The Brief Partner Behavioral Control Scale (B-PBCS): Development and Validation

Abstract

Despite the large growth of close relationships literature, partner behavioral control has been rarely the primary focus of research. It is also evident that the instruments for measuring partner behavioral control are scarce. Thus, the present study aims to develop and validate a 9-item Brief Partner Behavioral Control Scale (B-PBCS). The validity and reliability of the B-PBCS were examined in a sample of emerging adults (N = 511; 81.8% females; Range age = 18-25) who are currently in a premarital romantic relationship. To assess psychometric properties of the B-PBCS, we conducted a series of tests examining factor structure (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses), measurement invariance (configural and metric invariance), reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability), and predictive validity. Results demonstrated that the B-PBCS has a two-factor solution (overt and covert partner behavioral control), acceptable measurement invariance, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and predictive validity. The overt partner behavioral control at baseline assessment has been linked to romantic relationship conflict and psychological distress at 14-week follow-up assessment even after controlling for sex, age, and relationship duration. In conclusion, the B-PBCS offers a valid and brief measure for assessing partner behavioral control.

Strength-based parenting and adolescents’ psychological outcomes: The role of mental toughness

“…An example item is ‘I am happy to try new and challenging tasks’. Research results confirmed the unidimensional structure of the six-item short version of the MTS-A and provided good reliability coefficient (Sağkal & Özdemir, 2018b). Participants responded to a six-item scale on a 4-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree , 4 = strongly agree ), with higher scores indicating higher mental toughness.…”

“…To assess adolescents’ mental toughness, the Mental Toughness Scale for Adolescents (MTS-A; McGeown et al, 2018) was used in this study. The MTS-A was first developed by McGeown et al (2018) and later revised by Sağkal and Özdemir (2018b). While the original scale comprises six subscales (commitment, challenge, control life, control emotions, confidence in abilities, and interpersonal confidence) and 18 items in total, Sağkal and Özdemir (2018b) in their Turkish validation study with 11- to 18-year-old school children tested the validity and reliability of a short-form version of the MTS-A that included the best exemplar items of the six dimensions.…”