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The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction (EMS) Scale: A Psychometric Study in a Sample of Portuguese Parents

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  • Cristina Nunes

    (Psychology Research Centre, Campus de Gambelas, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal)

  • Cátia Martins

    (Psychology Research Centre, Campus de Gambelas, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal)

  • Andreia Leal

    (Psychology Research Centre, Campus de Gambelas, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal)

  • Pedro Pechorro

    (School of Psychology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal)

  • Laura Inês Ferreira

    (Psychology Research Centre, Campus de Gambelas, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal)

  • Lara Ayala-Nunes

    (Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK)

Abstract

Marital satisfaction is a key construct in the assessment of a couple’s relationship, and it encompasses aspects such as the feelings of affection, trust, and companionship that arise from the exchanges between spouses. The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction (EMS) Scale has been widely used as a reliable measure to assess marital satisfaction. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the psychometric properties and the factor structure of the EMS Scale in a sample of Portuguese parents. A total of 205 mothers and fathers participated; 107 were women (52%), and 98 were men (48%), and the mean age was 38.39 years ( SD = 5.85). The majority were two-parent families (89.3%), with children between the ages of 1 and 13 years ( M = 6.90), 53% of whom were boys. The participants completed the EMS Scale together with the Parenting Stress Index Short Form and the Parenting Alliance Inventory. The results from a confirmatory factor analysis corroborate the two-dimensional structure of the instrument, with internal validity and reliability values that were suitable for application in the Portuguese population. The EMS Scale can be an important resource, with good psychometric quality, for professionals and researchers, which can be used in assessment and intervention programs, both at the individual and couple levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina Nunes & Cátia Martins & Andreia Leal & Pedro Pechorro & Laura Inês Ferreira & Lara Ayala-Nunes, 2022. "The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction (EMS) Scale: A Psychometric Study in a Sample of Portuguese Parents," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:11:y:2022:i:3:p:107-:d:763992
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kaylene J. Fellows & Hsin-Yao Chiu & E. Jeffrey Hill & Alan J. Hawkins, 2016. "Work–Family Conflict and Couple Relationship Quality: A Meta-analytic Study," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 509-518, December.
    2. Ayala Nunes, Lara & Nunes, Cristina & Lemos, Ida, 2014. "Parenting Alliance Among Mothers Of Psychosocially At-Risk Families," Spatial and Organizational Dynamics Discussion Papers 2014-2, CIEO-Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University of Algarve.
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