Relationship adjustment report
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Brief 14-item relationship check-in for agreement, satisfaction, and cohesion over the last six months.

  • Answer each item using its original RDAS response scale.
  • The finished report keeps the overall cutoff view and weaker relationship domain on one page.
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Share result

Share this result page with someone you trust to review your answers and result.

What this result suggests

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Top priorities
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Practical adjustments
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What to bring into follow-up
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Current score lane
Total Band Follow-up focus
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Domain read

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Consensus reflects agreement on decisions and values, satisfaction reflects conflict strain and stability, and cohesion reflects shared activity, discussion, and teamwork.

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Higher and lower scored items

Higher rows show the parts of the relationship that are currently doing more stabilizing work. Lower rows show the items that are making the total feel thinner.

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Answer review

Scoring note: Item 11 keeps its published 0 to 4 scale, which is why the RDAS total tops out at 69 rather than 70.

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Tags: Psychology, Psychometrics
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The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, or RDAS, is a brief 14-item screen for relationship adjustment. It is meant to summarize how a couple has been functioning across agreement, conflict strain, and shared connection rather than reduce the whole relationship to one argument, one good week, or one recent disappointment.

This assessment scores all 14 items, shows the total on the published 0 to 69 range, and compares that total with the usual 48-point distress cutoff. It also separates the score into Consensus, Satisfaction, and Cohesion, then highlights the Lowest-function area, the Better-function anchor, and the Top burden item so the result is more specific than a single label.

Diagram showing the RDAS total score range, the 48-point cutoff, and the three domains with their maximum scores
The report keeps the usual cutoff and the three domain totals visible together so the overall score and the shape of the profile can be read at the same time.

The optional Guidance lens changes the wording of follow-up suggestions, not the score. The optional Previous RDAS total adds a raw point comparison and notes whether the score crossed the 48-point line, which can be useful for a repeat check with the same instrument.

Treat the result as a brief relationship screen, not a diagnosis, a compatibility verdict, or a safety assessment. If low scores sit alongside intimidation, coercion, fear, threats, or violence, use direct support and safety resources rather than relying on a questionnaire.

Technical Details:

The RDAS was developed as a shorter revision of the original Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Instead of keeping four subscales from the longer measure, it focuses on three parts of relationship adjustment: agreement on important matters, satisfaction with how the relationship is going, and cohesion in shared activity and discussion. That makes the score broad enough to capture more than mood, but short enough to use as a brief repeated check when the same couple wants to compare like with like.

The scoring is intentionally uneven because the instrument uses different response ladders for different kinds of questions. Consensus items use a 0 to 5 agreement scale. Satisfaction items also run from 0 to 5, but higher points mean separation thoughts, quarrelling, regret, and irritation happen less often. Cohesion mostly uses 0 to 5 frequency scales, except item 11, which tops out at 4. That single shorter item is why the overall maximum is 69 rather than 70.

The best-known RDAS interpretation rule is the 48-point cutoff separating distressed from non-distressed couples. Later pooled work suggested a very similar empirical cutoff of 47.31 and a reliable change index of 11.58 points for repeated testing. This assessment keeps the familiar 48-point rule in the headline result, and when you enter a previous score it reports the raw point difference rather than automatically labeling reliable change for you.

The total score is the sum of the three RDAS domain totals.

T = C+S+H C = ∑ items 1 to 6 S = ∑ items 7 to 10 H = ∑ items 11 to 14
Domain Items Item scale Maximum What lower scores usually point to
Consensus 1 to 6 Agreement items scored 0 to 5 30 More disagreement about values, affection, time together, or major decisions.
Satisfaction 7 to 10 Strain-frequency items scored 0 to 5, with higher points meaning less strain 20 More quarrelling, regret, irritation, or thoughts about ending the relationship.
Cohesion 11 to 14 Item 11 scored 0 to 4, items 12 to 14 scored 0 to 5 19 Less shared activity, less laughter, less calm discussion, or weaker teamwork.
Total RDAS 1 to 14 Combined across all items 69 Lower overall relationship adjustment across the three domains.
Rule or boundary Interpretation Why it matters
0 to 47 Distressed range under the conventional RDAS cutoff The total is below the usual threshold used to distinguish distressed from non-distressed couples.
48 to 69 Non-distressed range under the conventional RDAS cutoff The total is above the usual threshold, although one domain can still be much weaker than the others.
47.31 Pooled research cutoff from later change-analysis work It lands very close to 48, which supports keeping the familiar headline cutoff while remembering that the score is continuous.
11.58 points Reliable change index from pooled repeated-score research A repeat score shift of about 12 points is less likely to be random noise alone, especially if it also crosses the cutoff.

Everyday Use & Decision Guide:

Use the same six-month frame for the whole questionnaire. The most common quality problem is mixing one recent fight with a broader pattern from earlier months. When answers describe different time windows, the Overall level may still calculate cleanly, but the domain picture becomes harder to trust.

The strongest first pass is simple. Finish all 14 items, read Overall level, then move straight to Lowest-function area and Top burden. That combination tells you whether the main pressure is agreement, conflict strain, or shared connection. If no previous score is entered, the fourth overview card shows the Better-function anchor, which is the part of the relationship currently holding up best and may be the easiest place to borrow habits from.

Open Advanced only after the first read. Guidance lens is useful when you want the written suggestions to sound more like a check-in, counseling preparation, or a repeat comparison, but it never changes the score. Previous RDAS total is only worth entering when it came from another RDAS completed under reasonably similar circumstances.

  • A good fit is a structured relationship check-in before counseling, after counseling homework, or after a meaningful change in daily life that both partners can name.
  • A common misread is treating a score above 48 as proof that everything is fine. Correct that by checking whether Lowest-function area is much weaker than the other two domains or whether Top burden points to a recurring strain pattern.
  • Slow down when the total sits close to the cutoff or when Change vs prior is small. In that situation, the domain percentages, the burden item table, and the two charts usually tell a more useful story than the headline label alone.
  • If you need a shareable record, review the score first and export second. The chart buttons save the Relationship Adjustment Dial and Relationship Domain Radar as PNG, WebP, JPEG, or CSV, while the item table and answer review give you text-based summaries.

Before you trust the result, make sure the report matches the relationship story you would tell out loud. If the total says one thing but the weakest domain and lowest items point somewhere else, follow the weaker domain first.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Use the report in the order it appears so the summary, details, and exports stay connected.

  1. Select Begin Assessment, then answer the current item with its original response scale. The progress bar and the RDAS question navigator should move forward as each answer is recorded.
  2. Use the navigator list to revisit earlier items if needed. A check icon marks answered items, and the active question stays highlighted so you can see where you are.
  3. After the fourteenth answer, wait for the result panel to appear. The summary box, overview cards, Relationship Adjustment Dial, and Relationship Domain Radar should all render together.
  4. Read Overall level, Lowest-function area, and Top burden before changing any advanced options. Those three outputs give the quickest plain-language reading of the result.
  5. Open Advanced if you want a different follow-up voice or a repeat-score comparison. Choose a Guidance lens, and if you have a prior RDAS result enter it in Previous RDAS total as a whole number from 0 to 69.
  6. Use the Current score lane, Domain read, domain cards, burden-item table, and answer table to see where the total came from. The item table also supports Copy CSV, Download CSV, and Export DOCX.
  7. If you want machine-readable output, use. If the report does not appear, return to the question navigator because one or more items are still unanswered.

Interpreting Results:

The most important output is not the band label by itself. Read Overall level together with Lowest-function area and Top burden. Those fields tell you both where the total landed and which part of the relationship is doing the most to pull it up or down.

A high score does not prove the relationship is healthy in every way, and a low score does not prove it is doomed. When confidence matters, verify the headline with the domain cards, the burden-item table, and the chart shape before drawing a broad conclusion.

Output cue What deserves attention What not to overread
Overall level is Distressed Start with the named Lowest-function area and the lowest items inside that domain. Do not read the score as a diagnosis or as proof that every part of the relationship is equally weak.
Overall level is Non-distressed but close to 48 Give extra weight to domain imbalance and the Top burden item. Do not treat one or two points above the line as a strong all-clear signal.
Change vs prior crosses 48 Review the new domain pattern and the life events that may explain the shift. Do not assume the change is meaningful if the earlier score came from a different instrument or a very different context.

Worked Examples:

A narrow pass above the cutoff

Suppose the answers produce a total of 50, with Consensus at 23/30, Satisfaction at 9/20, and Cohesion at 18/19. The report would show Overall level as Non-distressed, but Lowest-function area would still be Satisfaction and the Relationship Adjustment Dial would sit only 2 points above the cutoff. If Top burden is quarrelling or separation thoughts, the practical reading is not "everything is fine." It is "the relationship is clearing the line, but conflict strain is the first place to work."

A repeat score that drops across the line

Imagine a previous RDAS total of 58 and a current total of 46. The overview cards would show Overall level as Distressed and Change vs prior as -12 points. If Lowest-function area is Cohesion and the burden table is filled with low scores on shared activity and calm discussion, the result suggests more than a small fluctuation. It means the score has moved across the conventional cutoff and the weaker domain now deserves direct follow-up.

When the report never finishes loading

If the progress bar stalls at 93%, the summary box stays hidden, and neither chart appears, the usual cause is an unanswered item rather than a scoring problem. Open the question navigator, find the row without the check mark, answer that item, and the Current score lane, charts, answer table, and answer review should appear immediately.

Responsible Use Note:

The RDAS is a brief relationship-adjustment measure. It can help structure a conversation about agreement, satisfaction, and cohesion, but it is not designed to decide whether a couple should stay together, whether therapy will work, or whether a relationship is safe.

Use extra caution if the result is being discussed in a conflict-heavy situation. If one partner feels unsafe, controlled, threatened, or afraid, direct support and safety planning matter more than a scale score.

FAQ:

Does a score below 48 mean the relationship is doomed?

No. It means the total falls in the distressed range used with the RDAS. The next useful check is the combination of Lowest-function area, Top burden, and the domain cards, because those show where the strain is concentrated.

Why can two couples have the same total but different-looking reports?

Because the same total can come from different domain shapes. One couple may have softer Satisfaction with strong Cohesion, while another may have the reverse. This report keeps those domain totals separate and also names the burden item that is contributing the least.

Why is the result panel still missing?

The full report only appears after all 14 items are answered. Check the progress bar and the navigator list, then return to the item without the completion mark. Once every response is present, the overview cards, charts, and exports become available.

How should I use Previous RDAS total?

Use it only for another RDAS score, ideally from a similar time frame and a similar relationship situation. The tool reports the raw point difference in Change vs prior and notes whether the score crossed 48, but it does not decide by itself whether the change is clinically meaningful.

Are my answers sent to a server?

Scoring and report generation stay in the browser, and your answers are not submitted to a scoring endpoint. The page does load a public chart library, and the current answer state is reflected in the page URL, so treat copied links, exported CSV or DOCX files, and downloaded answer records as private.

Glossary:

Consensus
The RDAS domain covering agreement about important matters such as values, affection, time together, and decisions.
Satisfaction
The RDAS domain covering conflict strain, regret, irritation, and thoughts about ending the relationship.
Cohesion
The RDAS domain covering shared activity, laughter, calm discussion, and practical teamwork.
Cutoff
The score boundary used to separate distressed from non-distressed RDAS totals.
Reliable change index
A research threshold used to judge whether a repeated score shift is large enough to be less likely from measurement noise alone.

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