Convergent validity of observational and self-report measures of marital interaction

Previous research findings have challenged the validity of couple's self-reports of their communication effectiveness. In the present study, observational ratings of couples' communication and spouses' self-reports on a multidimensional measure of marital interaction were obtained for a sample of 30 clinic and 12 nonclinic couples. The convergent validity of these two approaches to marital assessment was evaluated by identifying significant correlations for the total sample and for clinic and nonclinic couples, separately. In contrast to previous investigations of this nature, substantial convergence was obtained between the Couples Interaction Scoring System (CISS) and the Marital Satisfaction Inventory (MSI). In general, convergence of the two approaches was stronger for couples in marital therapy. Implications of these findings for clinical assessment and research with nonclinic populations are discussed.