RELATIONSHIP STANDARDS IN MARRIAGE

COUPLES' STANDARDS FOR THEIR RELATIONSHIPS (WHAT THEIR RELATIONSHIPS SHOULD BE LIKE) ARE AMONG THE MAJOR TYPES OF CONGNITIONS THAT AFFECT MARITAL ADJUSTMENT. THE PHASE I INVESTIGATIONS ARE INTENDED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE TWO NEW SELF-REPORT INVENTORIES FOR ASSESSING RELATIONSHIP STANDARDS. SPECIFIC AIMS INCLUDE ITEM ANALYSIS, ASSESSMENTS OF RELIABILITY, CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE ITEMS ON THE SCALES, A MULTITRAIT-MULTIMETHOD MATRIX TESTING THE CONVERGENT AND DISCRIMINANT VALIDITY OF THE SCALES, FURTHER CONSTRUCT VALIDITY STUDIES RELATING STANDARDS TO OTHER INDICES OF MARITAL FUNCTIONING, AND AN INITIAL MARKETING SURVEY. RANDOM SAMPLES OF COMMUNITY COUPLES AT TWO SITES WILL COMPLETE THE NEW INVENTORIES ALONG WITH OTHER SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MARITAL FUNCTIONING. PREMARITAL COUNSELORS, MARITAL COUNSELORS, AND MARITAL RESEARCHERS WILLPARTICIPATE IN A MARKETING SURVEY ASSESSING RELEVANCE OF THECONSTRUCTS AND LIKELIHOOD OF USE BY PROFESSIONALS. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANT MARITAL COGNITIONS BY CLINICIANS AND RESEARCHERS HAS BEEN HINDERED BY THE LACK OF WELL-CONSTRUCTED INSTRUMENTS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE NEW INVENTORIES WILL GREATLY ENHANCE PROFESSIONALS' ABILITY TO EVALUATE THIS IMPORTANT ASPECT OF MARITAL FUNCTIONING.