This article investigates the factor structure of the Stable Affective Relationships Scale (SAR; Reis, 1995). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of data from 658 Brazilian undergraduate students with average age 19.9 years old (SD=2.5), are reported. These analyses revealed five factors underlying the items on the SAR (Commitment, Construction, Mutuality, Involvement, and Indulgence) that are important in a stable affective relationship. All five factors presented good reliability (.68<α<.83), items with high (.46<λy <.75) and significant (p<.05) factor loadings. This five-factor structure had a better fit to the data (χ2/df=3.07; GFI=.91; CFI=.97; RMSEA=.056) and was statistically better fitting [Δχ2(111)=676.69, p<.001] than the unidimensional structure. The results also provided support for the validity of these new factors in exploring correlation with independent and interdependent self-construals (Singelis, 1994), basic human values (Gouveia, 2003) and gender differences.
interpersonal attraction; stable affective relationships; SAR scale; factor analysis
