Romantic Jealousy Among Adults: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

The aim of this study is twofold: Firstly, it aimed to adapt the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale in Kosovar Albanian cultural context. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on data from 308 Kosovar Albanian adults was conducted for measuring the construct validity of the scale. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used for testing the criterion validity of the scale. Cronbach’s alpha (α) and McDonald’s omega (ω) were computed for each subscale for measuring the reliability. Secondly, it aimed to compare 309 Kosovar Albanian and 328 Turkish adults’ levels and dimensions of romantic jealousy. The Multidimensional Jealousy Scale and Personal Information Form both in Turkish and Albanian were used as data collection instruments. Finally, independent sample t-tests were performed to investigate the differences between two cultures in jealousy subscales’ scores based on demographic variables, including gender, age, and residential area. A one-way ANOVA was used when comparing the Turkish participants’ scores by age. After all, the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale (MJS) resulted in three dimensions as in the original scale and yielded a satisfactory level of reliability and validity in Kosovar Albanian context. Cross-cultural differences, with Kosovar Albanians scoring higher in each subscale of jealousy, were found. Moreover, Kosovar Albanian females reported higher emotional jealousy compared to males. While younger (18-25) Kosovar Albanians reported lower cognitive jealousy compared to the older ones (26-35), younger (18-25) Turkish participants reported higher behavioral jealousy compared to the older ones (26-35). Discussion, limitations, and recommendations were discussed.