Emotional intimacy, a crucial aspect of friendship, involves a sense of closeness fostered by sharing thoughts and feelings in a trusting, safe, and vulnerable manner. Accurate measurement of emotional intimacy is essential for understanding its dynamics in close relationships, including friendships. This study aimed to measure the emotional intimacy in Indonesian and evaluate its psychometric properties using the Rasch model, including an assessment of differential item functioning (DIF). These findings suggest that the Emotional Intimacy Scale holds promise as a measure of emotional intimacy within the context of Indonesian friendships.
AdamsRaymond J.WuMargaret L.WilsonMark. 2012. “The Rasch Rating Model and the Disordered Threshold Controversy.” Educational and Psychological Measurement72(4):547–73. doi:10.1177/0013164411432166.
BeatonDorcas E.BombardierClaireGuilleminFrancisFerrazMarcos Bosi. 2000. “Guidelines for the Process of Cross-cultural Adaptation of Self-report Measures.” Spine25(24):3186–91. doi:10.1097/00007632-200012150-00014.
4.
BechtigerLauraSteinhoffAnnekatrinBuchmannMarlisShanahanLilly. 2021. “Developmental Associations between Sympathy and Mutual Disclosure in Friendships from Mid-adolescence to Early Adulthood.” Journal of Research on Adolescence31:368–83. doi:10.1111/JORA.12602.
5.
BodenmannGuyMeuwlyNathalieGermannJanineNussbeckFridtjof W.HeinrichsMarkusBradburyThomas N.2015. “Effects of Stress on the Social Support Provided by Men and Women in Intimate Relationships.” Psychological Science26(10):1584–94. doi:10.1177/0956797615594616.
6.
BondTrevor G.YanZiHeeneMoritz. 2021. Applying the Rasch Model: Fundamental Measurement in the Human Sciences. New York: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780429030499.
7.
Cantó-CerdánMarioCacho-MartínezPilarLara-LacárcelFranciscoGarcía-MuñozÁngel. 2021. “Rasch Analysis for Development and Reduction of Symptom Questionnaire for Visual Dysfunctions (SQVD).” Scientific Reports11(1):14855.
8.
ChenWen-HungThissenDavid. 1997. “Local Dependence Indexes for Item Pairs Using Item Response Theory.” Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics22(3):265–89.
9.
ChristensenKarl BangKreinerSvendMesbahMounir. 2013. Rasch Models in Health. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
10.
ClarkMargaret S.MillsJudson R.2012. “A Theory of Communal (and Exchange) Relationships.” Pp. 230–50 in Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology, edited by P. A. M.Van LangeKruglanskiA. W.HigginsE. T.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
11.
CostelloMeghan A.BaileyNatasha A.SternJessica A.AllenJoseph P.2024. “Vulnerable Self-disclosure Co-develops in Adolescent Friendships: Developmental Foundations of Emotional Intimacy.” Journal of Social and Personal Relationships41(9):2432–54. doi:10.1177/02654075241244821.
12.
CronbachLee J.MeehlPaul E.1955. “Construct Validity in Psychological Tests.” Psychological Bulletin52(4):281.
13.
De BoiseSamHearnJeff. 2017. “Are Men Getting More Emotional? Critical Sociological Perspectives on Men, Masculinities and Emotions.” The Sociological Review65(4):779–96. doi:10.1177/0038026116686500.
14.
DiStefanoChristineGreerFred W.DowdyErin. 2019. “Examining the BASC-3 BESS Parent Form–Preschool Using Rasch Methodology.” Assessment26(6):1162–75.
15.
EmbretsonSusan E.ReiseSteven P. [2000] 2013. Item Response Theory for Psychologists. East Sussex, England: Psychology Press.
16.
EngelhardGeorgeJr.WangJue. 2024. Invariant Measurement: Using Rasch Models in the Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences. New York: Routledge.
17.
FankhauserPeter. 2018. “Novel Findings on Gender Differences in Self-disclosure: The Sharing of Personal Information in Japanese Students’ Close Friendships.” Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies10(1):1–30. doi:10.2478/vjeas-2018-0001.
18.
FaturochmanFaturochman. 2023. Kepercayaan Interpersonal. Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Pustaka Pelajar.
19.
FaturochmanFaturochmanNurjamanTabah Aris. 2018. Psikologi Relasi Sosial. Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Pustaka Pelajar.
20.
FischerAgnetaLaFranceMarianne. 2015. “What Drives the Smile and the Tear: Why Women Are More Emotionally Expressive Than Men.” Emotion Review7(1):22–29. doi:10.1177/1754073914544406.
21.
GaviriaElenaQuintanillaLauraNavasMaría José. 2021. “Influence of Group Identification on Malicious and Benign Envy: A Cross-sectional Developmental Study.” Frontiers in Psychology12:663735. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.663735.
22.
GoodfellowClaireHardoonDeborahInchleyJoannaLeylandAlastair H.QualterPamelaSimpsonSharon A.LongEmily. 2022. “Loneliness and Personal Well-being in Young People: Moderating Effects of Individual, Interpersonal, and Community Factors.” Journal of Adolescence94(4):554–68. doi:10.1002/jad.12046.
23.
GrishinaMicahRooneyRosanna MaryMillarLynneMannRachelManciniVincent Oreste. 2023. “The Effectiveness of Community Friendship Groups on Participant Social and Mental Health: A Meta-analysis.” Frontiers in Psychology14:1078268. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1078268.
24.
HajekAndréSutinAngelina R.LuchettiMartinaPeltzerKarlVeroneseNicolaGyasiRazak M.SoysalPınarStéphanYannickTerraccianoAntonioKönigHans-Helmut. 2025. “Perception of One’s Social Environment and Loneliness: Results of the Nationally Representative ‘Old Age in Germany (D80+)’ Study.” Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology60:1031–8. doi:10.1007/s00127-024-02774-3.
25.
HambletonRonald K.SwaminathanHariharanRogersH. Jane. [1991] 1998. Fundamentals of Item Response Theory. 6. [Print]. Measurement Methods for the Social Sciences Series. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
26.
HetheringtonSusan E.SoekenKaren L.1990. “Measuring Changes in Intimacy and Sexuality: A Self-administered Scale.” Journal of Sex Education and Therapy16(3):155–63. doi:10.1080/01614576.1990.11074987.
27.
HoffmannLisaWilbertJürgenLehoferMikeSchwabSusanne. 2021. “Are We Good Friends? – Friendship Preferences and the Quantity and Quality of Mutual Friendships.” European Journal of Special Needs Education36(4):502–16. doi:10.1080/08856257.2020.1769980.
28.
HolsterTrevor A.LakeJ.2016. “Guessing and the Rasch Model.” Language Assessment Quarterly13(2):124–41. doi:10.1080/15434303.2016.1160096.
29.
HuLi-tzeBentlerPeter M.1999. “Cutoff Criteria for Fit Indexes in Covariance Structure Analysis: Conventional Criteria Versus New Alternatives.” Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal6(1):1–55.
30.
KhalifianChandra E.BarryRobin A.2020. “Expanding Intimacy Theory: Vulnerable Disclosures and Partner Responding.” Journal of Social and Personal Relationships37(1):58–76. doi:10.1177/0265407519853047.
31.
KhatamiMuhammadNadzifahNaurahYundiantoDevie. 2021. “About Closeness and Malicious Intent: Role of Loneliness with Emotional intimacy to Malicious envy/ Tentang Kedekatan dan Niat Jahat: Peran Kesepian dengan Kelekatan Emosional Terhadap Iri Hati.” Psikoislamika : Jurnal Psikologi dan Psikologi Islam18(1):163–73. doi:10.18860/psikoislamika.v18i1.12120.
32.
KhatatbehYahyaAl OmarSalehFreihatAiman Mohammad. 2025. “Effect of Social Comparison on Envy: A Predictive Study Considering Psychological and Demographic Variables among Social Media Users.” Research Journal in Advanced Humanities6(3):1–15. doi:10.58256/jdb40888.
33.
LangeJensCrusiusJan. 2015. “Dispositional Envy Revisited: Unraveling the Motivational Dynamics of Benign and Malicious Envy.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin41(2):284–94.
34.
LapierreSimonPoulinFrançois. 2022. “Friendship Instability and Depressive Symptoms in Emerging Adulthood.” Journal of American College Health70(5):1306–10. doi:10.1080/07448481.2020.1801693.
MarroquínBrettNolen-HoeksemaSusan. 2015. “Emotion Regulation and Depressive Symptoms: Close Relationships as Social Context and Influence.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology109(5):836–55. doi:10.1037/pspi0000034.
37.
MastersGeoff N.1982. “A Rasch Model for Partial Credit Scoring.” Psychometrika47(2):149–74. doi:10.1007/BF02296272.
38.
McCarthyMegan H.WoodJoanne V.HolmesJohn G.2017. “Dispositional Pathways to Trust: Self-esteem and Agreeableness Interact to Predict Trust and Negative Emotional Disclosure.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology113(1):95–116. doi:10.1037/pspi0000093.
39.
MessickSamuel. 1995. “Validity of Psychological Assessment: Validation of Inferences from Persons’ Responses and Performances as Scientific Inquiry into Score Meaning.” American Psychologist50(9):741.
40.
PaiNagesh B.VellaShae-Leigh C.2022. “The Physical and Mental Health Consequences of Social Isolation and Loneliness in the Context of COVID-19.” Current Opinion in Psychiatry35:305–10. doi:10.1097/YCO.0000000000000806.
41.
PreacherKristopher J.HayesAndrew F.2008. “Asymptotic and Resampling Strategies for Assessing and Comparing Indirect Effects in Multiple Mediator Models.” Behavior Research Methods40(3):879–91.
42.
RachmanieAisha Sekar LazuardiniSwastiIdei Khurnia. 2022. “Peran Kualitas Persahabatan Terhadap Tingkat Stres Dengan Mediator Kesepian.” Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP)8(1):82. doi:10.22146/gamajop.69047.
43.
Roesch-MarshAutumnEmondRuth. 2021. “Care Experience and Friendship: Theory and International Evidence to Improve Practice and Future Research.” The British Journal of Social Work51(1):132–49. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcaa131.
44.
RolleroChiaraDanieleAdrianoTartagliaStefano. 2019. “Do Men Post and Women View? The Role of Gender, Personality and Emotions in Online Social Activity.” Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace13(1):1. doi:10.5817/CP2019-1-1.
45.
RoseAmanda J.SmithRhiannon L.GlickGary C.Schwartz-MetteRebecca A.2016. “Girls’ and Boys’ Problem Talk: Implications for Emotional Closeness in Friendships.” Developmental Psychology52(4):629–39. doi:10.1037/dev0000096.
46.
RosseelYves. 2012. “Lavaan: An R Package for Structural Equation Modeling.” Journal of Statistical Software48(1):1–36.
47.
RussellDanPeplauLetitia AnneFergusonMary Lund. 1978. “Developing a Measure of Loneliness.” Journal of Personality Assessment42(3):290–94.
48.
SagginoAristideMolinengoGiorgiaRogierGuyonneGarofaloCarloLoeraBarbaraTommasiMarcoVelottiPatrizia. 2020. “Improving the Psychometric Properties of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II): A Rasch Validation Study.” BMC Psychiatry20(1):8. doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2417-8.
49.
SalvasMarie-ClaudeVitaroFrankBrendgenMaraCantinStéphane. 2016. “Prospective Links between Friendship and Early Physical Aggression: Preliminary Evidence Supporting the Role of Friendship Quality through a Dyadic Intervention.” Merrill-Palmer Quarterly62(3):285. doi:10.13110/merrpalmquar1982.62.3.0285.
50.
ScheupleinMaximilianVan HarmelenAnne-Laura. 2022. “The Importance of Friendships in Reducing Brain Responses to Stress in Adolescents Exposed to Childhood Adversity: A Preregistered Systematic Review.” Current Opinion in Psychology45:101310. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101310.
51.
SchmidtMichelle E.PellicciottiHannahLongRose Marie. 2023. “An Exploration of Friendship and Well-being in Established Adulthood and Midlife.” Journal of Adult Development30(1):53–63. doi:10.1007/s10804-022-09421-8.
52.
SinclairVaughn G.DowdySharon W.2005. “Development and Validation of the Emotional Intimacy Scale.” Journal of Nursing Measurement13(3):193. doi:10.1891/jnum.13.3.193.
53.
SmithAdam B.CocksKimParryDavidTaylorMatthew. 2016. “A Differential Item Functioning Analysis of the EQ-5D in Cancer.” Value in Health19(8):1063–67. doi:10.1016/j.jval.2016.06.005.
54.
SmithAdam B.RushRobertFallowfieldLesley J.VelikovaGalinaSharpeMichael. 2008. “Rasch Fit Statistics and Sample Size Considerations for Polytomous Data.” BMC Medical Research Methodology8(1):33.
55.
TennantAlanConaghanPhilip G.2007. “The Rasch Measurement Model in Rheumatology: What Is It and Why Use It? When Should It Be Applied, and What Should One Look for in a Rasch Paper?”Arthritis Care & Research57(8):1358–62. doi:10.1002/art.23108.
56.
ThompsonAlexandraSmithMichael A.McNeillAndrewPolletThomas V.2024. “Friendships, Loneliness and Psychological Wellbeing in Older Adults: A Limit to the Benefit of the Number of Friends.” Ageing and Society44(5):1090–1115. doi:10.1017/S0144686X22000666.
57.
TolstedtBetsy E.StokesJoseph P.1983. “Relation of Verbal, Affective, and Physical Intimacy to Marital Satisfaction.” Journal of Counseling Psychology30(4):573.
58.
UbandoMelissa. 2016. “Gender Differences in Intimacy, Emotional Expressivity, and Relationship Satisfaction.” Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research4:13.
59.
Van HarmelenAnne-LauraGibsonJenny L.St ClairMichelle C.OwensMattBrodbeckJeannetteDunnValerieLewisGemmaCroudaceTimJonesPeter B.KievitRogier A.GoodyerIan M.2016. “Friendships and Family Support Reduce Subsequent Depressive Symptoms in At-risk Adolescents” Edited by S. E.Alway.” PLoS ONE11(5):e0153715. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153715.
60.
WaringE. M.ReddonJohn R.1983. “The Measurement of Intimacy in Marriage: The Waring Intimacy Questionnaire.” Journal of Clinical Psychology39(1):53–57. doi:10.1002/1097-4679(198301)39:1<53::AID-JCLP2270390110>3.0.CO;2-0.
61.
WehnerCarolineZieglerMatthias. 2023. “Narcissism and Friendship Quality: A Longitudinal Approach to Long-term Friendships.” Journal of Social and Personal Relationships40(2):670–92. doi:10.1177/02654075221122023.
62.
WeilenmannSonjaVon LucknerAlexanderHuberCharlotteBirnie-PorterCarolynPfaltzMonique C.JanssonBilly. 2024. “Validation of the German Intimacy Scale.” Psychological Test Adaptation and Development5(1):201–15. doi:10.1027/2698-1866/a000078.
63.
YenWendy M.1984. “Effects of Local Item Dependence on the Fit and Equating Performance of the Three-parameter Logistic Model.” Applied Psychological Measurement8 (2):125–45. doi:10.1177/014662168400800201.
64.
ZumboBruno D.1999. A Handbook on the Theory and Methods of Differential Item Functioning (DIF). Ottawa, ON, Canada: Directorate of Human Resources, Research and Evaluation, Department of National Defense.
