Transcript Marital/couples Assessment Tests

Premarital
Assessment Tests
A Review of the PREPARE,
FOCCUS, and RELATE Tests.
Ana Moraga, Sandy Escobar,
Katie McKeon, and Page Patten
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
Why Premarital
Assessments?


These tests have increasingly
become important since divorce
rates continue to rise in the U.S.
Premarital assessments are not
used to predict relationship
success, but rather as a guide to
inform couples which areas of the
relationship need work.
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
PREPARE

PREmarital Preparation And
Relationship Enhancement
questionnaire
195 items in 20 scales

4 personality
 Personality
scales are used to help
the counselor understand the
individuals in the relationship
15 relationship
 1 idealistic distortion scale

 Idealistic
distortion is used to
correct social desirability
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
PREPARE

Four types of premarital couples:

Vitalized
 Greatest
marital satisfaction
Harmonious
 Traditional
 Conflicted

 Highest
divorce rate
 Intervention is recommended at
this stage
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
PREPARE

Strengths
Short
 Extensive analysis
 Easy to administer and interpret
 Multiple languages
 “Has multiple measures of
reliability and validity” (Larson et
al., 2002, p 236)

Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
PREPARE

Concerns

Does not measure three factors
that predict marital satisfaction:
 Parental
mental illness
 Similarity of intelligence
 Similarity of absolute status
• “Overall similarity of the partners
based on age, socioeconomic status,
intelligence, religion, and race”
(Larson et al., 2002, p 234)

Most expensive of the three tests
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
FOCCUS



Facilitating Open Couple
Communication,
Understanding and Study
questionnaire
156 items
Optional 33 items for interfaith
couples, cohabiting couples, and
couples in which one or both
partners are remarrying
Widely used by Catholics and
Protestant churches as well as
nondenominational counseling
services
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
FOCCUS

Strengths
Contains several different versions
for those who do not speak English
or have problems reading
 Can be scored 3 different ways

 Computer
 Hand
 PC

program
Problem areas are all on one scale
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
FOCCUS

Concerns
Does not measure the three
factors that predict marital
satisfaction
 Validity for preferred response is
unknown

Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
RELATE


RELATionship Evaluation
questionnaire
271 items
Internet version
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
RELATE

Strengths
Two of the three premarital
instruments are presented
 Easiest of the three to interpret and
to use in a large group setting
 Cheapest and most
comprehensive
 Only test available on the internet

Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
RELATE

Concerns

Does not measure the other third
premarital instrument
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
Which test should I use?



PREPARE: for couples who want
structured exercises
FOCCUS: for couples who also
have financial problems and wish
to see a counselor
RELATE: for couples who do not
want to see a counselor or have
limited economic funds
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
Critical Review

Agree
Marital tests should be used since
divorce rates are high
 More research should be done for
the study of these tests
 These three components predict a
successful marriage

 Parental
mental illness
 Similarity of intelligence
 Similarity of absolute status
Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.
Critical Review

Disagree
Marital satisfaction should predict
success
 There should be more than 4
personality scales used in the
PREPARE test
 Test should be interpreted by a
counselor and not just taken alone
by the couple

Larson, J.H., Newell, K.,Topham,
G., & Nichols, S. (2002). A review
of three comprehensive premarital
assessment questionaires.