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Assessment of Marital Conflict in the Family Role Structure3

Assessment of Marital Conflict in the Family Role Structure Test

Understand what’s driving your relationship tension and how intense it feels in about 19 minutes. A 100 item check-in that helps counselors quickly pinpoint root causes, including cultural factors when relevant.

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Questions: 10019 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

22,627 views

1,712 completions

1,505 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

2/5

Cognitive Needs (CN)

Measures conflict in the couple related to unmet cognitive needs and differences in interests, including possible national-cultural distinctions.

Low tension

Moderate tension

High tension

0 – 1: Low tension | 2 – 3: Moderate tension | 4 – 5: High tension

A score of 2 suggests moderate tension around cognitive needs, where differences in interests may sometimes contribute to misunderstandings but are not consistently disruptive.

example score

2/5

Self-Concept Defense (SCD)

Assesses how strongly marital conflicts are linked to protecting each partner’s self-concept in the context of national differences.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional tension around self-esteem or identity when national differences come into play, but not a dominant conflict theme.

example score

2/5

Mutual Understanding (MU)

Assesses how well spouses understand each other’s perspectives and needs, including differences related to national or cultural background.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of mutual understanding, suggesting some shared perspective alongside recurring gaps that may contribute to tensions.

example score

2/5

Personality Traits (PT)

Measures how much marital conflict is linked to spouses’ personality traits in the context of national or cultural differences.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of conflict related to personality differences, suggesting these traits sometimes contribute to tensions alongside national or cultural factors.

example score

2/5

Roles (R)

Assesses how aligned partners are in their expectations and division of family roles, including the influence of national traditions.

Aligned

Mixed

Misaligned

0 – 1: Aligned | 2 – 3: Mixed | 4 – 5: Misaligned

A score of 2 suggests a mixed level of agreement on roles, with some mismatches that may contribute to tension if left unaddressed.

example score

3/5

Material Needs (MN)

Assesses the degree of conflict related to spouses’ material needs and expectations in the context of national differences.

Low tension

Moderate tension

High tension

0 – 1: Low tension | 2 – 3: Moderate tension | 4 – 5: High tension

A score of 3 indicates a moderate level of tension where differing material expectations may occasionally fuel disagreements, particularly when shaped by cultural or national norms.

example score

2/5

Communication Culture (CC)

Measures how much couple conflict is linked to differences in communication norms and etiquette shaped by national traditions.

Low tension

Moderate tension

High tension

0 – 1: Low tension | 2 – 3: Moderate tension | 4 – 5: High tension

A score of 2 suggests a moderate level of tension where some communication-culture differences may occasionally lead to misunderstandings but are not consistently disruptive.

example score

2/5

Relationships With Parents (RWP)

Measures the degree of conflict in a couple related to relationships with parents and relatives, including the impact of culturally shaped family involvement.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of tension around parents or relatives, suggesting occasional interference or disagreements that can contribute to conflicts.

example score

2/5

Leisure (L)

Measures how closely spouses align in planning and enjoying leisure activities, including consideration of national traditions.

Low alignment

Moderate alignment

High alignment

0 – 1: Low alignment | 2 – 3: Moderate alignment | 4 – 5: High alignment

A score of 2 suggests moderate alignment, where some shared leisure preferences exist but differences may still create occasional tension.

example score

3/5

Awareness (A)

Assesses how well spouses understand each other's national and cultural characteristics that can influence everyday expectations and conflict triggers.

Low awareness

Moderate awareness

High awareness

0 – 1: Low awareness | 2 – 3: Moderate awareness | 4 – 5: High awareness

A score of 3 indicates moderate awareness, suggesting some knowledge of each other's national characteristics but with potential gaps that may still contribute to ethnicity-related misunderstandings.

example score

3/5

Cognitive Needs (CN)

Measures the degree of relationship tension linked to how well partners’ cognitive needs and interests are understood and supported.

Low conflict

Moderate conflict

High conflict

0 – 1: Low conflict | 2 – 3: Moderate conflict | 4 – 5: High conflict

A score of 3 suggests a moderate level of conflict where differences in interests or ways of thinking sometimes lead to misunderstandings but are not consistently disruptive.

example score

3/5

Self-Concept Defense (SCD)

Measures how much marital conflict is linked to protecting personal boundaries and self-esteem in the relationship.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not pervasive tendency for disagreements to involve issues of self-respect and boundary protection.

example score

2/5

Mutual Understanding (MU)

Measures how well spouses understand each other in communication and alignment of interests.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting partial mutual understanding with some communication or interest-alignment difficulties likely present.

example score

2/5

Personal Qualities (PQ)

Assesses how much relationship conflict is linked to differences in the partners’ personality traits and character styles.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 2 suggests a moderate level of conflict related to personal qualities, where character differences sometimes complicate interaction but are not consistently dominant.

example score

3/5

Roles (R)

Measures how much spouses agree on the distribution of family roles and responsibilities.

Low agreement

Moderate agreement

High agreement

0 – 1: Low agreement | 2 – 3: Moderate agreement | 4 – 5: High agreement

A score of 3 indicates moderate agreement on family roles, suggesting some shared understanding alongside areas that may still cause friction.

example score

2/5

Material Needs (MN)

Measures the degree of couple conflict related to meeting and aligning material and financial needs.

Low tension

Moderate tension

High tension

0 – 1: Low tension | 2 – 3: Moderate tension | 4 – 5: High tension

A score of 2 suggests a moderate level of tension around material expectations, indicating occasional disagreements that may benefit from clearer alignment of priorities.

example score

3/5

Communication Culture (CC)

Measures the degree of relationship tension linked to how constructively and respectfully spouses communicate.

Low tension

Moderate tension

High tension

0 – 1: Low tension | 2 – 3: Moderate tension | 4 – 5: High tension

A score of 3 indicates moderate tension related to communication culture, suggesting recurring misunderstandings or lapses in constructive dialogue.

example score

2/5

Relationships With Parents (RWP)

Measures how much tension and conflict in the marriage is linked to interactions with parents and other relatives.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional or situational strain related to parents or relatives that may sometimes affect the couple’s interactions.

example score

3/5

Leisure (L)

Measures how well spouses’ preferences and expectations align when planning and spending shared leisure time.

Low alignment

Moderate alignment

High alignment

0 – 1: Low alignment | 2 – 3: Moderate alignment | 4 – 5: High alignment

A score of 3 suggests a moderate level of leisure alignment, with some shared activities but noticeable differences that may require negotiation.

example score

3/5

Awareness (A)

Assesses how well spouses are informed about each other and their interactions, where higher scores suggest information gaps that can fuel conflict.

Well-informed

Some gaps

Significant gaps

0 – 1: Well-informed | 2 – 3: Some gaps | 4 – 5: Significant gaps

A score of 3 falls in the “Some gaps” range, suggesting there may be noticeable areas where partners lack information about each other that could contribute to misunderstandings.

example score

24/50

National Conflict Index (K'zh) (NCI)

Assesses how strongly marital conflicts are influenced by differences in the spouses’ national and cultural backgrounds.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 16: Low | 17 – 33: Moderate | 34 – 50: High

A score of 24 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting cultural or ethnic differences sometimes contribute to disagreements but are not the predominant driver of conflict.

example score

37/50

Personal Conflict Proneness (Wife) (Kzh) (PCP)

Measures the intensity of marital conflicts driven by personal traits and mismatched individual needs between spouses.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 16: Low | 17 – 33: Moderate | 34 – 50: High

A score of 37 falls in the High range, suggesting that personality-related incompatibilities and conflicting needs are a prominent source of tension in the relationship.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Couples in escalating conflict

46%OF USERS

Partners who argue often and want to pinpoint what exactly triggers clashes and how tense the relationship has become.

Multinational or intercultural couples

33%OF USERS

Couples from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds who want to separate personal incompatibilities from culture-related misunderstandings.

Therapists and family counselors

21%OF USERS

Professionals who use a structured questionnaire for quick screening and deeper analysis of conflict sources in couples.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Cognitive Needs (CN)

Average

3.3

Normal range

2.6 — 4.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Protection of the Self-Concept (PotS)

Average

2.1

Normal range

1.2 — 3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Mutual Understanding (MU)

Average

1.8

Normal range

0.9 — 2.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Personal qualities (Pq)

Average

1.9

Normal range

1.2 — 2.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Roles (R)

Average

1.3

Normal range

0.6 — 2.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Material Needs (MN)

Average

2.9

Normal range

2.1 — 3.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Communication Culture (CC)

Average

2.8

Normal range

2 — 3.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Relationships with Parents (RwP)

Average

2.2

Normal range

1.6 — 2.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Leisure (L)

Average

2.4

Normal range

1.8 — 3.1

min.

max.

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Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Awareness (A)

Average

2.6

Normal range

1.8 — 3.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Cognitive Needs (CN)

Average

2.2

Normal range

1.5 — 3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Protection of the Self-Concept (PotS)

Average

2.2

Normal range

1.5 — 3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Mutual Understanding (MU)

Average

2.2

Normal range

1.4 — 3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Personal qualities (Pq)

Average

3.5

Normal range

2.7 — 4.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Roles (R)

Average

3.6

Normal range

3 — 4.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Material needs (Mn)

Average

2.2

Normal range

1.5 — 2.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Communication Culture (CC)

Average

1.3

Normal range

0.6 — 2

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Relationships with Parents (RwP)

Average

2.7

Normal range

2 — 3.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Leisure (L)

Average

1.4

Normal range

0.5 — 2.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Awareness (A)

Average

3.4

Normal range

2.5 — 4.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

National Conflictiness Index K'zh (NCIK)

Average

33.2

Normal range

26.5 — 39.8

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Personal Conflictiveness Indicator Kzh (PCIK)

Average

20.5

Normal range

12.6 — 28.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- This does not apply to me
- No, this does not worry me
- Yes, but it worries me only a little
- Yes, this definitely worries me
- Yes, this worries me a great deal
- Yes, this worries me extremely
- This does not apply to me
- No, it does not bother me
- Yes, but it bothers me only a little
- Yes, it definitely bothers me
- Yes, it bothers me a lot
- Yes, it bothers me extremely
- This does not apply to me
- No, this does not bother me
- Yes, but this bothers me only a little
- Yes, this definitely bothers me
- Yes, this bothers me a lot
- Yes, this bothers me extremely

These are 3 of the 100 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Methodology for Diagnosing Marital Conflicts in the CNS Test

Assessment of Marital Conflict in the Family Role Structure Test - Symptoms and Signs

behavior in conflict

family adaptation

family

This measure is designed to characterize patterns of disagreement and perceived tension within intimate partnerships. The Assessment of Marital Conflict in the Family Role Structure provides a structured self-report format to help identify areas of recurrent conflict and the family-role contexts in which they arise.

The instrument includes 100 items and typically requires about 19 minutes to complete. It may be used in clinical or research settings to support case formulation, inform interview follow-up, and monitor change over time when interpreted alongside other assessment data.

In bibliographic terms, it is attributed to John M. Gottman. Results from the Assessment of Marital Conflict in the Family Role Structure should be interpreted within the individual’s relational, cultural, and situational context and are not, by themselves, diagnostic.

Author: John M. Gottman

Literature: Gottman, J. M. What predicts divorce? The relationship between marital processes and marital outcomes. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 1994.