Reliability and validity of the relationship assessment scale

Abstract

There has been much debate among family scholars about how to define and measure relationship satisfaction. Much of the disagreement stems from two sources: how to define the construct of interest and whether to use a global or specific measure. The Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) was developed to measure a single construct, namely one's subjective evaluation of a close relationship. This measure is not limited to marriage relationships and has shown strong predictive validity with dating couples. This study examined the criterion-related validity of the RAS by comparing Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) scores to RAS scores in a clinical population of 55 men and 63 women. Findings of zero-order and partial correlations and a multiple regression suggest a high degree of convergence between the two instruments, with the highest correlations being between the RAS total score and DAS total score, and the RAS total score and DAS Satisfaction subscale score. Implications for interpretation and use of RAS scores are discussed.