Dimensionality of the Marital Communication Inventory: A Preliminary Factor Analytic Study

An abbreviated version of the Marital Communication Inventory was administered to a university sample of 54 married couples in an earlier study. To assess the dimensionality of the scale, the data were analyzed through a common factor analysis with varimax rotation. Results indicate that the inventory does not appear to be unidimensional as has been commonly assumed, but instead appears to be heavily loaded with an element of marital adjustment or conventionality rather than being solely a measure of marital communication. The consequences for previous research and the implications for the future assessment of marital communication by researchers and clinicians are discussed. Guidelines for further investigation of the validity of the inventory are proposed.