DEVELOPMENT OF A PARTNER SYNCHRONY INVENTORY FOR COUPLE THERAPY

Abstract

Conflict in relationships caused Wingrove Cottage Community Clinic to use in couple therapy and then further develop, the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS; Edwards, 1959). The development addressed the length of the original questions and the limitations of self-reporting tests by creating a comparison of personal, partner, ideal and remake of partner perceptions. This obvious and concise inventory was called the Marital Synchrony Inventory (MSI) which allowed for comparison of discrepancies between subjects self, partner, ideal and remake perceptions by using the 15 personality variables of the EPPS with a written description of what each word meant. A significant correlation between both instruments provided the impetus to further improve and condense the MSI through factorizing the 15 items. This was effected and 3 factors emerged and were called Authoritativeness, Empathy and Compliance. This condensed version of the MSI was called the Partner Synchrony Inventory (PSI) to be used for both diagnostic and therapeutic benefit of the client. This instrument will be usable by therapists for all heterosexual, homosexual and relational couples. The PSI is now available as a userfriendly computer-aided test for use by therapists.