Several studies have shown that dyadic coping, that is, the way couples cope with stress, plays a unique role in intimate relationships. The aim of this study is to validate the Portuguese version of the Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI; Bodenmann, 2008 ) by analyzing the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the DCI as well as its convergent and criterion validity. A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in a community sample of 605 participants living in Portugal who had been in a close relationship for at least 2 years. The findings support the hypothesized five-factor structure for the DCI and self- and other-perception, and a two-factor structure for joint dyadic coping. The psychometric properties of the DCI and its criterion validity with other relationship measures (RAS and B-SRQ) were good. These results add an important contribution to the determination of the criterion validity of the DCI with measures of other crucial domains of couples’ functioning (Shared Meaning, Conflict Processes, and Quality of Sexuality, Passion, and Romance); to the cross-cultural validation of the DCI; and to the demonstration that negative DC has a significant effect on intimate relationship processes, which contradicts the findings of previous studies. Moreover, it provides an additional tool for working with Portuguese-speaking individuals all over the world.

Romantic partners have different attitudes on what love is and what it means to be in a romantic relationship. These attitudes are conceptualized as love styles that relate to relationship-maintenance behaviors and relationship satisfaction. Specifically, love styles could be associated with how partners cope with stress (dyadic coping), which in turn may be associated with relationship satisfaction. Using self-report data from 92 heterosexual couples, findings showed that: (a) eros and agape love styles have positive direct effects on dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction, whereas ludus has a negative direct effect on dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction and (b) dyadic coping partially mediated the association between love styles and relationship satisfaction. Overall, associations were stronger for women than for men.Love styles are the attitudes that describe how individuals define love in the context of their romantic relationship. These attitudes affect how individuals feel about and behave in their relationship (Lee, 1977;Levine,

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