Journal of Marital and Family zyxwvutsr Therapy January 2003,V01.29, NO. 1,69433 ASSESSING NONTRADITIONAL COUPLES: VALIDITY OF WITH GAY, LESBIAN, AND COHABITING HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES THE MARITAL SATISFACTION INVENTORY-REVISED Adrienne J. Means-Christensen zyxwv University zyxwvu of California, San Diego Douglas K. Snyder Texas zyxwv A&M University Charles Negy University of Central Florida Thirty-one gay male couples and 28 lesbian couples were compared with 36 cohabiting hetero- sexual couples using the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (MSI-R), a multidimensional measure of relationship functioning intended for use with both traditional and nontraditional couples. Analyses of scales’ internal consistency and factor structure supported the construct validity of this measure with nontraditional couples. Analyses of mean projiles on the MSI-R indicated that cohabiting opposite-gender and same-gender couples were more alike than different, and were more similar to nondistressed samples of married heterosexual couplesfrom the general community than to couples in therapy. Implications of current jindings for clinical assessment and intervention are considered,and directionsfor future research are proposed. To what extent does the empirical literature inform clinical assessment and interventions with nontra- ditional couples? Although the conceptualization of couples has expanded over the last zyx 25 years to include gay male and lesbian couples as well as cohabiting heterosexual dyads, both research and clinical interventions with nontraditional couples have lagged behind. Studies of couple interventions have emphasized married couples as the research participants and intended consumers. Similarly, assessment techniques developed with married heterosexual dyads rarely have been examined for their potential application to nontraditional couples. In the absence of studies examining the generalizability of assessment tools’ psychometric properties to cohabiting or gay and lesbian couples, little confidence can be placed in their use for describing relationship functioning or directing clinical interventions in these populations. Findings concerning the prevalence of nontraditional couples in the United States highlight the importance of examining clinical interventions and assessment techniques with these groups. Research indicates that approximately 4% of men identify themselves as exclusively or mostly gay, and 3% of women identify themselves as exclusively or primarily lesbian (Barringer, 1993), although some studies report Adrienne Means-Christensen,PhD, Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders Research Program, University of Califomia at San Diego; Douglas K. Snyder, PhD, Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University; Charles Negy, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the XXWI Interamencan Congress of Psychology, Santiago, Chile, July 31,2001. Correspondenceconcerning this article should be addressed to Adrienne Means-Chnstensen,Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders Research Program, University of Califomia at San Diego, 8950 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite 2243, La Jolla, California 92037. E-mail: adrienne@ucsd.edu; or to Douglas K. Snyder, Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4235. E-mail: dks@psyc.tamu.edu January 2003 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 69