Interpersonal Attraction Scale

Interpersonal attraction plays an important role in developing and maintaining a relationship. Interpersonal attraction includes physical attributes, social positioning, style of functioning, etc. Given that cultural factors could play a vital role in determining interpersonal attraction, it becomes important that measures used to assess it must be culturally validated before use. In the present study, we aimed to examine the validity and psychometric properties of the 15-item Interpersonal Attraction Scale (IAS; McCroskey and McCain, Speech Monographs 1973) developed and used in the Western cultural context. The original IAS includes three factors: social attraction, physical attraction, and task attraction. Using a sample of young adults from India aged between 18 and 27 years (N = 779; Male = 404; Female = 375), we examined the psychometric properties of the IAS in the Indian cultural context. The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the three-factor model with 15 items fits the data well (χ2(87) = 566.209; p < 0.001; CFI = .817; RMSEA = .084; SRMR = .058) with internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.789). Further, with model re-specification, the three-factor model with 13 items best fits the model (χ2(59) = 261.877; p < 0.001; CFI = .918; RMSEA = .066) with good internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha = 0.809) than 15 items scale. This chapter will also include the results of convergent validity and measurement invariance across gender.