RELATIONSHIP ASSESSMENT SCALE

Abstract

The Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) is a concise, 7-item psychological scale developed in 1988 by Susan S. Hendrick to measure an individual’s general satisfaction within a current romantic relationship. Respondents utilize a 5-point Likert scale format, where scores range from 1 (low satisfaction) to 5 (high satisfaction). Its brevity and strong psychometric properties have made it a widely adopted measure of relationship quality in psychological and sociological research.

Keywords

Relationship satisfaction, relationship quality, marital satisfaction, self-report measure, dyadic adjustment, RAS, romantic relationships, psychological assessment.

Authors

Susan S. Hendrick

Purpose

The primary purpose of the RAS is to provide a brief, generic, and psychometrically sound instrument for measuring global levels of relationship satisfaction across various types of intimate partnerships, including dating, cohabiting, and married couples. Its concise nature makes it highly efficient for studies involving large samples or situations where respondent fatigue must be minimized.

The scale was designed to be universally applicable, focusing on the core, subjective evaluation of the relationship rather than specific behavioral or conflict patterns. It captures the respondent’s overall affective assessment of the success and fulfillment derived from the partnership.

Construct

The RAS measures the psychological construct of general relationship satisfaction. This construct is defined as the subjective attitude and emotional evaluation an individual holds regarding the quality of their current romantic partnership. It is a global assessment that integrates feelings about whether the partner meets one’s needs, whether the relationship compares favorably to alternatives, and the overall happiness experienced within the union.

The items were selected to tap into the most salient aspects of satisfaction, ensuring that the scale provides a single, unified score representing the individual’s global evaluation, rather than distinct sub-dimensions of relationship functioning.

Validity

The scale demonstrates robust validity across various studies. It exhibits strong convergent validity, showing high correlations with established, longer measures of relationship quality, such as the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the Marital Adjustment Test (MAT). This suggests that the RAS measures the same core construct as these more extensive instruments.

Furthermore, research supports its predictive validity. For example, studies examining the effects of shared novel and arousing activities (Aron et al., 2000) found that changes in activity participation predicted corresponding increases in RAS scores, demonstrating its sensitivity to real-world fluctuations in relationship quality. The scale’s brevity does not compromise its ability to capture meaningful variance in satisfaction.

Reliability

The Relationship Assessment Scale is highly reliable, consistently demonstrating excellent internal consistency. Across diverse samples, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients typically range between .86 and .95, indicating that the seven items are highly interrelated and reliably measure the intended single construct.

The scale also shows adequate test-retest reliability, supporting the stability of the measurement over short time intervals. This reliability ensures that observed changes in RAS scores are likely attributable to genuine changes in the respondent’s relationship status rather than measurement error.

Factor Analysis

Factor analyses conducted on the Relationship Assessment Scale consistently support a strong, unidimensional factor structure. This confirms the theoretical premise that the scale measures a single, global construct of satisfaction. All seven items load heavily onto one primary factor, justifying the use of a single summary score.

The clarity of its factor structure is a significant psychometric strength, simplifying interpretation and making the RAS an efficient tool for researchers focused on overall relationship quality rather than specific sub-components.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale

Format: 7 items utilizing a 5-point Likert scale response format (1 to 5).

Language Available: English (original), widely translated and validated in numerous languages including Spanish, German, and Chinese.

Population Group: Individuals currently involved in any form of intimate partnership (dating, cohabiting, married, engaged).

Age Group: Adolescents through older adulthood.

Population Details: Applicable to both heterosexual and same-sex relationships, and utilized across various lengths of commitment.

Test Methodology: Can be administered via paper-and-pencil or electronically. Scoring involves summing the 7 item responses after reverse scoring items 4 and 7. The resulting score is continuous, where a higher total score reflects greater relationship satisfaction.

Keywords

Self-report, psychometrics, internal consistency, reverse scoring, dyadic research, measurement precision, convergent validity, global satisfaction.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not publicly specified for this historical publication)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Relationship Assessment Scale was first published in 1988. Because it is a short, generic measure published in a major academic journal, it is widely considered to be in the public domain for non-commercial research and academic use, generally requiring no specific fee or permission beyond citing the original reference (Hendrick, 1988). The scale’s accessibility has contributed significantly to its widespread adoption in couples research.

Reference’s

• Hendrick, S. S. (1988). A generic measure of relationship satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50, 93–98.
• Aron, A., Norman, C. C., Aron, E. N., McKenna, C., & Heyman, R. E. (2000). Couples’ shared participation in novel and arousing activities and experienced relationship quality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 273-284.
• Gable, S. L., Reis, H. T., Impett, E. A., & Asher, E. R. (2004). What do you do when things go right? The intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of sharing positive events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 228-245.
• Funk, J. L. & Rogge, R. D. (2007). Testing the ruler with item response theory: Increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the Couples Satisfaction Index. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 572-583.

Items of the RELATIONSHIP ASSESSMENT SCALE

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.