The freedom in Couple Relationship Scale: Initial validation in Peruvian women

Rodas-Vera N.M.; Yucra-Camposano J.; Neira-Salas J.D.; De La Cruz E.B. · Interdisciplinaria (2025) · DOI: 10.16888/interd.2025.42.2.24

Resumen

In the world, only half of the women decide on their sexual relations and contraceptive methods. In this country, half of the population believes that women must fulfill their responsibility as a wife and mother, before reaching their personal objectives. These data reveal limitations to women’s freedom. The objective of this study was to develop and analyze the psychometric properties of the Freedom in Couple Relationship Scale. A theoretical framework was proposed based on the literature of freedom, the psychology of love, and sexual health. On the literature of freedom, personality systems interactions theory (Kuhl & Quirin, 2011; Quirin & Kuhl, 2022), the theory of self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 2000) and the humanistic perspective (Frankl, 2015; Fromm, 2000) are taken. Thus, spontaneity, goal setting, personal choices, and self-determination appear to be indicators of the free person. This conceptual framework was applied to the psychology of love. Freedom encourages the couple relationship to become a space for personal (self-determination) and affective (love) development. Thus, free people would have the possibility of expressing and receiving affection, passion, and loving decisions (Sternberg, 2000) without coercion. Regarding the third theoretical framework, sexual health (WHO, 2018, 2023) and sexual communication (Edwards et al., 2017; Hensel and Fortenberry, 2013; Robinson et al., 2002) were considered as indicators of freedom sexual. Two purposive samples were studied. In the first, consisting of 225 women (Age: M = 23, SD = 3.47), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used. In the second, made up of 253 women (Age: M = 29, SD = 9.34), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and other evidence of validity and reliability were applied. Initially, a 33-item instrument with four response options was proposed. Two additional instruments were used: the General Self-efficacy Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, validated to the Peruvian population. These instruments were used because they measure variables that are associated with the theme of the couple. The AFE revealed two dimensions using the method of parallel analysis: Love freedom and sexual freedom (61 % of the variance, 28 items). The CFA yielded excellent fit indices using the Diagonally Weighted Least Squares estimator (χ2/df = 1.9, RMSEA =.06, SRMR =.06). Love freedom is defined as the set of intentional, spontaneous, and self-determined behaviors that lead a woman to be responsible for her life, finding in her relationship a favorable context to develop personally (e.g., “I make personal plans”, “I look for solutions to my problems”) and affectively (e.g., “I propose projects as a couple”, “I express my feelings”). Sexual freedom is defined as the set of intentional, autonomous, and consensual sexual expressions and decisions; it is the possibility of living passion and sexuality without coercion (e.g., “I wish to express my sexual preferences”, “I want to choose a contraceptive method”). The extracted average variance was adequate for each dimension (>.50). Adequate values were obtained in the Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio and the Fornell-Larcker criterion. Loving freedom was related with moderate effect size to life satisfaction (r =.35) and self-efficacy (r =.47). Similarly, sexual freedom had moderate effect size relationships with life satisfaction (r =.29) and self-efficacy (r =.36). Reliability was optimal for each dimension (>.90) using three methods: Alpha (Loving freedom =.93, sexual freedom =.92), alpha ordinal (Loving freedom =.95, sexual freedom =.95), and omega (Loving freedom =.94, sexual freedom =.93). It is concluded that the instrument has adequate psychometric properties that support its scientific and professional use. Future research is proposed to continue studying freedom in the couple relationship.

Instituciones: Universidad César Vallejo