Questionnaires
IBCT therapists typically use a series of questionnaires to supplement the information that they gather from couples through interviews. Available for download are several questionnaires that we developed in part or in whole and that can be used without charge: a) the Couple Questionnaire (Christensen, 2009), which is a brief screening assessment for couple satisfaction, intimate partner violence, and commitment, as well as an open-ended assessment of typical positive and negative interactions, b) the Problem Areas Questionnaire (Heavey, Christensen, & Malamuth, 1995), which assesses common problem areas or areas of disagreement in couples and c) the Weekly Questionnaire, (Christensen, 2010), which is used during treatment to assess significant positive and negative events since the previous session and includes a brief index of couple satisfaction.
The IBCT therapist may want to assess certain areas more thoroughly than a simple screening instrument provides. For Intimate Partner Violence, the CDC provides a Compendium of Assessment Tools. To assess relationship satisfaction in greater detail, there is the Couples Satisfaction Index (Funk & Rogge, 2007). To assess positive and negative behavior and its acceptability to each, there is the Frequency and Acceptability of Partner Behavior Inventory (Christensen & Jacobson, 1997; Doss & Christensen, 2006) which can be downloaded below. To assess patterns of communication, there is the Communication Patterns Questionnaire, also available below.
References
Christensen, A. (1987). Detection of conflict patterns in couples. In K. Hahlweg & M.J. Goldstein (Eds.). Understanding major mental disorder: The contribution of family interaction research (pp. 250-265). New York, NY, US: Family Process Press.
Christensen, A. (2009). Couple Questionnaire. Unpublished questionnaire. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles.
Christensen, A. (2010). Weekly Questionnaire. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles.
Christensen, A., & Jacobson, N. S. (1997). Frequency and Acceptability of Partner Behavior Inventory: Unpublished measures. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles.
Christensen, A. & Sullaway, M. (1984). The Communication Patterns Questionnaire. Unpublished questionnaire. University of California, Los Angeles.
Crenshaw, A.O., Christensen, A., Baucom, D.H., Epstein, N.B., & Baucom, B.R.W. (2017). Revised scoring and improved reliability for the Communication Patterns Questionnaire. Psychological Assessment. 29(7), 913-925.
Doss, B. D., & Christensen, A. (2006). Acceptance in romantic relationships: The Frequency and Acceptability of Partner Behavior Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 18, 289–302.
Heavey, C. L., Larson, B. M., Zumtobel, D. C., & Christensen, A. (1996). The Communication Patterns Questionnaire: The reliability and validity of a constructive communication subscale. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 796-800.
Sullaway, M. & Christensen, A. (1983). Assessment of dysfunctional interaction patterns in couples. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 653-660.