The scale of myths of romantic love: Psychometric properties and gender differences in Spanish adolescents

Abstract

Adolescence is characterized by the emergence of romantic interactions. This study aims to explore the psychometric properties of the Scale of Myths of Romantic Love (SMRL) and the gender differences in Spanish adolescents. The sample was representative and consisted of 1,840 third (52.8%) and fourth (47.2%) year students in compulsory secondary education in Castilla-La Mancha. In line with the original validation, the results of the factor analyses show that the SMRL is a mainly uni-dimensional measure when applied to adolescents. The bi-factor analysis yields satisfactory fit indices (in terms of GFI, AGFI, CFI, RMSEA, SRMR; Medrano & Muñoz-Navarro, 2017) and indicates that the general factor is more solid than the specific factors (in terms of ECV, ωh and Hh). Correlations with the Myths Scale toward Love and the Gender Equality Attitudes Scale provide evidence in favor of convergent and discriminant validity. Boys scored significantly higher than girls on the SMRL. In conclusion, this is a suitable instrument to scientifically address romantic myths at the adolescent stage, but also to complement and guide educational interventions.