Can spouse support be accurately and reliably rated? A generalizability study of families with disruptive boys.

The present study addressed two questions: Can support be accurately and reliably rated? What are the relative setting and subject effects on observed spouse support? From a sample of families with a disruptive boy, the supportive or stressing behaviors of the father towards the mother were rated by trained observers in four different standardized situations. A generalizability study was carried out to assess the relative contribution of variance due to subjects, situations, and raters on the support and stress scores. Results indicate a reliable inter-rater assessment of observed spouse support. Spouse support appears to be controlled both by personal and by situational characteristics.