Abstract
The tendency to exaggerate the positive qualities of the intimate partner and ignore its flaws is named aggrandizement, represents an important variable for the study of the couple, and there exists a scale for its assessment. This scale has been validated in Mexico, using a non-probability sampling and ignoring the ordinal level of measurement of its items. The aims of this study were to estimate the internal consistency of the Marital Aggrandizement Scale (MAS), validate a single-factor model, and show the convergent validity of the MAS. The MAS and the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) were applied to 807 married or cohabiting persons from Monterrey, Mexico, using a random-path sampling. Three of the four inversely keyed items and a positively keyed item had problems of internal consistency and validity. With the elimination of these four items (MAS_14), the number of factors in the matrix of polychoric correlations was one by the Velicer’s criterion. The fit of the one-factor model with all its independent measurement residuals was acceptable by the method of Unweighted Least Squares (χ2/df = 4.69, AGFI = .97, NFI = .96, and SRMR = .07). Internal consistency of the 14 items was good (ordinal α = .87). The correlation between MAS_14 and RAS was high (r = .65). It is concluded that the MAS reduced to 14 items is consistent, the one-factor model is validated, the MAS shows convergent validity with relationship satisfaction, and marital aggrandizement and relationship satisfaction are two distinguishable concepts.
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