Clarifying and measuring the concept of traditional vs. egalitarian roles in marriages

To clarify and develop a measure of the concept of traditional vs. egalitarian marriages, a 13-item scale was developed and administered to two traditional groups (N=35) and three egalitarian groups (N=51), and then to four cross-validation groups (N=52). Two distinct factors or dimensions were identified. In both analyses the traditional and egalitarian groups were significantly different on the first factor, designated “the leader,” and not on the second, socioemotional factor. Reliability and initial validity of the scale in measuring leadership in the marital dyad are thus demonstrated. However, the concept of traditional vs. egalitarian marriages either needs to be narrowed to refer to leadership only or there needs to be empirical demonstration that other dimensions can be fruitfully included.