Marital Team-Behavior Rating Scale
Directions: Below is a 10-point scale to be used in rating your marital team partner on the use of the ten behavior traits listed below. Read the behavior descriptions and determine how it characterizes your partner’s position on the marital team. Select the value from the 10-point scale that best reflects this level and enter that number in the provided space.
10 Extremely characteristic: entirely consistent behavior
9 Very characteristic: behavior occurs 95% of the time
8 Quite characteristic: behavior occurs at least 75% of the time
7 Pretty characteristic: behavior occurs more than 50% of the time
6 Fairly characteristic: behavior occurs more than 25% of the time
5 Somewhat characteristic: occasional behavior, less than 25% of the time
4 Fairly uncharacteristic: this behavior seldom occurs, less than 15% of the time
3 Pretty uncharacteristic: this behavior rarely occurs, less than 10% of the time
2 Quite uncharacteristic: this behavior rarely occurs, less than 5% of the time
1 Extremely uncharacteristic: completely inconsistent behavior
Rate Description of My Partner’s Behavior
_____ (1) Open and candid in dealing with me and is not closed, cautious, keeping feelings hidden.
_____ (2) Hears, respects, and accepts my comments and reactions and is not defensive, dismissing my feelings as being of little consequence
_____ (3) Readily admits to confusion and/or lack of knowledge about a topic under discussion and does not pretend to understand, bluffing all the way.
_____ (4) Tries hard to understand my feelings. Works at obtaining information to facilitate understanding. Is not indifferent nor shows superficial concern.
_____ (5) Values my input, encourages my contributions to discussions and is not selective in requesting feedback; does not consider my contributions as inferior.
_____ (6) Welcomes and appreciates my attempts to help even when my feedback is confrontational, direct, and/or critical. Is gracious in a confrontation; and does not act hurt and indifferent.
_____ (7) Is open to my opinions on team decisions and is not controlling; does not manipulate team decisions.
_____ (8) Encourages collaboration on problems and solicits my definitions of and solutions to mutual problems and is not rigid and does not apply rules mechanically; is not controlling.
_____ (9) Is spontaneous in giving opinions, freely says whatever is on his/her mind, no matter how ''far out,'' and does not keep in line with patterns of the past and is not afraid to break out of the ''rut.''
_____ (10) Is supportive both intellectually and emotionally when I'm stuck and struggling to
express myself and does not let me flounder in my inabilities and does not try to go on without me, ignoring my feelings.
Scoring and Interpretation of the Rating Scale
Add the value of the ratings you gave your spouse and enter that score below.
My spouse's score_______ The score given me _________
Score Interpretation
80 to 100 Extremely supportive marital climate
60 to 79 Very supportive marital climate
40 to 59 Mildly supportive somewhat defensive marital climate
20 to 39 Very defensive marital climate
0 to 19 Extremely defensive marital climate
