What the DAS measures
Developed by Graham Spanier, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) is one of the most widely used psychometric instruments in marital and family therapy. It operates on the premise that relationship quality is not a singular trait but a composite of agreement on life domains, shared activities, expressions of affection, and the overall subjective sense of satisfaction. It serves as a strong predictor of marital stability vs. divorce trajectory.
The dimensions it assesses
- Dyadic Consensus: The degree to which the couple agrees on matters of importance (e.g., finances, religion, recreation, friends, household tasks).
- Dyadic Satisfaction: The amount of tension in the relationship and the extent to which the individual has considered ending the relationship.
- Dyadic Cohesion: The frequency of shared positive activities and the level of intellectual/emotional engagement (e.g., working together on a project, having a stimulating exchange of ideas).
- Dyadic Affectional Expression: Satisfaction with the expression of affection and sexual relations within the partnership.
What to do with your result
- Low Consensus (Disagreements): If the primary deficit is consensus, the intervention is practical negotiation. Recommend formal mediation on recurring arguments (e.g., finances, parenting) and setting strict boundaries.
- Low Cohesion (Drifting Apart): If the couple agrees on everything but lacks cohesion, they are living as roommates, not partners. Mandate shared activities, "screen-free" dinners, and dedicated quality time to rebuild the friendship matrix.
- Low Satisfaction (Despair): If the individual frequently thinks about divorce (Q16), individual therapy is required alongside couples therapy to address deep internal resentment or burnout.
Common questions about the DAS
- What does the DAS measure?
- Assessment of relationship quality, satisfaction, and adjustment between married or cohabiting partners.
- Can the DAS diagnose me?
- No. Relationship Satisfaction (DAS) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. It describes tendencies rather than diagnosing anything, and no result here is a condition or something to fix.
- Is this DAS test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the DAS?
- Traits and preferences move slowly, so retaking this every few months is more informative than retaking it often. Larger shifts usually follow a genuine change in circumstances.
- How accurate is the DAS?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
- Why can I not take the DAS here?
- Commercial licensed instrument. We will not reproduce a questionnaire we have no right to reproduce, so this page explains what it measures instead. Couples Satisfaction Index (Funk & Rogge), free for research use.
Sources
Rights held by Multi-Health Systems (MHS). Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Spanier, G. B. (1976). Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38(1), 15-28.
- Graham, J. M., Liu, Y. J., & Jeon, S. (2006). The reliability of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(3), 701-717.
- South, S. C., Krueger, R. F., & Iacono, W. G. (2009). Factor structure of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale: A genetic and environmental analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(5), 735.
Licensing
restricted. Commercial licensed instrument.