Assessing acrimony and coparenting in dissolved relationships: validation of the BACS-8 and the MCS-DR in a Spanish sample

BACKGROUND: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to validate two instruments, the Brief Acrimony Scale-8 (BACS-8) and the Multidimensional Co-Parenting Scale for Dissolved Relationships (MCS-DR), in a Spanish sample of divorced parents. These instruments were designed to assess acrimony and coparenting dynamics, including overt and covert conflict, in postdivorce relationships. METHODS: The sample consisted of 237 divorced parents (142 women, 95 men; mean age 49.1) who were legally separated/divorced, had dependent children, and resided in Spain. The participants completed the BACS-8, the MCS-DR, the CARE questionnaire and other validation criteria. To assess the internal structure of the scales, confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were performed. To evaluate convergent and discriminant validity, Pearson correlations were employed. RESULTS: The CFA results indicated that the model fit was adequate to good for both measures (MCS-DR: RMSEA = 0.060 [95% CI], CFI = 0.949, TLI = 0.942; BACS-8: RMSEA = 0.076 [95% CI], CFI = 0.983, TLI = 0.974). A strong correlation was identified between acrimony and coparenting conflict, particularly overt conflict. Furthermore, a significant relationship was observed between covert conflict and acrimony, although to a lesser extent. The provision of coparenting support was negatively associated with acrimony and conflict and positively related with postdivorce relationship quality. CONCLUSIONS: The BACS-8 and MCS-DR are reliable and valid instruments for the assessment of acrimony and coparenting dynamics in Spanish divorced families. This study emphasises the pivotal role of overt and covert conflict in the development of postdivorce coparenting relationships. Furthermore, this highlights the necessity for targeted interventions aimed at reducing conflict and enhancing coparenting support.