Validation of the Conflict Resolution Scale from the Conflicts and Problem-Solving Scales and a New Abbreviated Short Form

Conflict resolution is a pivotal factor in understanding the recognized link between interparental conflict and child adjustment. Valid and reliable measures of parental conflict resolution are therefore needed. The aims of the present study were to validate the widely used Conflict Resolution Scale from the Conflicts and Problem-Solving Scales (CPS), and to develop and validate a short form of the same scale. Using a sample comprising 381 primarily married or cohabiting parent dyads (Sample 1), we tested the unidimensionality and measurement invariance across gender of the original Conflict Resolution Scale. A short form was developed using the same sample and was further validated by using both Sample 1 and a more diverse sample in terms of family structures comprising 846 parent dyads (Sample 2). Our findings support the Conflict Resolution Scale as unidimensional. Measurement invariance across gender was confirmed in both samples. Further, the short form showed a good to excellent fit to the data in both samples and a strong correlation with the original Conflict Resolution Scale. This suggests no critical loss of information when using the short form. The Conflict Resolution Scale – original and short form – demonstrated high internal reliability. Good validity was established through associations with related constructs (parental relationship and life satisfaction, and child adjustment), and by increased explained variance above conflict frequency/intensity alone. We particularly recommend the Conflict Resolution short form for research purposes and encourage further validation using samples from different cultural contexts and focusing on tests of stability and item contents analyses.