order to explore the phenomenology of satisfying marriage, 25 participants, 25–42 years of age, were interviewed and their responses were recorded. Responses were then collated and duplicate and vague items were discarded. The remaining responses were transformed into a four-point Likert scale to assess the content validity; 45 items constituted the Satisfying Marriage Scale (SMS). meaning] After expert validation by 13 experienced psychologists, the scale was administered to 250 married couples with age ranging from 21 years to 50 years (M = 31.40, SD = 6.27) to establish psychometric properties. meaning] SMS along with a demographic performa, Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were administered. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) yielded three factors cooperation and coordination, mutual support, and mutual respect. The scale was found to have high internal consistency ( α = 0.95), and split-half reliability ( r = 0.81) with moderate levels of concurrent and construct validity. Results of the indigenous scale were further discussed in relevance to Pakistan’s cultural context.