ABSTRACT
The study aimed to provide validity evidence and reliability of the Scale of Myths of Romantic Love (SMRL) in Peru among young and adult individuals. Focusing on how romantic love myths affect relationship satisfaction and their ties to interpersonal violence, sexism, and gender inequality, the methodology involved 308 participants, mainly females (75%), using the SMRL and Relationship Assessment Scale. Bayesian Confirmatory Factor Analysis (BCFA) assessed the scale's structure and reliability, complemented by descriptive statistics and correlation analyses to examine the myths' impact on intimate relationships. Results showed the SMRL's two-dimensional structure, confirming its robust psychometric properties and satisfactory internal consistency. Descriptive findings revealed a skeptical view of traditional romantic myths among participants, indicating the scale's good reliability and successful adaptation to the Peruvian context. This validation highlights how debunking romantic love myths can improve relationship dynamics and satisfaction and addresses their wider societal effects.
ABSTRACT
Romantic love myths refer to culturally shared beliefs about love, falling in love and relationships. Their study and evaluation are of utmost importance, given that they have been recognized as a risk factor in dating violence with serious implications for the well-being and mental health of young people. The aim of the present study was therefore to develop a scale to evaluate beliefs about romantic love, establishing evidence of reliability and validity for the interpretation of the scores obtained. An instrumental cross-sectional design was carried out, applying the Multidimensional Romantic Love Myths Scale (MRL-MS) to a sample of 1001 Chilean young people between 18 and 25 years of age. As a result, a scale composed of 40 items assessing 8 interrelated dimensions was obtained, with evidence of validity based on internal structure, adequate levels of reliability, and evidence of metric and scalar invariance between sexes. Finally, the limitations of the study are discussed and possible applications and guidelines for future research are proposed.
Los mitos del amor romántico refieren a creencias culturalmente compartidas sobre el amor, el enamoramiento y las relaciones de pareja. Su estudio y evaluación son de suma importancia, dado que se han reconocido como un factor de riesgo en la violencia en el noviazgo con graves implicancia en el bienestar y salud mental de los jóvenes. Por tanto, el objetivo del presente estudio es desarrollar una escala que permita evaluar las creencias sobre el amor romántico, estableciendo evidencias de fiabilidad y validez para la interpretación de las puntuaciones obtenidas. Se llevó a cabo un diseño transversal de tipo instrumental, aplicando la Escala Multidimensional Mitos del Amor Romántico (MRL-MS) a una muestra de 1001 jóvenes chilenos entre 18 y 25 años. Como resultado, se obtuvo una escala compuesta por 40 ítems que evalúan 8 dimensiones interrelacionadas, con evidencia de validez basada en la estructura interna, adecuados niveles de fiabilidad, y evidencias de invarianza métrica y escalar entre sexos. Finalmente, se discuten las limitaciones del estudio y se proponen posibles aplicaciones y directrices para futuras investigaciones.
ABSTRACT
Resumen El objetivo del estudio es evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de la versión reducida de la Escala de Mitos sobre el Amor en una muestra de estudiantes colombianos. Participaron 443 estudiantes con una edad media de 20.64 años. El análisis factorial confirmatorio reporta un ajuste adecuado para un modelo bifactorial. Las dos dimensiones coinciden con la literatura y tienen una fiabilidad apropiada: idealización del amor y vinculación amor-maltrato. Los resultados, al comparar las puntuaciones de mujeres y hombres, muestran diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Se concluye que el instrumento es válido y fiable para evaluar los mitos románticos en el contexto colombiano.
Abstract The main aim of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of the reduced version of the Myths Scale toward Love in a sample of Colombian students. The research sample consists of 443 university students and their mean age is 20.64 years old. The confirmatory factor analysis shows an adequate fit for a two-factor model. Both dimensions correspond to the literature and the reliability is appropriate: Idealized love and Relation between abuse and love. The results show statistically significant differences between men and women. In conclusion, this paper verifies the validity and reliability of this scale in the Colombian background.