BY DOUGLAS K. SNYDER, PHD
Use the MSI-R With Any Couple—Traditional or Nontraditional
Widely used to assess the nature and extent of conflict within a marriage or relationship, the MSI-R helps couples communicate hard-to-express feelings, providing an easy, economical way to gather information about a broad range of issues. Because the items refer to “partner” and “relationship” rather than “spouse” and “marriage,” the test is useful with both traditional and nontraditional couples.
The MSI-R can be administered and hand scored in just 25 minutes. Yet it addresses every important aspect of the relationship. Each partner responds to 150 true/false items (129 if the couple has no children), which cover the following dimensions of marital interaction:
• Affective Communication
• Role Orientation
• Problem-Solving Communication
• Aggression
• Family History of Distress
• Time Together
• Dissatisfaction With Children
• Disagreement About Finances
• Conflict Over Child Rearing
• Sexual Dissatisfaction
• Global Distress
Two additional scales indicate inconsistency and a tendency to respond in an unrealistically positive manner.
Quickly Compare the Concerns of Each Partner
Scores for both partners can be plotted on a single profile (on the AutoScore Answer Form) using sex-specific norms. This gives you a quick, graphic comparison of the two sets of scores. The profile illuminates the primary concerns of each partner, clearly indicating differences in their perceptions of the relationship.
The MSI-R AutoScore Answer Form makes it easy to hand score the test. However, you also have the option of computer scoring and interpretation using the CD. This software option gives you a complete interpretive report. (The program can generate separate reports for each partner as well as a combined report.)
The test was standardized on a sample of 2,040 people (1,020 intact couples), ranging in age from late teens through early nineties and approximating the U.S. population in regard to geographic region, education, and ethnicity.
Help Couples Articulate Their Discontent
The MSI-R is an excellent way to begin marital therapy. Administered prior to the first interview, it helps couples articulate their discontent. And it gives you clear guidelines for subsequent treatment.
In addition, the test can help identify relationship issues that may be contributing to individual or family problems, such as depression, substance abuse, or trouble with children or adolescents. It can also be used in premarital counseling and with separated couples who are considering reconciliation.
