An evaluation of the marital satisfaction inventory

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the Marital Satisfaction Inventory as an effective psychological instrument. This was accomplished in part by establishing measures of reliability and validity. A total of 309 participants completed a package of instruments which included the Marital Satisfaction Inventory (MSI), the Marital Adjustment Test (MAT), and the Personal Data Inventory (PDI). Participation was strictly voluntary and no effort was made to randomly select subjects. The reliability of the MSI was calculated using internal consistency and test-retest methods. The coefficients obtained were high, indicating that the MSI is a reliable instrument. The concurrent validity of the MSI was primarily established by correlating scores on the MSI with scores on the MAT. Secondary concurrent validity measures were also examined. Other procedures used to evaluate the MSI were an item analysis, a factor analysis, and a short-form analysis. All resulted in findings suggesting that the MSI is an effective measure of satisfaction in marriage.