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Measuring Marital Satisfaction with the KMSS










Marital Satisfaction AI image 


The Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) is a widely used, brief measure of relationship quality. Despite comprising only three items, the KMSS consistently yields highly reliable and valid data.

Internal consistency ($\alpha$) values typically range in the .90s (e.g., Schumm et al., 2008). Furthermore, concurrent validity is well-supported, demonstrating strong alignment with longer instruments such as the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS; e.g., Schumm et al., 1986).

Developed by Walter R. Schumm at Kansas State University, the scale is available for educational and research use without prior permission. Additional references are listed below.


Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS): 3-items
Items are rated on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 (extremely dissatisfied) to 7 (extremely satisfied).

1.      How satisfied are you with your marriage?

2.      How satisfied are you with your husband/wife as a spouse?

3.      How satisfied are you with your relationship with your husband/wife?


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References to studies using the KMSS.


Bowman, A., & Sutton, G.W. (2004). Marital satisfaction and relational attachment in a sample of newly married couples. Psychological Reports, 95, 989-991.  Academia Link   ResearchGate Link

McLeland, K. C., & Sutton, G. W. (2005) Military service, marital status, and men’s relationship satisfaction. Individual Differences Research, 3, 177-182.  Academia Link    ResearchGate Link

McLeland, K. C., Sutton, G. W., & Schumm, W. (2008). Marital Satisfaction before and after deployments associated with the global war on terror. Psychological Reports, 103, 836-844. Academia Link    Research Gate Link

Schumm, W. R., Crock, R. J., Likcani, A., Akagi, C. G., & Bosch, K. R. (2008). Reliability and Validity of The Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale With Different Response Formats in a Recent Sample of U.S. Army Personnel. Individual Differences Research, 6(1), 26–37. 


Resource Links: 

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Post Author

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. 

His website is https://suttong.com 

You can find Dr. Sutton's books on   AMAZON    and  GOOGLE. 

Many publications are free to download at ResearchGate   and Academia  

Find chapters and essays on Substack. [ @GeoffreyWSutton ]


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