Further Validation of the Couple Relationship Scale

Patricia Starken; Peter Stratton; Aideen Kieran; Hannah Sherbersky; Melanie Shepherd; Michael Galbraith; Naureen Whittinger; Valeria Pomini; Kunsang Yang Yang; Finiki Nearchou; Mark Shevlin; Alan Carr

doi:10.1111/jmft.70100

Further Validation of the Couple Relationship Scale

Patricia Starken, Peter Stratton, Aideen Kieran, Hannah Sherbersky, Melanie Shepherd, Michael Galbraith, Naureen Whittinger, Valeria Pomini, Kunsang Yang Yang, Finiki Nearchou, Mark Shevlin, Alan Carr

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This study aimed to build on previous research by S. R. Anderson et al. in 2022 and further validate the Couple Relationship Scale (CRS), a routine outcome measure for use in couple therapy. Using data from a community sample (N = 300, Mean age = 41.61, 49% females), confirmatory factor analysis supported a robust single‐factor structure with no evidence of gender‐based measurement invariance. The CRS demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Strong concurrent validity was evidenced by strong correlations with established measures of couple functioning and moderate correlations with mental health and well‐being scales. CRS items showed expected associations with corresponding subscales of other measures of relational functioning and well‐being scales. Scores were largely independent of demographic variables. CRS shows promise as a psychometrically sound tool to bridge the research‐practice gap in couple therapy, although further validation in clinical populations is warranted.

Original language	English
Article number	e70100
Pages (from-to)	1-13
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT)
Volume	52
Issue number	1
Early online date	3 Dec 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.70100
Publication status	Published online - 3 Dec 2025

Bibliographical note

Funding

This study was funded by a grant from the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice and the Health Service Executive & University College Dublin Clinical Psychology Training sponsorship partnership.

Keywords

couple assessment
couple relationship scale
CRS
couple therapy
Reproducibility of Results
Outcome Assessment, Health Care/standards
Spouses/psychology
Humans
Middle Aged
Male
Couples Therapy/standards
Female
Adult
Psychometrics/standards
Interpersonal Relations
Couples Therapy - standards - methods
Spouses - psychology
Outcome Assessment, Health Care - standards
Psychometrics - standards - instrumentation

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1111/jmft.70100

jmft.70100.pdfFinal published version, 606 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{58e864f53b5c42ffac3a945c47a96227,

title = "Further Validation of the Couple Relationship Scale",

abstract = "This study aimed to build on previous research by S. R. Anderson et al. in 2022 and further validate the Couple Relationship Scale (CRS), a routine outcome measure for use in couple therapy. Using data from a community sample (N = 300, Mean age = 41.61, 49\% females), confirmatory factor analysis supported a robust single‐factor structure with no evidence of gender‐based measurement invariance. The CRS demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Strong concurrent validity was evidenced by strong correlations with established measures of couple functioning and moderate correlations with mental health and well‐being scales. CRS items showed expected associations with corresponding subscales of other measures of relational functioning and well‐being scales. Scores were largely independent of demographic variables. CRS shows promise as a psychometrically sound tool to bridge the research‐practice gap in couple therapy, although further validation in clinical populations is warranted.",

keywords = "couple assessment, couple relationship scale, CRS, couple therapy, Reproducibility of Results, Outcome Assessment, Health Care/standards, Spouses/psychology, Humans, Middle Aged, Male, Couples Therapy/standards, Female, Adult, Psychometrics/standards, Interpersonal Relations, Couples Therapy - standards - methods, Spouses - psychology, Outcome Assessment, Health Care - standards, Psychometrics - standards - instrumentation",

author = "Patricia Starken and Peter Stratton and Aideen Kieran and Hannah Sherbersky and Melanie Shepherd and Michael Galbraith and Naureen Whittinger and Valeria Pomini and \{Kunsang Yang Yang\} and Finiki Nearchou and Mark Shevlin and Alan Carr",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Marital and Family Therapy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1111/jmft.70100",

language = "English",

volume = "52",

pages = "1--13",

journal = "Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT)",

issn = "0194-472X",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Further Validation of the Couple Relationship Scale

AU - Starken, Patricia

AU - Stratton, Peter

AU - Kieran, Aideen

AU - Sherbersky, Hannah

AU - Shepherd, Melanie

AU - Galbraith, Michael

AU - Whittinger, Naureen

AU - Pomini, Valeria

AU - Kunsang Yang Yang, null

AU - Nearchou, Finiki

AU - Shevlin, Mark

AU - Carr, Alan

PY - 2025/12/3

Y1 - 2025/12/3

N2 - This study aimed to build on previous research by S. R. Anderson et al. in 2022 and further validate the Couple Relationship Scale (CRS), a routine outcome measure for use in couple therapy. Using data from a community sample (N = 300, Mean age = 41.61, 49% females), confirmatory factor analysis supported a robust single‐factor structure with no evidence of gender‐based measurement invariance. The CRS demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Strong concurrent validity was evidenced by strong correlations with established measures of couple functioning and moderate correlations with mental health and well‐being scales. CRS items showed expected associations with corresponding subscales of other measures of relational functioning and well‐being scales. Scores were largely independent of demographic variables. CRS shows promise as a psychometrically sound tool to bridge the research‐practice gap in couple therapy, although further validation in clinical populations is warranted.

AB - This study aimed to build on previous research by S. R. Anderson et al. in 2022 and further validate the Couple Relationship Scale (CRS), a routine outcome measure for use in couple therapy. Using data from a community sample (N = 300, Mean age = 41.61, 49% females), confirmatory factor analysis supported a robust single‐factor structure with no evidence of gender‐based measurement invariance. The CRS demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Strong concurrent validity was evidenced by strong correlations with established measures of couple functioning and moderate correlations with mental health and well‐being scales. CRS items showed expected associations with corresponding subscales of other measures of relational functioning and well‐being scales. Scores were largely independent of demographic variables. CRS shows promise as a psychometrically sound tool to bridge the research‐practice gap in couple therapy, although further validation in clinical populations is warranted.

KW - couple assessment

KW - couple relationship scale

KW - CRS

KW - couple therapy

KW - Reproducibility of Results

KW - Outcome Assessment, Health Care/standards

KW - Spouses/psychology

KW - Humans

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Male

KW - Couples Therapy/standards

KW - Female

KW - Adult

KW - Psychometrics/standards

KW - Interpersonal Relations

KW - Couples Therapy - standards - methods

KW - Spouses - psychology

KW - Outcome Assessment, Health Care - standards

KW - Psychometrics - standards - instrumentation

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105023682324

U2 - 10.1111/jmft.70100

DO - 10.1111/jmft.70100

M3 - Article

C2 - 41340171

SN - 0194-472X

VL - 52

SP - 1

EP - 13

JO - Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT)

JF - Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT)

IS - 1

M1 - e70100

ER -

Further Validation of the Couple Relationship Scale

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this