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Physical Attraction Scale — Short Version: Cross-Cultural Validation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2020

Victor Karandashev Open the ORCID record for Victor Karandashev [Opens in a new window] ,
Nicholas D. Evans Open the ORCID record for Nicholas D. Evans [Opens in a new window] ,
Elena Zarubko ,
Félix Neto ,
Makesha Evans ,
Veronika Artemeva ,
Kai Andito Damali Morgan ,
Cyrille Feybesse  and
Lali Surmanidze
Victor Karandashev*
Affiliation:
Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Nicholas D. Evans
Affiliation:
College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at El Paso, Texas, USA
Elena Zarubko
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychology and Pedagogics, Tyumen State University, Tyumen, Russia
Félix Neto
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology and Education Science, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
Makesha Evans
Affiliation:
International University of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica
Veronika Artemeva
Affiliation:
Baltic Academy of Education, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Kai Andito Damali Morgan
Affiliation:
University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
Cyrille Feybesse
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychology, Université de Paris, France
Lali Surmanidze
Affiliation:
Tbilisi State University, Georgia
*
Address for correspondence: Victor Karandashev, Aquinas College, Academic Building, 23 E, 1700 Fulton St., E. Grand Rapids, MI49506-1801, USA. Email: vk001@aquinas.edu
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Abstract

Physical attraction is an important dimension of both romantic and companionate relationship of partners. This article presents a comprehensive cross-cultural validation of the short version of the Physical Attraction Scale (PAS-S) scale — the first and only multidimensional measure of physical attraction available for research and practice. The initial development of the scale was completed in a multisite study conducted with a large sample of university students, largely from the midwest and southeast of the United States. Results demonstrated a two-dimensional factor structure, excellent reliability, and evidence of content, convergent and discriminant validity. The following cross-cultural studies, which used the PAS-S, confirmed its robust factor structure, validity and reliability in the samples from 10 cultural regions in six countries. Therefore, this short version of the PAS-S can be recommended for cross-cultural practice and research. The versions of the scale in English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Georgian are provided in appendices. Based on the results of cross-cultural validation, authors recommend the PAS-S for research purposes and practical use in counselling and therapy. The scale provides a short and informative measure of (1) how a person feels attraction to their partner in close relationships and (2) which aspects of attraction are problematic.

Keywords

attraction between partnersphysical attractiondimensions of physical attractionpsychometrics of attractionmeasurement of physical attraction
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 11 , 2020 , e17
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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