Dyadic Adjustment Scale

The Dyadic Adjustment Scale is the most widely used self-report instrument for measuring the quality of relationships in married or cohabiting couples. Developed by Graham Spanier in 1976, it captures four fundamental dimensions of relationship functioning: consensus (agreement on key domains), satisfaction (contentment in the partnership), cohesion (togetherness and shared activities), and affectional expression (intimacy and passion). The DAS has become a gold standard in couple therapy research, relationship satisfaction studies, and marital intervention trials.