USING THE MMPI TO QUANTIFY SOME HUSBAND-WIFE RELATIONSHIPS & TO DIFFERENTIATE COUPLES WITH MARRIAGE DIFFICULTY

Abstract

In this study, an attempt is made to use the MMPI: (1) as an aid in focusing objectively an some areas of husband-wife relationship during marriage counseling; (2) as a scale by which some of these areas of relationship may be quantified; and, (3) as an instrument through which differentiations may be made between a group of couples receiving marital counseling CO and a group of couples from the general population (C) who did not receive marital counseling. It was found that the sums of the husband's & wife's MMPI T scores for each individual couple were significantly higher an the D, Hy, Pd, Pt, A, & Dy scales in the experimental group than in the control group, and were significantly higher on the Es scale in the control group than in the experimental group. It was further found that, using the differences between the husband's & wife's MMPI T scores for each individual couple on these same scales, that only an dimension Hy was there any significant difference between E &C. The results indicated that the sums of husband & wife scores on the D, Hy, Pd, Pt, A, & Dy scales could be used to differentiate between E & C. Similarly, the differences between the husband & wife scores were found to differentiate between E & C on the Hy scale. Implications were drawn for marriage counseling practice and research.