Propiedades Psicométricas de la Versión Española de la Escala de Propensión a la Desconexión Moral (PMDS-S)

The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the psychometric properties of three Spanish versions (24, 16, and 8 items) of the Propensity to Moral Disengagement Scale in Spanish adults. The sample comprised 342 individuals (Mage = 32.8, SDage = 15.8) selected under non-probability sampling. Analyses were conducted to test the internal consistency and confirm the structure of the three versions of the scale. Subsequently, the version with the best fit indicators was selected and its gender invariance was examined as well as its convergent and divergent validity by means of descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses. The results confirmed a unifactorial structure in the three versions. The 8-item version presented the best fit in the confirmatory factor analysis and reached the three levels of invariance (configural, metric, and scalar) between genders. Furthermore, this version was significantly related to different constructs. Directly and significantly, the propensity to moral disengagement was associated with dark personality and self-reported antisocial behavior; inversely and significantly, it was linked to the dimensions of perspective-taking, empathic concern, and internal moral identity. In conclusion, the Spanish version of the 8-item PMDS-S is a valid and reliable instrument for the Spanish adult population, although its results must be replicated to reinforce its generalisation, including the control of social desirability, especially in contexts such as the legal-forensic field.