Development of the Repair Attempts Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and test a Repair Attempts Scale to measure repair attempts as a conflict management skill in romantic relationships and test the psychometric properties. The sample consisted of 508 participants, 359 of whom were female (70.7%) and 149 of whom were male (29.3%). First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight people in romantic relationships, and a large item pool was formed. Those items were evaluated by six field experts and finalized afterward. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, data were collected from 249 people and exploratory factor analysis was performed to reveal the scale's construct validity. Exploratory factor analysis results showed that the Repair Attempts Scale had a two-dimensional structure consisting of eight items. The factors were Cognitive Repair Attempts and Affective Repair Attempts. In the second stage, data were collected from 259 participants, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed based on the structure that emerged from EFA. Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient and test-retest reliability were examined for the scale’s reliability. Item analyses were evaluated by item-total score correlation coefficients, item average scores of the lower 27% and upper 27% groups were compared. Criterion-related validity was tested by examining the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient of the relationship between the developed scale with the Responses to Dissatisfaction in Close Relationships – Accommodation Instrument and the Conflict Resolution Styles Scale in Romantic Relationships. The results showed that the Repair Attempts Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool.