Question 1

We find that family variables are:

Accepted Answer

A)  as stable as personality characteristics of individuals.
B)  more stable than individual traits because family are very entrenched.
C)  fluid and often fluctuate.
D)  stable for about five years and then change as the family enters another stage. C

Question 2

Although some individually oriented instruments can provide counselors with insights into the family, these instruments do not:

Accepted Answer

A)  provide insight into such factors as level of relational satisfaction and areas of conflict.
B)  inform the family therapeutic process.
C)  allow for direct feedback to the members of the family.
D)  adequate external validity. A

Question 3

Which of the following is not one of the topics covered in the PREPARE/ENRICH program?

Accepted Answer

A)  financial planning and budgeting
B)  childrearing
C)  conflict resolution
D)  assertiveness and active listening B

Question 4

Assessment instruments in the area of marriage and family:

Accepted Answer

A)  are for the most part well-established instruments with strong psychometric properties.
B)  are comparable to intelligence tests in terms of reliability and validity evidence.
C)  typically have very limited psychometric information, requiring caution in their use.
D)  have higher validity coefficients than personality instruments. Discussion Questions

Question 5

Which of the following instruments would be appropriate to use with a couple seeking premarital counseling?

Accepted Answer

A)  MSI
B)  ENRICH
C)  PREPARE
D)  FACES-III

Question 6

The Marital Satisfaction Inventory - Revised (MSI-R) is designed to assist couples in:

Accepted Answer

A)  identifying common themes of conflict
B)  communicating about relationship issues
C)  determining commonalities of interest
D)  understanding each other's perceptions of parenting expectations

Question 7

Cierpka (2005) has proposed a model of family assessment where individually-oriented assessment can be used by focusing on how the individual ___________________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  perceives the source of the "problem" within the family
B)  may respond to familial therapeutic interventions
C)  copes with familial stressors
D)  organizes himself or herself within the family

Question 8

The mapping of a genogram typically involves:

Accepted Answer

A)  going back three generations.
B)  drawing slashes between the family members where there is conflict.
C)  having each member of the family draw a family portrait.
D)  having the counselor in isolation map the structure of the nuclear family.

Question 9

Which of the following instruments involves "criss-cross" testing where each individual first takes the instrument and then takes it a second time, but provides answers they believe the other person would give?

Accepted Answer

A)  Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis
B)  Family Environment Scale
C)  Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised
D)  Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Question 10

Observational tasks and techniques (e.g., genograms) in the assessment of couples and families tend to:

Accepted Answer

A)  be highly reliable and stable.
B)  have low reliability.
C)  be comparatively free of counselor bias.
D)  have an abundance of research documenting their validity.

Question 11

A counselor using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in the context of family counseling would most likely focus on ___________________________ when interpreting the results.

Accepted Answer

A)  explaining to each family member what his/her MBTI code means
B)  the interactions that occur between family members, using the framework of their MBTI codes
C)  explaining how criss-cross testing works
D)  determining which family member has the wrong MBTI code and does not fit with the other family members

Question 12

Which premarital assessment is comprised of 276 items and measures the four broad areas of personality/values, family and friend support, communication skills, and background/upbringing?

Accepted Answer

A)  PREPARE
B)  ENRICH
C)  RELATE
D)  MATE

Question 13

When interpreting the Kveback Family Sculpting Technique, the counselor:

Accepted Answer

A)  measures the distance between the placement of the figurines.
B)  draws slashes between the family members where there is conflict.
C)  asks the family to explain the family sculpture they created.
D)  all of the above

Question 14

An inspection of the instruments used by marriage and family therapists reveals that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the majority of the instruments used are designed for individual counseling.
B)  there are few published instruments designed for use in family counseling.
C)  approximately 75% of therapists use standardized instruments on a regular basis.
D)  all of the above

Question 15

The assessment of couples and families has been influenced by the theoretical approach of many marriage and family therapists.This theoretical approach is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Person-centered
B)  Adlerian
C)  Object Relations
D)  Systemic

Question 16

Although the norming group consisted of only 218 White married individuals, reliability estimates for the ________________________ suggest that it may be suitable for use with couples of varying sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity and marital status.

Accepted Answer

A)  Martial Satisfaction Inventory - Revised
B)  Marital Adjustment Test
C)  Dyadic Adjustment Scale
D)  Couple's Pre-Counseling Inventory

Question 17

In addition to information on family structure and patterns of functioning, a genogram may also include information about the following, except for:

Accepted Answer

A)  occupations of family members.
B)  religious practices.
C)  critical family events.
D)  the clinician's observations of the family while the genogram is constructed.

Question 18

If a counselor is using a systemic approach, then his or her assessment strategy would be focused on:

Accepted Answer

A)  each member of the family individually.
B)  the interactions among the family members.
C)  the parenting style of the parents.
D)  the children's behaviors.

Question 19

Genograms are based on which of the following ideas?

Accepted Answer

A)  Families will project their level of cohesion in the way that they map the genogram.
B)  Family conflict issues will automatically surface through the mapping of the genogram.
C)  Family patterns are transmitted multigenerationally.
D)  All families have a structure, and the genogram reflects that structure.

Question 20

In assessing couples, the focus is typically on:

Accepted Answer

A)  whether or not the couple should get married.
B)  calculating the probability of divorce.
C)  determining if there is violence in the relationship.
D)  the relationship and couple distress.

Exam 11: Assessment in Marriage Family Counseling