Dyadic Coping Inventory – DCI
Measures how couples communicate stress and support each other when coping with stressful situations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Dyadic Coping Inventory – DCI was developed by Guy Bodenmann (2008). It is designed to measure Dyadic Coping. The scale is intended for use with Couples.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 37 items organized into 10 factors/subscales: Stress communicated by oneself, Supportive dyadic coping by oneself, Delegated dyadic coping by oneself, Negative dyadic coping by oneself, Stress communication of the partner, Supportive dyadic coping of the partner, Delegated dyadic coping of the partner, Negative dyadic coping by partner, Common dyadic coping, Evaluation of dyadic coping.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Stress communicated by oneself | 1,2,3,4 | 4 |
| Supportive dyadic coping by oneself | 20,21,23,24,29 | 5 |
| Delegated dyadic coping by oneself | 28,30 | 2 |
| Negative dyadic coping by oneself | 22,25,26,27 | 4 |
| Stress communication of the partner | 16,17,18,19 | 4 |
| Supportive dyadic coping of the partner | 5,6,8,9,13 | 5 |
| Delegated dyadic coping of the partner | 12,14 | 2 |
| Negative dyadic coping by partner | 7,10,11,15 | 4 |
| Common dyadic coping | 31,32,33,34,35 | 5 |
| Evaluation of dyadic coping | 36,37 | 2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very rarely, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Very often.
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 37 to 185. Interpretation guidelines:
- Below average dyadic coping: 37 – 110
- Average dyadic coping: 111 – 145
- Above average dyadic coping: 146 – 185
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .71 to .92 for the subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.