Relationship Assessment Scale

What it measures

A brief, widely used measure of global romantic relationship satisfaction applicable across relationship types (dating, cohabiting, married). Items tap overall satisfaction, problems, fulfilment of needs, comparison to ideal, and regret about the relationship. The most commonly used brief relationship satisfaction measure in social and clinical psychology.

Response format

Likert (1–5 per item, anchors vary); total 7–35

Representative items

• How well does your partner meet your needs?
• In general, how satisfied are you with your relationship?
• How good is your relationship compared to most?
• How often do you wish you hadn't gotten into this relationship? (R)
• To what extent has your relationship met your original expectations?

Usage notes & scoring

(R)=reverse-scored (items 4 and 7). Mean or total score. Freely available. Widely used alongside attachment measures (ECR-R) and conflict scales in relationship research. Validated in heterosexual and same-sex couples. Sensitive to relationship distress in clinical populations.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Hendrick, S.S. (1988). A generic measure of relationship satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50(1), 93–98.

Keywords