La qualità della relazione di coppia: proposta di uno strumento di valutazione multidimensionale

In this paper, the preliminary phases of making a new multidimesional self-report instrument of marital quality are tested. The first of all, the author outlines a fundamental problem in research of marriage on adequate understanding and specification of the construct of marital quality. This analysis provides a great deal of overlap in the definition of the construct and in item content of the measures that sample various domains of the marital relationship (intimacy, communication, attachment style). The confusion in the empirical literature on this topic suggests not only methodological problems, but also that marital quality may be a complex multivariate construct in which we can distinguish many dimensions. A couple’s theoretical–clinical framework, and an extensive analysis of scientific literature have guided toward an identification of some central dimensions of the construct and the domain of observables to which it relates to develop the measure of the construct. So, the author examines both new multidimensional instrument’s contents areas related to various aspects of structural, developmental, socio-cultural background and interpersonal exchanges in marital context and various methodological guide-lines for items’ constructing. The author concludes that a multidimensional measure that samples many domains of marriage may be appropriate both in a clinical and research contexts when the objectives are to have broad and articulated assessment of marriage.