Global marital satisfaction versus marital adjustment: An empirical comparison of three measures.

Abstract

Two measures of marital satisfaction, the Quality of Marriage Index (R. Norton, 1983) and the Relationship Satisfaction Questionnaire (D. D. Burns & S. L. Sayers, 1992) were compared to a measure of marital adjustment, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (G. B. Spanier, 1976). The measures showed excellent convergent validity (high correlations among each other and with other measures of marital functioning) and discriminant validity (low or nonsignificant correlations with psychopathology subscales). However, spouses' ratings of frequency of disagreements differed significantly from their ratings of satisfaction in the same areas. Formulas for converting scores among the measures are given, and the measures were found to have modest classification powers. The relative advantages and disadvantages of adjustment and satisfaction measures are discussed, and recommendations are made for when to use each type of measure