A REVISION OF THE DYADIC ADJUSTMENT SCALE FOR USE WITH DISTRESSED AND NONDISTRESSED COUPLES: CONSTRUCT HIERARCHY AND MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALES

The existing research on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) indicated that there were problems with some of the subscales and individual items. This study was designed to improve the instrument by following the standards of construct hierarchy. Through previous research and the analyses in this study, the subscales were found to contain some items that were homogeneous and others that were more heterogeneous. This problem was corrected by selecting out items that were homogeneous; 7 first-order scales were created which were combined to creat the 3 second-order concepts of consensus, satisfaction, and cohesion. With a sample of distressed and nondistressed couples, a series of confirmatory factor analyses was conducted. The factor analyses provided evidence for the construct validity of the new structure of the Revised DAS (RDAS) with the distressed, nondistressed, and total samples of this study, as well as with the sample from Spanier and Thompson's (1982) study. Additional analyses correlating the RDAS with another popular marital instrument provided more evidence for the construct validity of the RDAS. Criterion validity was demonstrated by discriminant analyses results. Both internal consistency and split-half reliability estimates demonstrated that the RDAS was reliable. The result also supported dividing the RDAS into two alternative forms for use in pre- and posttest studies. Summary statistics for the RDAS are presented as are implications for the field of marriage and family therapy.     

Dyadic Adjustment and Community Involvement in Same-Sex Couples

This study examines the effects of age and involvement in the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community on dyadic adjustment in 62 male and 54 female same-sex couples. Participants completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976) and scales of political and social involvement in the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community based on Peplau and Cochran (1981). Those in midlife (35 years and older) had significantly lower conflict in matters of affection and sex than those younger (less than 35 years old). Political involvement interacted significantly with gender and age in predicting dyadic consensus scores: Among younger women, greater political involvement was associated with higher dyadic consensus. Inter-partner differences in social involvement were significantly associated with greater dyadic conflict in sex and affection. Inter-partner dyadic adjustment and community involvement scores were positively correlated, in general. Findings support the importance of age in the study of same-sex couples. The implications for conceptualizations of the gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities and dyadic adjustment are discussed.     

A reliability generalization meta-analysis of coefficient alpha and test–retest coefficient for the aging males’ symptoms (AMS) scale

Purpose: The aging males’ symptoms (AMS) scale is an instrument used to determine the health-related quality of life in adult and elderly men. The purpose of this study was to synthesize internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and test–retest reliability for the AMS scale and its three subscales.

Methods: Of the 123 studies reviewed, 12 provided alpha coefficients which were then used in the meta-analyses of internal consistency. Seven of the 12 included studies provided test–retest coefficients, and these were used in the meta-analyses of test–retest reliability.

Results: The AMS scale had excellent internal consistency [α?=?0.89 (95% CI 0.88–0.90)]; the mean alpha estimates across the AMS subscales ranged from 0.79 to 0.82. The AMS scale also had good test–retest reliability [r?=?0.85 (95% CI 0.82–0.88]; the test–retest reliability coefficients of the AMS subscales ranged from 0.76 to 0.83. There was significant heterogeneity among the included studies.

Conclusions: The AMS scale and the three subscales had fairly good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Future psychometric studies of the AMS scale should report important characteristics of the participants, details of item scores, and test–retest reliability.     

Spanish validation of the Servant Leadership Short Scale for young adults and adolescents / Validación de la Escala de Liderazgo de Servicio Versión Abreviada en español para jóvenes adultos y adolescentes

The aim of the current study was to validate a shortened Spanish version of the Servant Leadership Profile (SLP). In Study 1, a number of experts evaluated and reduced the original scale to 14 items and named the revised version the Servant Leadership Short Scale (SLSS). An exploratory factor analysis conducted with a sample of 1,001 students revealed two possible structure solutions, a one-factor solution and a two-correlated factor solution. Study 2 used a different sample of 456 students to examine the explored structures using confirmatory factor analysis. A one-factor solution was proposed (χ²/df = 3.4, CFI = .91, TLI = .90, RMSEA = .07, SRMR = .06). Finally, in Study 3, servant leadership was used as a predictor of self-efficacy (b = .685, p < .001) and demonstrated good predictive validity. This model explained 41.55% of the variance on self-efficacy. Reliability analyses of the three studies showed that this 14-item Spanish version had high internal consistency. Together, the results of the three studies support the application of the SLSS in future research.     

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.     

Methodological approaches to the analyses of elder abuse screening measures: Application of latent variable measurement modeling to the WC-RAPS

While several elder abuse screens exist, few measure risk and none target long-term support services. The aims were to examine the psychometric properties of the Weinberg Center Risk and Abuse Prevention Screen (WC-RAPS), comparing approaches to modeling self-reported risk and abuse in relation to reported Adult Protective Services contacts. Methods: The sample (n = 7,035), admissions to managed long-term care (79%) and short-term rehabilitation (20%), was primarily (66%) female, with mean age 77.6 (SD = 9.10); 7% each were African American and Latino and 12% Asian. Latent variable models were used to examine measurement properties of six indicators of abuse and five of risk. Results: Good model fit and stable subscale measurement models were observed across analyses. Reliability was >0.80 across methods, and concurrent criterion validity estimates were as expected. Conclusion: Evidence supported the reliability and concurrent criterion validity of the risk and abuse subscales in an ethnically diverse cohort.     

Development of the Sexual Sensation-Seeking Scale for African American Adolescent Women

ABSTRACT

We used data derived from two independent studies to examine the psychometric properties of a new scale to measure adolescents’ willingness to engage in sexual sensation-seeking behavior. In Study 1, the Sexual Sensation-Seeking Scale for Adolescents (SSSA) was administered to a sample of 715 African American adolescents ranging in age from 15 to 21 years. The SSSA demonstrated strong internal consistency, moderate stability, and satisfactory construct validity. In Study 2, the SSSA data from a subsample of African American adolescent women detained in youth detention centers were analyzed (N = 103). Strong internal consistency was demonstrated with this sample as well. The results indicate that the SSSA is a reliable and valid measure of sexual sensation seeking for African American adolescent women.     

Parent and Child Similarities in Divorcing and Non-Divorcing Families

Abstract

It is frequently assumed that the model of their parents' marriage exerts a significant influence on the next generation, but little has been done to examine the part played by personality characteristics of parents and children. This longitudinal study examines the relative contribution of parental divorce, parents' marital (dyadic) satisfaction, conflict resolution style and selected personality qualities on children's personality qualities and self-image as adolescents and adults, and their dyadic satisfaction and conflict resolution style as adults. The samples were 67 adolescents from divorcing and intact families and their parents. Parents and children were interviewed when the children were aged 13-16, and the divorcing families were at the point of divorce. The children were followed up over 10 years until aged 23-26. At Year 1 the parents completed the anxiety, depression, sensitivity and submissiveness scales of the Neuroticism Scale Questionnaire (NSQ), the Spanier Dyadic Satisfaction Scale, and a conflict resolution scale, and made an appraisal of their children's socio-emotional maturity. Adolescents also completed the NSQ and a measure of self-image (Offer Self-Image Questionnaire: OSIQ). Ten years later the children again completed the NSQ and the OSIQ, and those who were currently in a dyadic relationship completed the Spanier and the conflict resolution scales. There were no differences on any measures between the children from divorced and intact homes. Husbands and wives were in reasonable agreement about their dyadic satisfaction and conflict resolution style, but no relationship was found between these and the corresponding self-reports of their adult children. Over the ten years of the study, mother and father depression predicted child depression, mothers' sensitivity predicted childrens' (and especially daughters') sensitivity, and fathers' lack of sensitivity predicted sons' submissiveness. The parents' appraisal of their adolescents' socio-emotional maturity at Year 1 predicted their children's self-image at Years 1 and 10, and their conflict resolution at Year 10; while self-image at Year 10 predicted contemporary Spanier scores. The findings are discussed in the light of current debates on the contribution of personality qualities to divorce and its sequelae for children.     

A Psychometric Comparison of Three Scales and a Single-Item Measure to Assess Sexual Satisfaction

This study was designed to systematically compare and contrast the psychometric properties of three scales developed to measure sexual satisfaction and a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction. The Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS), Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX), and the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale–Short (NSSS-S) were compared to one another and to a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction. Conceptualization of the constructs, distribution of scores, internal consistency, convergent validity, test-retest reliability, and factor structure were compared between the measures. A total of 211 men and 214 women completed the scales and a measure of relationship satisfaction, with 33% (n = 139) of the sample reassessed two months later. All scales demonstrated appropriate distribution of scores and adequate internal consistency. The GMSEX, NSSS-S, and the single-item measure demonstrated convergent validity. Test-retest reliability was demonstrated by the ISS, GMSEX, and NSSS-S, but not the single-item measure. Taken together, the GMSEX received the strongest psychometric support in this sample for a unidimensional measure of sexual satisfaction and the NSSS-S received the strongest psychometric support in this sample for a bidimensional measure of sexual satisfaction.     

Development and validation of the Mindful Parenting in Infancy Scale (MPIS)

Although mindfulness in parenting has been recognized as important for some time, there is a dearth of measurement tools, especially for caregivers of infants. Two studies were conducted: (1) developing and providing an initial psychometric evaluation of the Mindful Parenting in Infancy Scale (MPIS) and (2) reproducing initial findings with an independent sample of infants and caregivers. In Study 1, 37 caregivers of infants (3–12 months of age) responded to MPIS, providing indicators of parenting stress and infant temperament. Study 2 caregivers (N = 57) responded to identical measures, with infant electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded during the Still Face Procedure, along with a baseline condition. Study 1 results indicated good internal consistency, with Study 2 providing additional support for reliability. Correlations with parenting stress markers were also significant across both investigations, indicative of greater stress with lower levels of mindfulness. A number of correlations with temperament scores were also significant, and in the hypothesized direction, across both studies. Importantly, the MPIS score was predictive of infant frontal EEG asymmetry in a path model examined in the context of Study 2. Thus, the present investigation provides support for MPIS as a promising brief measurement tool based on results obtained with two independent samples.     

Attitudes Towards Gambling and Gambling Reform in Australia

The Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS) is a 14-item survey instrument examining general attitudes towards gambling (Orford et al. in Int Gambl Stud 9(1):39–54, 2009). The current study examined the validity of this scale in an Australian community sample of 1794 adults (52.8 % female). As well as considering measures of internal consistency and factor loadings, we examined the functional utility of the scale as a mediator of gambling activity, problem gambling status, and consequent opinions on national gambling-reform legislation. We found internal consistency and factor loadings of the ATGS within the Australian sample to be comparable with those observed in the original UK study. Additionally, ATGS scores were found to be a relatively robust predictor of attitudes towards gambling reform and harm minimisation. Further, the ATGS mediated the relationships between experiences with gambling and attitudes towards harm reduction. The findings suggest that the ATGS is a useful tool for examining general attitudes towards gambling within an Australian context.     

Interpersonal Forgiveness in Emotion‐Focused Couples' Therapy: Relating Process to Outcome

The objective of this study was to relate the in‐session processes involved in interpersonal forgiveness to outcome. The sample consisted of 33 couples who received 10–12 sessions of Emotion‐focused couple therapy with the aim of resolving various forms of emotional injuries (i.e., transgression that violates the expectations of a close relationship, which leaves one partner feeling hurt and angry). The results of the present study were based on the analyses of 205 video‐taped segments from 33 couples' therapies. Hypotheses relating the role of three in‐session components of resolution, the injurer's “expression of shame”; the injured partner's “accepting response” to the shame, and the injured partner's “in‐session expression of forgiveness”, to outcome were tested using hierarchical linear regression analyses. Outcome measures included the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (The Enright Forgiveness Inventory user's manual. Madison: The International Forgiveness Institute, 2000), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Journal of Marriage and Family, 1976; 13: 723) and the The Interpersonal Trust Scale (Trust; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1985; 49: 95).     

Confirmatory Validation Of The Factor Structure And Reliability Of The Sexual Risk Survey In A Large Multiuniversity Sample Of U.S. Students

Objectives: The Sexual Risk Survey (SRS) is a measure of sexual risk behavior designed to comprehensively assess sexual risk taking among college students and has been found to have good psychometric properties. However, the SRS was created and validated within a sample of U.S. Midwestern university students and the factor structure and reliability may differ in other samples. The current study expands on existing research by examining the factor structure and reliability of the SRS in a large, diverse archival data set and also provides a standardized approach to scoring the SRS. Methods: Archival data included in this study were collected from 2006 to 2013 from 5,496 university students in 16 different American academic institutions in 11 states. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original 5-factor solution described by Turchik and Garske (2009). In comparing mean subscale scores across demographic characteristics—age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion—a number of demographic differences were found, although most differences were small in magnitude. Internal consistency reliability for the total scale was .90, and subscale alphas ranged from .63 to .90 for the total pooled sample. Conclusions: The factor analysis supported the original five-factor scale and new information is presented regarding demographics differences. Scoring guidelines have been updated and information to assist researchers with the standardized scoring of the SRS is presented.     

Sexually open versus sexually exclusive marriage: A comparison of dyadic adjustment

In a study conducted in 1978, using Spanier's (1976) Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), couples in a sexually open marriage and couples in a sexually exclusive marriage were compared on dyadic adjustment. One hundred and thirty sexually open respondents were matched with 130 sexually exclusive respondents. It was found that there was no difference in response patterns between people in a sexually open marriage and those in a sexually exclusive marriage who were still living together with their spouses. On the other hand, persons who were no longer living together with their spouses, regardless of whether they were open or exclusive sexually, scored significantly lower on dyadic adjustment.The author gratefully acknowledges James R. Adams, Ph.D., for his part in the conduct of this research.     

Two‐Year Follow‐Up of the Efficacy of the PREP Training on Iranian Newlyweds

The aim of the present study was to replicate the efficacy of the Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP) training on marital satisfaction and dyadic adjustment among a group of Iranian newlyweds. One hundred and sixty heterosexual couples (N = 320 participants) were randomly assigned to an experimental or a wait list control group. Data from one hundred and forty‐eight couples were analyzed. Participants completed the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (The Family Journal, 1, 1993, 196–207) and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (The Journal of Sex Research, 39, 1976, 190–196) at pretest, posttest, 1‐year follow‐up, and 2‐year follow‐up. Results indicated that mean marital satisfaction and dyadic adjustment scores between the experimental and control groups were significantly different at posttest. Therefore, PREP training improved marital satisfaction and dyadic adjustment of couples at posttest. The data suggests that PREP training program can be introduced as an effective relationship education program for Iranian newlyweds.     

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS) in Iranian Female College Students

The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of a translated and culturally adapted Iranian version of the Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS-I) in a sample of college women. Further, the relationship between women's self-image, body appreciation, sexual functioning, and gynecological exam behavior was explored. A sample of 1,877 female students from five different universities across Qazvin and Tehran completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the FGSIS-I, and a gynecological exam behavior questionnaire. Good to excellent internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and convergent and construct validity were found. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) both provided a two-factor structure for the FGSIS-I. The validity of the FGSIS-I in predicting gynecological exam behavior of college women was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The final model accounted for 33% of the variance in gynecological exam behavior (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the FGSIS-I was found to be a highly valid and reliable instrument to assess female genital self-image in Iranian women.     

Measuring Sexual Motives: A Test of the Psychometric Properties of the Sexual Motivations Scale

Sexual motives refer to functions served by sexual behavior. The Sex Motivations Scale (SMS) has frequently been used to assess sexual motives. At its development, the SMS demonstrated good internal consistency; convergent, divergent, and criterion validity; and configural invariance across sex, age, and Caucasians and African Americans. Yet the metric and scalar invariance of the SMS has not been examined, nor has the measurement invariance of the SMS across Hispanic and Asian Americans, sexual minority status, and relationship status been tested. The criterion validity of the SMS also has yet to be examined for nonintercourse sexual behaviors, such as sexting. The present study aimed to address these gaps in a diverse sample of 2,201 college students (77.60% female; M_age = 22.06; 27.84% Caucasian). Results further affirmed the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the SMS. The convergent and divergent validity of the SMS was supported in relation to positive and negative affect and attachment patterns; and specific SMS subscales demonstrated associations with sexual intercourse behaviors and sexting, supporting the criterion validity of the SMS. These findings suggest the relevance of the SMS in assessing sexual motives across diverse populations and behaviors.     

Development and Initial Validation of the Children's Sadness Management Scale

Although sadness in children is a normal and transient experience, research has not investigated how children manage sadness. Understanding normative sadness management has important implications for helping children who exhibit maladaptive forms of emotional expression. The Children's Sadness Management Scale (CSMS) was developed to assess children's inhibition, dysregulated-expression, and coping with sadness experience and expression. Using multiple informants, reliability and validity were established based on a community sample of 227 fourth- and fifth-grade children's self-report, maternal report (N = 171), and peer ratings of behavior (N = 227). A three-factor solution was supported with strong internal consistency for the Inhibition scale and moderately strong internal consistency for the Emotion Regulation Coping and Dysregulated-Expression scales. Findings indicate that the CSMS provides a reliable and valid measure of normative sadness management.     

Discrepant Responding across Self-Report Measures of Men's Coercive and Aggressive Sexual Strategies

Researchers have worked to refine the measurement of women's experiences with sexual victimization. Less is known about the validity and reliability of measures that assess men's use of sexual coercion and aggression. These studies explore the consistency of men's responses to two distinct, but similar, measures of sexual coercion and aggression. The two measures both assess historical use of verbal coercion, sexual assault involving drugs or alcohol, and sexual assault through threat or force. Study 1 used college men as participants (N = 398), whereas Study 2 used a mixed sample of college and community men (N = 184). In both studies, participants’ responses were largely inconsistent across the two measures. This article explores potential measurement issues that may account for the observed reporting discrepancies and offers suggestions for future research.     

Faculty abstracts

Background. The Aging Males' Symptoms scale (AMS) is an internationally used scale to analyse health related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this paper is to provide evidence that the Nigerian AMS scale measures HRQoL with similar accuracy as in other language versions. We also intended to show the severity of complaints of aging in males in advanced old age. More generally, we aim to demonstrate that the Nigerian AMS scale is an applicable, validated, sensitive instrument to measure HRQoL in Nigeria.

Material. We performed a representative survey in Nigeria to get data of the AMS scale in a group of males in old age. The survey was a household-based population sample conducted in March 2006. The Nigerian data were compared with existing data from other European countries. Only community-based data were used for this comparison.

Results and discussion. The internal structure of the AMS (factorial analysis) was sufficiently similar with the comparison group of other countries in Europe to conclude that the scale really measures the same phenomenon. The sub-scores and total score correlations were high (0.8–0.9) but lower among the sub-scales (0.4–0.8). This suggests that the domains are not fully independent. The reliability (consistency) was found to be good and almost identical with European countries.

Mean scores of the Nigerian AMS did systematically differ from data of other European studies. There were much higher because of older age. The same applies for the population reference values obtained in Nigeria. It is the first time that population norm values are available for very old age.

Conclusion. The Nigerian AMS scale is a standardized HRQoL scale that showed good psychometric characteristics (reliability, validity) similar to other international versions. We suggest that the results obtained with the Nigerian AMS scale should be used preliminarily as reference for ‘norm values’ for highest age, i.e. in absence of other data. Confirmation in future studies is needed.