Reliability and Equivalence of the Spanish Translation of the Marital

Satisfaction Inventory—Revised (MS1-R)

Charles Negy Douglas K. Snyder

University of Central Florida Texas A&M University

This study examined the reliability and linguistic equivalence of the Spanish translation of the Marital
Satisfaction Inventory—Revised (MSI R) in a sample of 86 bilingual Mexican American couples.
Overall, findings provided preliminary support for using this translation of the MSI—R with respondents
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whose preferred language is Spanish. Coefficients of internal consistency and temporal stability for scales
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constituting the Spanish MSI-R averaged .72 and .75, respectively. Linguistic equivalence coefficients
for respondents completing the MSI-R in both languages averaged ,69. Mullivariate analyses of variance
indicated no significant effect for language of administration on MSI-R scale scores. Discussion
emphasi/cs caveats in using the Spanish MSI-R and directions for further research.

Hispanics currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority
group in the United States and are projected to become the largest
ethnic minority by 2005 (U.S. Census Bureau, 1999).' Appropriate
assessment ol" Hispanic Americans is an important challenge in
this age of increasing multiculturalism (Cuellar, 1998). However,
because of historical and recent trends in emigration from Latin
American countries, as many as 40% of Hispanic adults l i v i n g in
the United States are either monolingual Spanish speakers or have
limited English proficiency (Garcia-Pretn, 1996). Consequently,
for mental health professionals to adequately provide services to
Spanish-dominant Hispanics, psychological measures available in
Spanish and having evidence of reliability and validity will be-
come increasingly important.
Marriage and family relationships constitute an integral facet of
many Hispanics' lives (Becerra. 1988; Falicov, 1996; Garcia-
Preto, 1996; Vega, 1990). Despite growing interest in assessment
strategies specific to couples and families (Kashy & Snyder, 1995;
Snyder, Cavell, Hcffcr, & Mangrum, 1995), few studies have
invesligated the relationships of Hispanic couples (Bean & Crane,
1996). Even fewer studies have addressed the appropriateness of
standardized marital and family assessment techniques with the
growing Hispanic population (Negy & Snyder, 1997). Although
several measures have been translated into Spanish for use with
Hispanic couples—including the Conflicl Tactics Scales (Straus,
Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996), Dyadic Adjustment
Scale (Spanier, 1976), Family Environment Scale (Moos & Moos,
1986), and Styles of Conflict Inventory (Metz, 1993)—rarely have
adaptations of measures originally developed in English been
examined for their reliability, validity, and linguistic (alternate
This article is based on findings presented at the meeting of the Inter-
American Congress of Psychology in Caracas, Venezuela, June 1999.
Correspondence concerning this article should he addressed to Charles
Negy, Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 161390, University of Central
Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816-1390, or to Douglas K. Snyder, Depart-
ment of Psychology. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
77843-4235. Electronic mail may be sent to cnegy@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu or
to d-snyder@tamu.edu.
language) equivalence to their original version. The lack of nor-
mative data on Hispanic marriages precludes incorporating a
culture-specific context necessary for evaluating and intervening
with distressed couples within this ethnic group. A primary factor
limiting both the clinical and research literature has been the
failure to examine standardized measures of marital functioning
with Hispanic American couples (Knight, Tein, & Shell, 1992;
Vega, 1990).
This study examined the reliability and linguistic equivalence of
the Spanish translation of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory—
Revised (MSI-R; Snyder. 1997). The MSI-R is a 150-item, true-
false, self-report measure of relationship functioning designed to
identify both the nature and intensity of distress in distinct areas of
partners' interaction. The MSI—R includes 2 validity scales, 1
global distress scale, and 10 additional scales assessing specific
dimensions of the relationship. Previous studies have supported the
internal consistency and temporal stability of MSI-R scales, as
well as their convergent and discriminant validity (see Snyder &
Aikrnan, 1999, for a review). Specifically, coefficients of internal
consistency for the MSI-R scales derived from a combined sample
of 2,040 persons from the community and 100 persons in couple
therapy ranged from .70 to .93 (M = .82); temporal stability
coefficients derived from 210 persons from the community re-
tested after 6 weeks ranged from .74 to .88 (M = .79). In a
comparison of 50 clinic couples and 77 community couples
matched on demographic indexes, each of the MSI-R scales dis-
criminated between the community and clinic couples at/? < .001,
with moderate-to-large effect sizes (Cohen's d) ranging from 0.43
to 2.35 (M = 1.07). Actuarial tables linking scale scores to
descriptors of the relationship provided by clinicians and both
spouses showed the MSI-R scales to relate to a broad range of
1
The term Hispanic is not preferred by all members of this ethnic group.
However, to eliminate potential confusion by using other terms inter-
changeably (e.g.. Latino), Hispanic will be used throughout this article
when referring to persons who trace their heritage to Spanish origins. The
exception to this is persons of Mexican descent living in the United States,
to whom we refer as Mexican Americans.
 426 NfiGY AND SNYDER
external criteria consistent with their interpretive inlenl (Snyder,
1997).
A modest body of literature has emerged examining the useful-
ness of the MSI-R in cross-cultural applications. Klann, Hahlweg,
and Hank (1992) developed a German adaptation of the original
MSI and garnered evidence for both the reliability and validity of
this translation in community and clinical settings. A more recent
analysis of their data scored on the revised MSI-R scales yielded
internal consistency coefficients ranging from .74 to .92 (M = .83)
and confirmed these scales' ability to discriminate between Ger-
man community and clinic couples with effect sizes ranging
from 0.26 to 1.22 (M = 0.75; Abbott Snyder, Cleaves, Hahlweg,
& Klann, 2000). Spasojevic, Heffer, and Snyder (2000) examined
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a Bosnian translation of the MSI-R for use with U.S. refugee
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couples and documented the linkage of relationship difficulties to
posttraumatic stress in this population. Measures of affeclivc and
problem-solving communication, quality of leisure time together,
disagreement about finances, and dissatisfaction with the sexual
relationship con-elated significantly (p < .01) with measures of
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology for both
husbands and wives (>s ranging from .42 to .74). In a study
comparing 75 Mexican American and 66 non-Hispanic White
American couples on the English version of the MSI-R, Negy and
Snyder (1997) found preliminary evidence for the structural equiv-
alence of MSI-R scales across both groups; moreover, multivariate
analyses indicated the absence of a significant effect for ethnicity
on mean scale profiles. In a follow-up study comparing these
monoethnic couples with 72 interethnic couples in which one
partner was Mexican American and the other was non-Hispanic
White, Negy and Snyder (2000) determined that the interethnic
couples were more similar to non-Hispanic White couples than to
Mexican American couples across multiple domains assessed by
the MSI-R.
Lacking thus far have been studies examining psychometric
characteristics of the Spanish translation of the MSI-R (Snyder,
1996). Such findings are critical not only for use of the MSI-R
with Hispanics in the United States for whom Spanish is the
preferred language but also for studies exploring cross-cultural
differences and similarilics in couples1 relationships. Concern
about using instruments conceived and validated in F.nglish w i l h
individuals having limited English proficiency has been empha-
sized repeatedly in the literature (Bracken & Barona, 1991; Cuel-
lar, 1998; Malgady, Rogler, & Costantino, 1987; Okazaki & Sue,
(995). Studies of internal consistency, temporal stability, and
linguistic equivalence constitute a critical initial phase of the test
adaptation process (Butcher & Han, 1996; Geisinger, 1994).
Method
Sample
The sample included 86 bilingual Mexican American couples recruited
from a community in the southwest United States in which Mexican
Americans constitute approximately 85% of the population. 2 Graduate
students in psychology recruited couples from the local community and
were prohibited from recruiting members of their own immediate family
but were otherwise free to draw on their own personal and organizational
contacts in the community. Couples received no remuneration for their
participation. Given the frequent reservation of minority group members to
participate in research (of, Oka/aki & Sue, 1995). ii was anticipated that
this recruitment strategy might facilitate rather than detract from sample
representativeness. Participants had to be at least I N years of age, legally
married, and able to read and speak both English and Spanish. The use of
bilingual samples has been noted as a preferred method for examining the
comparability of translated tests (Bracken & Barona, 1991).
Husbands and wives averaged 38 and 36 years in age, respectively, and
had been married an average of 12 years. Most respondents (72%) reported
having one or more children. The majority of participants had graduated
from high school and had some college education (M = 14.3 years of
education). The majority of husbands (75%) and wives (69%) were em-
ployed outside the home. The sample varied broadly in occupational status
but had a tendency toward higher level positions (59% professional, 13%
administrative, 19% clerical or technical, and 9% manual labor). On none
of these variables were there significant gender differences (all /?s > . 15).
Measures
Marital Satisfaction Inventory—Revised
All respondents completed the MSI-R (Snyder. 1997) either (a) twice in
cither the original English or Spanish translation or (b) once each in both
languages. Scale names, abbreviations, and brief descriptions are as
follows.
Inconsistency (INC). A validity scale assessing the individual's con-
sistency in responding to item content. (High scores reflect greater
inconsistency.)3
Conventionalization (CNV). A validity scale assessing individuals'
tendencies to distort the appraisal of their relationship in a socially desir-
able direction. (High scores reflect denial of common relationship
shortcomings.)
Global Distress (CDS). Measures individuals" overall dissatisfaction
with the relationship.
Affective Communication (AFC]. Evaluates individuals' dissatisfaction
with the amount of affection and understanding expressed by their partner.
Problem-Solving Communication (PSC). Assesses the couple's gen-
eral ineffectiveness in resolving differences.
Aggression (AGG). Measures the level of intimidation and physical
aggression experienced by respondents from their partner.
'Time 'together (TTO). Evaluates the eouple's companionship as ex-
pressed in time shared in leisure activity.
Disagreement About Finances (FIN). Measures relationship discord
regarding the management of finances.
Sexual Dissatisfaction (SEX). Assesses dissatisfaction with the fre-
quency and quality of intercourse and other sexual activity.
Role Orientation (ROR). Evaluates the respondent's advocacy for a
traditional versus nontraditional orientation toward marital and parental
gender roles. (High scores reflect a nontraditional orientation.)
Family History of Distress (FAM). Reflects the disruption of relation-
ships within the respondent's family of origin.
Dissatisfaction With Children (DSC). Assesses the relationship quality
between respondents' and their children as well as parental concern regard-
ing one or more child's emotional and behavioral well-being.
Conflict Over Child Hearing (CCR). Evaluates the extent of conflict
between partners regarding child rearing practices.
The MSI-R is administered to each partner separately and requires
approximately 25 min to complete. Individuals' responses are scored along
None of the participants in this study overlapped wilh samples de-
scribed in Negy and Snyder (1997) or Negy and Snyder (2000).
^ The INC scale comprises 20 pairs of items in which the two items
constituting each pair are either (a) similar in content and should be
answered in the same direction or (b) dissimilar or nearly opposite in
content and should be answered in opposite directions. Item pairs were
sampled across the entire range of construct domains reflected in (he
MST—R item pool. Hence, coefficients of internal consistency are not
appropriate measures for this scale.
 MSI-R SPANISH VERSION 427

the 13 profile scales and are plotted on a standard profile sheet using Table 1
gender-specific norms. Each of the scales, excluding Ihc validity scales Internal-Consistency Coefficients of MSI-R Scales in Study
(INC and CNV) and ROR, are scored in a direction whereby higher scores Samples and MSI-R Standardization Sample
reflect higher levels of relationship distress.
Scale Spanish'1 English*1 Standard''
Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican-Americans
Inconsistency (INC)
Respondents also completed the Acculturation Raring Scale for Conventionalization (CNV) .80 .88 .83
Mexican-Americans (ARSMA; Cuellar. Harris, & Jasso, 1980). The
Global Distress (GDS) .89 .91) .93
Affective Communication (AFC) .83 .86 .85
ARSMA contains 20 items, each scored on a scale ranging from 1 to 5; the
Problem- Solving Communication (PSC) .86 .89 .89
total score indicates the mean rating across items. High or moderately high
Aggression (AGO) .79 .88 .81
scores (>3.2) reflect relatively high levels of acculturation to predomi- Time Together (TTO) .68 .80 .SO
nantly White American culture, whereas low or moderately low scores Disagreement About Finances (FIN) .68 .72 .79
«2.8) indicate low levels of acculturation. Factor analysis of the ARSMA Sexual Dissatisfaction (SEX) .80 .79 .84
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has identified four dimensions underlying the scale; (a) Language Famil- Role Orientation (ROR) .73 .75 .83
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iarity, Usage, and Preference; (b) Ethnic Identity and Generation; (c)
Reading, Writing, and Cultural Exposure; and (d) F.thnic Interaction. The
ARSMA has been shown to have high internal consistency (a — .88) and
good stability over a 1-month interval (r = .80). Various studies have
supported the scale's validity as a measure of acculturation among Mexi-
can Americans (Cuellar, Arnold, & Maldonado, 1995; Rogfer, Cortes, &
Malgady, 1991). Participants in this study showed a broad range of accul-
turation levels, with scores on the ARSMA ranging from 1.30 to 4.05
(M = 3.00, SD - 0.56).
Procedure
The Spanish translation of the MSI-R was developed by a team of three
bilingual psychologists with previous experience in translating psycholog-
ical measures from English to Spanish. Back translations and further
revisions were conducted until consensus was reached on the linguistic
equivalence of items. The Spanish version of the MSI-R is intended for use
with Spanish-speaking individuals from diverse regions and has been
reviewed by psychologists working with couples in the southwestern
United States, Mexico, and Spain.
Participants completed the MSI-R on two different occasions with a
7-10 day interval between Time 1 and Time 2. Interviewers provided the
study rationale, obtained informed consent, and administered all measures
to couples in their homes. Spouses completed measures separately and
without collaboration. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four
groups reflecting language and order of presentation: (a) Spanish-English
(21 couples), {b) English-Spanish (23 couples), (c) Spanish-Spanish (23
couples), and (d) English-English (21 couples). Scores from the first two
groups were used to derive linguistic equivalence (alternate-language re-
liability) Pearson product moment correlation coefficients: these were
compared with (a) within-language test-retest reliability coefficients de-
rived from the second two groups and (,b) test—relest reliability data from
the standardization sample (Snyder, 1997). Responses to items from all
four groups at Time 1 were used to compare estimates of internal consis-
tency (Cronbaeh's alpha) for the Spanish and English administrations in
this study and to compare these to internal-consistency coefficients derived
from the standardization sample. Finally, scores from Time 1 for all four
groups were used to compare effects of language and order of presentation
on mean scale scores.
Results
Alpha coefficients of internal consistency for the study samples
and the MSI-R standardization sample are shown in Table 1.
Alpha coefficients for the Spanish MSI-R ranged from .22 to .89
(M = .72), and those for the English MSI-R ranged from .72 to .90
(M = .82), compared with a range of .70 to .93 (M = .82) for the
standardization sample on the English version. For the Spanish
MSI-R, all alpha coefficients were above .60 with the exceplion of
that for the DSC scale (a = .22). However, by using Fisher's
Family History of Distress (FAM) .75 .78 .78
Dissatisfaction With Children (DSC) ^2 .73 .70
Conflict Over Child Rearing (CCR) .61 .83 .78
Nole. MSI-R = Marital Satisfaction Inventory—Revised; Standard —
standardization sample. Dashes indicate that internal consistency does not
apply to the Inconsistency scale.
a
n - 88 persons (66 for DSC and CCR). b n - 84 persons (57 for DSC
and CCR). c n =2.140 persons (930 for DSC and CCR).
r-to-Z transformations to compare alpha coefficients across the
two language versions, we found lower coefficients for the Spanish
MSI-R on the AGO scale (p < .05) and on the two child-related
scales: DSC and CCR (ps < .01).
Additional analyses were conducted to examine potential effects
of gender, acculturation, and time of administration on alpha
coefficients. Compared with alpha coefficients derived from the 44
couples completing the Spanish MSI—R at Time I , alpha coeffi-
cients derived from the 44 couples completing the Spanish MSI-R
at Time 2 (including 23 couples completing the Spanish version on
both occasions) were higher for the DSC scale (a = .57 vs. .22,
p ~ .01). Among the 44 couples completing the Spanish MSI-R at
Time I, husbands obtained a higher alpha coefficient than did
wives on the SEX scale (a = .85 vs. .65, p = .01) but a lower
alpha coefficient on the DSC scale (re = —.10 vs. .41, p = .04).
Among these same 44 couples, by using a median split to divide
participants into low- and high-acculturation groups (ARSMA
scores of 3.03 and 3.10 for husbands and wives, respectively), we
found that individuals in the low-acculturation group obtained a
higher alpha coefficient than respondents in the high-acculturation
group on AFC (a = .88 vs. .75, p = .03) but a lower alpha
coefficient on DSC (a = -.04 vs. .40, p = .04). Noteworthy
among these effects was the consistently lower alpha coefficient
for DSC among men, individuals lower in acculturation, and
participants completing the MSI-R for the first time when appre-
hension might be higher.
Tesl-tetest reliability coefficients of temporal stability for the
study samples and the MSI-R standardization sample are shown in
Table 2. Tcsl-retest coefficients for the Spanish MSI-R ranged
from .37 to .92 (M — .75). and those for the English MSI-R ranged
from .57 to .91 (M = .82), compared with a range of .52 to .88
(M = .77) for the standardization sample on the English version.
Again, with the exception of lower temporal stability coefficients
(ps < .05) on the two child-related scales for the Spanish version,
these reliability coefficients were generally comparable across the
three groups.
Additional analyses were conducted to examine potential effects
of gender and acculturation on test-retest reliability of the Spanish
 428 NEGY AND SNYDER

Table 2 differences and small effect sizes between the English and Spanish
Temporal-Stability Coefficients of MSI-R Scales in Studv versions for each MSI-R scale (all ps > .05, all K2s < .03).
Samples and MSl-R Standardization Sample Additional results indicated a significant but small main effect for
time of administration, Wilks's lambda rv(13. 107) — 3.73, p <
Scale Spanish11 English' Standard' .000, R2 = .03, but no significant interaction between language
,52
and order of administration, Wilks's lambda F(39, 317) — 1.28,
Inconsistency (INC) .69 .57
Conventionalization (CNV) .86 .91 .78 p — .128, R2 — .01. Farther univariate analyses examining the
Global Distress (CDS) .75 .78 .74 effect for time revealed that independent of language version, on
Affective Communication (AFC) .86 .83 .79 the first MSI-R administration, participants showed somewhat
Problem-Solving Communication (PSC) .92 .91 .82
greater inconsistency, lower defensiveness on CNV. and higher
Aggression (AGG) .88 .87 .81
Time Together (TTO) .79 .78 .77 levels of distress on PSC, AGG, and SEX (all ps < .05, «2s
Disagreement About Finances (FIN) .75 .87 .74 ranging from .03 to .08). In all instances of significant effects
Sexual Dissatisfaction (SEX) .86 .85 .81 across time, mean score differences were modest: ranging from 1
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Role Orientation (ROR) .73 .78 .88

to 3 7"-score points (mean difference — 1.65 points).
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Family History of Distress (FAM) .76 .82 .84

.79
In contrast to their effects on internal consistency, temporal
Dissatisfaction With Children (DSC) .37 .80
Conflict Over Child Rearing (CCR) .50 .83 .74 stability, and linguistic equivalence, neither gender nor level of
acculturation had significant effects on mean MSI-R scale scores.
Note. MST-R = Marital Satisfaction Inventory—Revised; Standard ~ The MANOVA for gender was nonsignificant, Wilks's lambda
standardization sample.
F(13, 109) = 0.71, p ~ .75, R2 = .01. with follow-up univariate
" n = 46 persons (34 for DSC and CCR). " n = 42 persons (31 for DSC
and CCR). •• n = 210 persons (153 for DSC and CCR). comparisons confirming no significant effects for any scale (all
ps > .05, all f?2s < .03). Similarly, the MANOVA for accullura-
tion level was nonsignificant, Wilks's lambda F(I3, 109} — 1.75,
MSl-R. Compared with their wives, husbands obtained lower p — .06, /?2 ~ .01, with follow-up univariate comparisons con-
temporal stability coefficients on CCR (r = .16 vs. .79, p = .02). firming no significant effects for any scale (allps > .05, all R2s <
Individuals in the low-acculturation group obtained lower test— .03. However, similar to effects of low education for ethnic mi-
retesl coefficients on INC (r = .43 vs. .89, p = .001) and CCR norities in the MSI-R standardization sample (Snyder, 1997), there
(r - .14 vs. .82, p = .004). was a small but significant effect for participants in this study
Linguistic equivalence coefficients (alternate-form reliability) with 12 or fewer years of education to be less consistent in their
between the English and Spanish versions of the MSl-R are shown responding, espouse more traditional role orientations, and report
in Table 3. Pooling the English-Spanish and Spanish-English higher aggression and more discord in their family of origin,
subgroups across order of presentation, we found equivalence all ps < .05, R2s ranging from .04 to .07. for the MANOVA based
coefficients ranging from .38 to .79 (M — .69) across scales; with on 13 scales, Wilks's lambda F(13. 109) = 1.82, p = .05,
the exception of the INC scale, all equivalence coefficients were R 2 = .03.
above .60. Equivalence coefficients across scales tended to be
somewhat lower for participant receiving the Spanish translation Discussion
first (mean r of .64 vs. .73), although no significant differences in
coefficients emerged for order of presentation. The mean shared The present study using bilingual couples offers further support
variance across MSI-R scales for test-retest comparisons across for using the MSI-R with Hispanic couples and provides prelim-
language (48%) reflected a modest decline from the mean shared
variance across scales for test-retest coefficients within the Span-
ish version (56%) and English version (59% and 67% for the Table 3
standardization and English—English study samples, respectively). Linguistic Equivalence of MSl-R Scales Across
Again, additional analyses were conducted to examine potential English and Spanish Versions
effects of gender and acculturation on linguistic equivalence co-
Spanish- English-
efficients for participants completing the MSI-R in both lan-
Scale English'1 Spanish11 Combined0
guages. Compared with their wives, husbands obtained lower
linguistic equivalence coefficients on CNV (r = .63 vs. .85. p — Inconsistency (INC) .22 .51 .38
.01), AFC (r = .62 vs. .82, p = .03). ROR (r - .64 vs. .83. p = Conventionalization (CNV) .72 .82 .78
Global Distress (GDS) .54 .74 .65
.03), and CCR (r = .15 vs. .67, p = .01). Individuals in the
Affeclivc Communication (AFC) .72 .72 .70
low-acculturation group obtained lower linguistic equivalence co- Problem-Solving Communication (PSC) .85 .74 .79
efficients on FIN (r = .53 vs. .85, p = .002) and DSC (r = .56 vs. Aggression (AGG) .61 .82 .75
.82, p = .03). Time Together (TTO) .67 .81 .72
Disagreement About Finances (FIN) .68 .66 .67
Finally, we used rnultivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs)
Sexual Dissatisfaction (SEX) .73 .71 .72
to compare MSI-R mean scale scores across the four language- .72 .84 77
Role Orientation (ROR)
order subgroups shown in Table 4. Using scores from Time 1 and Family History of Distress (FAM) .70 .81 .75
collapsing across groups receiving either the English version or Dissatisfaction Widi Children (DSC) .71 .65 .68
Spanish translation, a MANOVA of the 13 MSI-R scales demon- Conflict Over Child Rearing (CCR) .39 .72 .60

strated a nonsignificant main effect for language of administration,

Note. MSI-R - Marital Satisfaction Inventory—Revised.
Wilks's lambda f"(13, 109) = 1.14,p = .34, R- = .01. Follow-up " n = 42 persons (34 for DSC and CCR). h n = 42 persons (26 for DSC
univariate comparisons confirmed the absence of significant mean and CCR). '" n = 84 persons (58 for DSC and CCR).
 MSI-R SPANISH VERSION 429

Table 4
MSI-R Mean Scale Score Comparisons Across Four Language X Order Study Samples

Spanish-English^ English-Spanish11 Spanish-Spanish'"' English-English11

Scale M SD M SD M SD M SD

Inconsistency (INC) 54.31 9.22 52.29 9.66 52.57 9.73 50.17 9.56
Conventionalization
(CNV) 53.52 9.42 51.48 10.76 54.46 9.16 52.83 10.67
Global Distress (GDS) 49.24 8.76 51.21 8.36 51.09 8.08 49.71 7.82
Affective Communication
(AFC) 49.55 9.90 48.10 10.59 49.93 8.47 47.79 8.41
Problem-Solving
Communication (PSC) 48.05 9.76 50.93 10.00 48.54 8.42 47.48 9.54
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Aggression (AGO) 51.60 7.81 52.31 10.74 50.89 9.93 50.38 10.41
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Time Together (TTO) 51.50 7.18 50.02 9.47 48.74 8.54 48.36 9.64
Disagreement About
Finances (FIN) 49.88 7.93 50.33 9.78 49.33 8.71 50.07 7.43
Sexual Dissatisfaction
(SEX) 47.33 8.28 46.79 8.74 48.26 8.15 47.05 7.75
Role Orientation (ROR) 51.26 7.12 53.36 7.92 51.76 7.20 54.12 7.06
Family History of
Distress (FAM) 48.33 7.87 47.07 9.40 48.22 9.01 48.83 9.15
Dissatisfaction With
Children (DSC) 50.22 7.83 51.85 10.00 48.76 7.00 49.58 9.65
Conflict Over Child
Rearing (CCR) 51.53 7.92 53.19 10.38 49.50 6.36 49.23 9.57

Note. Table entries reflect scores from the first administration.

" n = 42 persons (32 for DSC and CCR). b n = 42 persons (26 for DSC and CCR). i — 46 persons (34 for
DSC and CCR). d n = 42 persons (31 for DSC and CCR).

inary evidence regarding the psychometric equivalence of the
Spanish adaptation of this measure. Most of the MSI-R scales in
the Spanish translation obtained indices of internal consistency and
temporal stability comparable to their English counterparts in both
the present study samples and the MSJ-R standardization sample.
Moreover, linguistic equivalence indices demonstrated only mod-
est decline when comparing alternate-language coefficients to
within-language coefficients derived from either repeated English
or Spanish administrations. Perhaps most important, both multi-
variate and univariate analyses confirmed the absence of signifi-
cant mean score differences between the English and Spanish
versions on any MSI-R scale.
An important exception to these overall findings involved
poorer internal consistency and temporal stability for the Spanish
translation of the two child-related scales: DSC and CCR. Reex-
ami nation of items constituting these two scales failed to identify
any clear shortcomings in the translation process from a linguistic
perspective, suggesting that findings for these scales may reflect
differences related to child rearing among Hispanic couples. In
their study of Mexican American couples using the English ver-
sion of the MSI-R, Negy and Snyder (1997) also oblaincd slightly
lower alpha coefficients for DSC and CCR (.63 and .68, respec-
tively), concluding that interpretation of these scales for Hispanic
couples "should be undertaken with caution" (p. 419). Although
internal-consistency coefficients for the English version of DSC
and CCR with Hispanic couples were higher in the present study
(.73 and .88) and temporal stability coefficients for the English
version of these scales also were good (.80 and .83), the weaker
internal-consistency and temporal reliability findings for the Span-
ish translation of CCR and especially DSC emphasize the need for
continued caution.
The influences of both gender and level of acculturation on
psychometric properties of DSC and CCR bear further investiga-
tion. In the present study, half of all gender or acculturation effects
on internal consistency, temporal stability, and linguistic equiva-
lence were obtained for one of these two child-related scales.
Specifically, the meaning of scores on DSC and CCR derived from
the Spanish MSI-R remains uncertain for husbands and for indi-
viduals low in acculturation.
Although multivariale analyses demonstrated an effect for time
of administration regardless of language order, these effects were
restricted to a subset of MSI-R scales, and Ihe magnitude of the
time effect was modest, averaging less than 2 T-score points.
Moreover, these results are consistent wilh previous studies indi-
cating somewhat higher scores on the initial administration of
psychological measures in community samples (Finch, Savior,
Edwards, & Mclntosh, 1987; Michael & Merrell, 1998; Negy,
Lachar, & Grubcr. 1998; Reynolds & Graves, 1989).
The absence of a significant effect for language of administra-
tion on mean scale scores observed in this study, along with the
comparability of mean profiles between Mexican American and
Anglo American couples observed by Negy and Snyder (1997) for
the English MSI-R, provides preliminary support for the equiva-
lence of MSI-R scales when adapted for use with Spanish-
dominant couples. However, evidence for the scalar equivalence
(Butcher & Han, 1996) of the Spanish translation of the MSI-R
will require criterion-validation studies that link MSI-R scale
scores from Hispanic respondents to independent ralings of rela-
tionship satisfaction similar to those used in validating the MSI-R
with predominantly non-Hispanic White American couples. Find-
ings from such studies arc critical to linking a given deviation from
a scale's mean to a given level of distress in that domain.
 430 NEGY AND SNYDER
The clinical use of instruments adapted for ethnic minorities or
cross-cultural application requires sensitivity to cultural differ-
ences as well as determination of the respondent's preferred lan-
guage and degree of acculturation. Although efforts were made in
the present translation to use standard Spanish that would be
understandable to most Spanish speakers, given the vast geo-
graphic distribution of Spanish-dominant cultures internationally
as well as ethnic differences among Spanish-speaking groups
within the United States, some degree of vernacular idiosyncracies
influencing response to the Spanish translation of the MSI-R
might be expected. Additional findings bearing on cross-cultural
utility can be anticipated from research currently under way using
the MSI-R Spanish version with both community and clinic cou-
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
ples in Spain and with community couples in Mexico.
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Received March 10, 2000
Revision received July 24, 2000
Accepted July 25, 2000