Brief Description

The Couple Satisfaction Index 4 (CSI-4) is a brief measure that assesses relationship satisfaction in couples. It is a shortened version of the original 32-item Couples Satisfaction Index and asks about how happy, warm, comfortable, and rewarding a relationship is. Respondents answer questions about their overall happiness within their relationship (e.g., “I have a warm and comfortable relationship with my partner”) on scales from “Extremely Unhappy” to “Perfect,” “Not at all True” to “Completely True,” and “Not at all” to “Completely”.

Assessment Administration Type

Self-report

Number of questions

Age Range for Administration

18+

Recommended Frequency of Administration

No standardized frequency; recommend administering every other week or as clinically indicated.

Summary of Scoring and Interpretations

The CSI-4 contains 4 questions: the first item is scored on a 7-point Likert scale with values from 0 (“Extremely Unhappy”) to 6 (“Perfect”), the second is scored on a 6-point Likert scale with values from 0 (“Not at all True”) to 5 (“Completely True”), and items 3 and 4 are scored on a 6-point Likert scale with values from 0 (“Not at all”) to 5 (“Completely”). A total score is calculated by summing the item responses and ranges from 0 to 21; higher scores are associated with higher levels of satisfaction in the relationship. Scores below 13.5 are associated with notable relationship dissatisfaction.

Blueprint Adjustments

N/A

Clinical Considerations

Estimated completion time: 1-2 minutes
The CSI-4 is the briefest version of the CSI; there is also the CSI-16 and CSI-32, which can all be found here.
Marital satisfaction (MS) is an indicator of both mental and physical health; studies reveal that low marital satisfaction is not only detrimental for an individual's psychological well-being but also for psychiatric disorders, physical health, and self-esteem.

Citation

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 : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 21(4), 572–583. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572

Relevant Articles + Further Resources

PDF of the CSI-4 (click Download file PDF)

Understanding Marital Type and Couple Satisfaction

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