Measuring Mankeeping: Development and Validation of a Scale Assessing How Women Experience the Impact of Men's Declining Social Networks

Abstract

Mankeeping was theorized as the unreciprocated labor women take on to compensate for losses in men’s social networks, thereby reducing the burden on families, heterosexual bonds, and men. However, there is currently no validated instrument that can reliably assess this theory. Across two studies, this paper aimed to develop and validate a scale to evaluate women’s experiences of mankeeping . Study 1 describes the scale development process using data derived from 402 heterosexually partnered women residing in the United States. Exploratory factor analysis showed a six-factor solution for a 46-item instrument, titled the Mankeeping Scale – Partner Report (MSPR), which demonstrated good reliability and validity. Study 2 tested the initial factor structure and measurement invariance of the MSPR in a sample of women in the United Kingdom ( N = 395). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the original six-factor model provides the best model fit. Results provide strong evidence for the configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance of the MSPR across both countries. Based on this invariance, additional analyses were performed on all data ( N = 797) to develop and validate a brief 18-item version of the MSPR, which retained similar psychometric properties to the 46-item scale. The MSPR now equips researchers, clinicians, and policymakers with an instrument that quantifies how women’s mankeeping intersects with losses in men’s social networks and relationship functioning, informing or monitoring future interventions. Further innovation, such as creating a companion scale from men’s perspective, will enhance our understanding of this phenomenon.