Measuring Marital Satisfaction: A Comparison of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Satisfaction with Married Life Scale

Marital satisfaction has been psychometrically measured using many different instruments not soundly based on theory. The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), consisting of 14 items, is commonly accepted by researchers and practitioners to measure marital satisfaction but was not specifically designed to measure marital satisfaction. The Satisfaction with Married Life Scale (SWML), consisting of five items, is a short scale specifically targeted toward measuring marital satisfaction. An online sample collected from 1,187 couples throughout the United States was used to compare these instruments' correlation (r = .782), factor structures, reliability (SWML, α = .958; RDAS, α = .943), theoretical foundation, and validity. These instruments are on parity with each other when measuring marital satisfaction; however, each instrument yields implications for practitioners and researchers desiring to measure marital satisfaction.     

Relationship Education in Community Settings: Effectiveness with Distressed and Non‐Distressed Low‐Income Racial Minority Couples

Couple relationship education (CRE) programs are intended to prevent negative couple outcomes, however, some evidence suggests couples in greater distress may still benefit. The current study examined pre‐ and postchanges in relationship functioning of 362 low‐income African American and Hispanic couples. Outcomes (dedication and communication) were assessed by examining differences between two distinct groupings of couples; distressed (both partners reporting clinically significant distress) and nondistressed (neither partner reporting clinically significant distress) couples. Distressed couples at predemonstrated large‐sized gains in all outcome variables, as compared to nondistressed couples. Those who participated in the single‐couple format demonstrated lower gains in positive communication as compared to those in the group format. Implications for distressed couples in CRE programs are offered.     

DEVELOPMENT OF THE FAMILY EMOTIONAL INVOLEMENT AND CRITCISM SCALE (FEICS): A SELF-REPORT SCALE TO MEASURE EXPRESSED EMOTION

This paper reports on the development, reliability, and validity of a self-report scale to assess from the recipients' perspective two factors derived from Expressed Emotion (EE) theroy. The Family Emotional Involvement and criticism Scale (FEICS) has two subsles: Perceived Criticism (PC) and intensity of Emotional Involvement (EI). These two factors are analogous to Critical Comments and Emotional Overeinovlvement, the two main factors of EE that are assessed through the camberwell Family Interview, the original direct observation measure of EE. FEICS was completed by 83 respondents who were a random sample of patients over 40 years of age receiving care at a Fmily Medicince Center. Cronbach's alpha was. 82 for the PC subscale and .74 for the EI subscale. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that each item loaded onn its propsed factor (all at ≥ .50) and not with the other factor (all at ≤ .15). The subscales exhibited expected correlations and partial correlations with FACES III subscales, ISEL subscales, the SCL-90 depression and anxiety subscale, and demographic variables. We conclude that the EFICS is a reliable instrument with perliminary evidence of its construct and criterion validity.     

Gambling Accessibility: A Scale to Measure Gambler Preferences

Geographic closeness of gambling venues is not the only aspect of accessibility likely to affect gambling frequency. Perceived accessibility of gambling venues may include other features such as convenience (e.g., opening hours) or “atmosphere”. The aim of the current study was to develop a multidimensional measure of gamblers’ perceptions of accessibility, and present evidence for its reliability and validity. We surveyed 303 gamblers with 43 items developed to measure different dimensions of accessibility. Factor analysis of the items produced a two factor solution. The first, Social Accessibility related to the level at which gambling venues were enjoyed because they were social places, provided varying entertainment options and had a pleasant atmosphere. The second factor, Accessible Retreat related to the degree to which venues were enjoyed because they were geographically and temporally available and provided a familiar and anonymous retreat with few interruptions or distractions. Both factors, developed as reliable subscales of the new Gambling Access Scale, demonstrated construct validity through their correlations with other gambling-related measures. Social Accessibility was moderately related to gambling frequency and amount spent, but not to problem gambling, while, as hypothesised, Accessible Retreat was associated with stronger urges to gamble and gambling problems.     

PROBLEM SOLVING SELF-APPRAISAL AND COPING EFFORTS IN DISTRESSED AND NONDISTRESSED COUPLES*

The present study sought to investigate the relationship between problem solving self-appraisal (i.e., perceived confidence, personal control, approach-avoidance), specific coping efforts (negotiation, optimistic comparisons, advice seeking, emotional discharge, selective ignoring, and resignation) and marital distress. Seventy-five couples completed the Problem Solving Inventory, the Marital Coping Questionnaire, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. When compared to nondistressed spouses, distressed spouses showed less problem solving confidence, a tendency to avoid different problem solving activities, and poor strategies to control their behavior. In addition, three coping efforts-optimistic comparisons, negotiation, and resignation–differentiated distressed from nondistressed spouses. However, the results of multiple regression analysis suggest that specific coping efforts are more important than problem solving self–appraisal in predicting marital satisfaction. These findings are discussed in terms of the role of cognitive factors in marital dysfunction.     

The Development of a Reliable Change Index and Cutoff for the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale

The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS; Busby, Crane, Larson, & Christensen, 1995) is a measure of couple relationship adjustment that is often used to differentiate between distressed and non‐distressed couples. While the measure currently allows for a determination of whether group mean scores change significantly across administrations, it lacks the ability to determine whether an individual's change in dyadic adjustment is clinically significant. This study addresses this limitation by establishing a cutoff of 47.31 and reliable change index of 11.58 for the RDAS by pooling data across multiple community and clinical samples. An individual whose score on the RDAS moves across the cutoff changes by 12 or more points can be classified as experiencing clinically significant change.     

Developing the Ideal Grandparent Scale: Initial Validity and Reliability Tests

Extant grandparent-grandchild research identifies numerous attributes of “ideal” grandparents. To date, however, intergenerational communication researchers have not been able to adequately operationalize grandchildren’s perceptions of their grandparents as ideal. As such, the purpose of this study was to develop the Ideal Grandparent Scale (IGS) by (a) assessing its concurrent and construct validity and (b) examining its reliability. First, the IGS items were derived deductively. Second, American grandchildren (N—171) completed the IGS along with several established instruments. The results of partial Pearson correlational analyses provided support for the hypotheses, which established initial evidence of the IGS’s concurrent and construct validity. Similarly, a split-half reliability test followed by a Feldt test and a Fisher z test provided strong support for the IGS’s reliability.     

Perceptions of the Ways of Mattering by People With Mental Illness

The Ways of Mattering questionnaire (N. E. Amundson, 1993, 2003) was developed to evaluate clients' perceptions of a counseling relationship. This study reports the construct and convergent validities of the Ways of Mattering as well as the internal consistency of each of its subscales for people with mental illness who were registered in supported employment programs. The questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability with this population. The instrument could be useful for identifying the basic and positive elements required to establish a solid foundation for developing a working alliance between the counselor and the client.     

Factors That Differentiate Distressed and Nondistressed Marriages in Army Soldiers

Data from U.S. Army soldiers (N = 697) were analyzed to determine the factors that differentiate distressed from nondistressed relationships. Results show that most soldiers had relationship satisfaction scores that categorized them as nondistressed. In addition, soldiers in dual-military marriages had relationship satisfaction scores similar to those of soldiers in military-civilian marriages. Finally, several variables including rank, relocation status, relationship length, and relationship status differentiated distressed from nondistressed relationships. Implications for intervention programming and future research directions are discussed.     

Family-of-origin expressiveness: measurement, meaning, and relationship to alexithymia

The need for research instruments to assess the impact of affective expressiveness within the family is evident, yet few appear to be adequately designed for this purpose. In this article, we present two studies addressing this need. In the first study, the original 40-item Family-of-Origin Scale was administered to 416 students to determine those items that constitute the factor structure. This instrument was designed to assess perceived levels of health in the family of origin but has unsubstantiated construct validity. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the instrument has one major factor, and results from five other studies provide evidence supporting the construct validity. Face validity of this 22-item construct indicates that it assesses an individual's perceived level of global expressive atmosphere within his or her family of origin. In the second study, the new Family-of-Origin Expressive Atmosphere Scale and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale were administered to 295 students. Students' self-reported expressive atmospheres in their family-of-origin scores were significantly correlated with the total scores of alexithymia and each of the three factors: impaired ability to identify feelings, impaired ability to describe feelings, and externally oriented thinking processes. No significant gender differences were found.     

Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Stigma: Results From Young Women in Ghana

Young women’s experiences with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) stigma may contribute to unintended pregnancy. Thus, stigma interventions and rigorous measures to assess their impact are needed. Based on formative work, we generated a pool of 51 items on perceived stigma around different dimensions of adolescent SRH and family planning (sex, contraception, pregnancy, childbearing, abortion). We tested items in a survey study of 1,080 women ages 15 to 24 recruited from schools, health facilities, and universities in Ghana. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) identified the most conceptually and statistically relevant scale, and multivariable regression established construct validity via associations between stigma and contraceptive use. CFA provided strong support for our hypothesized Adolescent SRH Stigma Scale (chi-square p value < 0.001; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.07; standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = 0.06). The final 20-item scale included three subscales: internalized stigma (six items), enacted stigma (seven items), and stigmatizing lay attitudes (seven items). The scale demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.74) and strong subscale correlations (α = 0.82 to 0.93). Higher SRH stigma scores were inversely associated with ever having used modern contraception (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.96, confidence interval [CI] = 0.94 to 0.99, p value = 0.006). A valid, reliable instrument for assessing SRH stigma and its impact on family planning, the Adolescent SRH Stigma Scale can inform and evaluate interventions to reduce/manage stigma and foster resilience among young women in Africa and beyond.     

The Family Economic Strain Scale: Development and Evaluation of the Instrument with Single- and Two-Parent Families

The purpose of this study is to develop an instrument to measure economic strain in single-parent and two-parent families. The Family Economic Strain Scale (FESS) originally contains 25 items. Thirteen items is adapted from previous research and 12 are developed for the study. The FESS is pilot tested using data from a sample of 59 single-mother, 12 single-father, and 164 two-parent families. Factor analysis reveals that the instrument contained one 13-itein dimension that is highly reliable (.92). The construct validity of the measure is evaluated using three hypotheses and data from a second study involving 30 single-mother, 30 single-father, and 30 two-parent families. ANOVA and standard multiple regression are used for the analyses. All three hypotheses are supported and variance accounted for is substantial. The FESS is a highly reliable and valid instrument that will be of value to researchers examining perceived economic strain in single-parent and two-parent families.     

The governance self‐assessment checklist: An instrument for assessing board effectiveness

This article describes the development and validation of the Governance Self‐Assessment Checklist (GSAC). The GSAC was designed to assist boards of directors of nonprofit and public sector organizations to identify strengths and weaknesses in the governance of their organizations, educate board members about the essentials of good governance, and improve their governance practices. The instrument comprises 144 items organized into twelve subscales. The results of the study indicated that the subscales have excellent internal consistency reliability, exhibit good criterion‐related validity, and are able to discriminate between stronger and weaker aspects of board functioning. The relative strengths and weaknesses in board effectiveness were identified, and the implications of the findings for the assessment of board effectiveness and field applications of the GSAC were discussed.     

Confirming the structure of the Why Do You Smoke? Questionnaire: a community resource for adolescent tobacco cessation

In response to the problem of adolescent smoking and limited appropriate cessation resources, this study examined the pattern and structure of the American Lung Association, Why Do You Smoke? (WDS) to determine its appropriateness for use in youth smoking cessation programs. The WDS is used to help smokers identify primary motivations for using tobacco and is comprised of eight subscales, each with three items representing primary smoking motivations ("Stimulation," "Handling," "Pleasure," "Crutch," "Psychological," "Habit," "Peer," and "Independence"). Study participants were all minors enrolled in a tobacco cessation program (n = 251). The pattern and structure of this self-assessment was examined using a correlated multiple group component factor analysis as a confirmatory approach. Findings show that the level of endorsement (as evidenced by subscale means and standard deviations) was relatively large across the eight subscales. Alpha coefficients ranged from .54 to .85. Results also underlined that the pattern coefficient matrix provided support for the hypothesized subscales through an examination of simultaneously extracted confidence intervals. These subscales should be further examined as to their usefulness in cessation interventions, such as the validity of using this instrument by gender, ethnicity, and age. However, from a measurement perspective, the confirmatory analysis provides excellent credence for the continued use of the WDS in cognitive/behavioral intervention programs targeting adolescents.     

Conceptualizing maternal and paternal autonomy support and control among adolescents in Hong Kong

This study examined how parental autonomy support and control are conceptualized by adolescents in Hong Kong (Grades 7–11) using the Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Scale. Competitive models were evaluated using confirmatory factor analyses. Although the 6-factor model demonstrated the best fit, further analyses indicated that a second-order structure was more appropriate. Provision of choice, acknowledgment of child's feelings, rationale for rules, and demands subsumed under autonomy support. Guilt-inducing criticisms and the use of threats subsumed under control. Performance pressure emerged as a first-order construct on its own. Measurement invariance was evident across adolescent gender and age. All subscales had adequate to strong reliability. Discriminate validity was evident. Findings offer insights into the conceptualization of autonomy support and control in Hong Kong.     

Portuguese translation and validation of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale

The absence of a translated and validated instrument for measuring marital satisfaction in Brazil, the largest country in South America and fifth most populous country in the world, is a significant barrier for research and mental health service delivery. The purpose of this study was to translate and validate a marital satisfaction scale into Portuguese that would have both empirical credibility and cultural relevance in Brazil. A six-step serial approach was used to simultaneously translate and culturally validate the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS). The translated instrument (RDAS-P) demonstrated good psychometric properties during field testing.     

Self-efficacy in pathological gambling treatment outcome: development of a gambling abstinence self-efficacy scale (GASS)

A 21-item measure of gambling abstinence self-efficacy (GASS) was developed. A principal component analysis of 101 pathological gamblers supported the use of a total score that showed good internal (α=.93) and retest reliability (ICC (n=35)=.86) as well as four subscales: 1) winning/external situations (6 items, α=.91); 2) negative emotions (9 items, α=.87); 3) positive mood/testing/urges (3 items, α=.70); 4) social factors (3 items, α=.81). The total and subscales showed moderate relationships with single item ratings of confidence to abstain from gambling and weak or non-significance relationships with demographic and gambling-related variables. The total score and three of the subscales showed evidence of predictive validity for gamblers not currently involved with treatment. Higher self-efficacy was related to fewer days of gambling over a 12-month period. These results provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the GASS.     

Understanding the justifiability scale in international surveys: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT

The justifiability scale (JS) is widely used to measure individual and country differences in moral attitudes. However, the validity of the instrument has been barely assessed. The current study addressed the concurrent and content validity of four popular JS items (justifiability of homosexuality, suicide, prostitution, and euthanasia). A sample of 493 Russians completed both JS and the four validated multi-item scales. Results demonstrated that multi-item scales measuring suicide, prostitution, and euthanasia attitudes explained less than half of the variance of the corresponding JS items. The JS underestimated the justifiability of homosexuality, prostitution and suicide, and overestimated the justifiability of euthanasia. The JS homosexuality item appeared to be a precise measure of attitudes towards male but less so female homosexuality. The concurrent validity of the four items was associated with item non-differentiation. We conclude that JS items should be used either after accounting for their bias, or as indicators of more abstract latent constructs.