| Abstract: | Conducted 5 studies to construct and psychometrically evaluate a marital satisfaction questionnaire for older persons. The questionnaire content was generated and refined in Study 1, temporal stability was evaluated in Study 2, and criterion-related validity was examined in Study 3. Norms, factor structure, and construct validity of the questionnaire were established in Study 4. The degree to which scores on the questionnaire predicted observer ratings of marital interactions during an analog problem-solving situation was examined in Study 5. The final questionnaire consists of 24 items with 1 major and 2 minor factors. Factor scores and a total Marital Satisfaction Scale score were found to be homogeneous, temporally stable, and significantly correlated with multiple measures of marital adjustment, life satisfaction, perceived spouse behaviors, and observer ratings of marital communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
