Scientific background: Relationship Satisfaction
About this test
The Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI) was developed in 2007 by Funk and Rogge (University of Rochester) using item response theory. The goal was more precise measurement of relationship satisfaction than older scales such as the Dyadic Adjustment Scale or the Marital Adjustment Test, both of which the CSI outperformed in direct comparisons. There are 4-, 16-, and 32-item versions; despite its brevity, the CSI-4 short form used here achieves measurement quality comparable to the longer versions and showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha around .94) in the original study. The questionnaire measures a single, global construct — the subjective overall evaluation of one's relationship — not individual facets like communication or sexuality.
Funk and Rogge's development study drew on a very large online sample of 5,315 people and compared eight established satisfaction scales using item response theory. It found that established, much longer scales like the Dyadic Adjustment Scale measure imprecisely at many points along the satisfaction spectrum despite their length -- the CSI was deliberately built to discriminate more precisely across the full range of scores. The full 32-item version reached an exceptionally high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .98); the CSI-4 short form used here deliberately trades some of that precision for brevity, without losing much measurement quality in the process.
Dimensions
Relationship Satisfaction
Sum across all four items (0–21 points). Cutoff from the original study: below 13.5.
Sources & license
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(4), 572–583.
The CSI is made available by the authors (Rogge Lab, University of Rochester) for free use in research and clinical practice; no separate permission is required beyond citing the original source. The CSI-4 is not in the public domain and carries no Creative Commons license. The 0–21 score range and the cutoff (sum below 13.5 = notable dissatisfaction) come from the original study. Item wording is taken verbatim from Funk & Rogge (2007); items 2–4 share one response-anchor set here (the original uses "…true" wording for item 2).
https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572