Home1
Psychological tests2
Marital Conflict Diagnostic Questionnaire3

Marital Conflict Diagnostic Questionnaire Test

With 50 questions and a 10-minute completion time, the Marital Conflict Diagnostic Questionnaire Test helps you explore areas of tension in married life, including communication, shared responsibilities, finances, family relationships, and mutual understanding. Your result can support focused self-reflection about patterns affecting your relationship.

Questions: 5010 minutes

Marital Conflict Diagnostic Questionnaire: situation and reply bubbles

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

35,979 views

3,272 completions

2,768 likes

Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

2,768 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Cognitive NeedsCN

Measures how well spouses align in intellectual interests, curiosity, and preferences for learning and discussion.

example score3/5

3/5Some tensionexample score

0 – 1Aligned

2 – 3Some tension

4 – 5Marked mismatch

A score of 3 suggests noticeable differences in cognitive interests or expectations that can occasionally become a source of tension.

Self-Concept DefenseSCD

Measures the degree to which marital conflicts center on protecting self-esteem and self-respect between spouses.

example score2/5

2/5Moderate tensionexample score

0 – 1Low tension

2 – 3Moderate tension

4 – 5High tension

A score of 2 suggests a moderate level of self-concept sensitivity in the relationship, where conflicts may sometimes involve feeling undervalued or needing affirmation.

Mutual UnderstandingMU

Measures how easily spouses reach agreement and feel supported by each other, with higher scores indicating more difficulty achieving mutual understanding.

example score3/5

3/5Mixed understandingexample score

0 – 1Good understanding

2 – 3Mixed understanding

4 – 5Low understanding

A score of 3 falls in the Mixed understanding range, suggesting mutual understanding is inconsistent and may be harder to maintain across everyday situations.

Personal TraitsPT

Measures how much spouses’ individual personality traits and habitual styles contribute to conflict in the marriage.

example score3/5

3/5Moderate impactexample score

0 – 1Low impact

2 – 3Moderate impact

4 – 5High impact

A score of 3 suggests a moderate contribution of personal qualities to relationship tension, with some personality differences likely playing a noticeable role in conflicts.

RolesR

Measures how much spouses agree on the distribution of family roles and responsibilities, where higher scores reflect more role-related tension.

example score2/5

2/5Moderate tensionexample score

0 – 1Low tension

2 – 3Moderate tension

4 – 5High tension

A score of 2 suggests a moderate level of role-related tension, indicating some areas where expectations about responsibilities may not fully align.

Material NeedsMN

Measures the degree of agreement between spouses on financial matters and material provision as a potential source of tension.

example score3/5

3/5Moderate tensionexample score

0 – 1Low tension

2 – 3Moderate tension

4 – 5High tension

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate tension range, suggesting some recurring disagreements about finances or material needs that may benefit from clarification and negotiation.

Communication CultureCC

This scale measures the degree of mutual respect and courtesy in spouses’ everyday communication, where higher scores suggest more frequent communication difficulties.

example score3/5

3/5Occasional tensionexample score

0 – 1Respectful communication

2 – 3Occasional tension

4 – 5Frequent difficulties

A score of 3 falls in the “Occasional tension” range, suggesting that courtesy and mutual respect are generally present but may break down in certain situations and contribute to conflict.

Relationships With ParentsRWP

Assesses how much conflict in the couple is linked to interactions with parents and other relatives.

example score3/5

3/5Moderate tensionexample score

0 – 1Low tension

2 – 3Moderate tension

4 – 5High tension

A score of 3 suggests a moderate level of tension with parents or relatives that may contribute to marital disagreements at times.

LeisureL

Measures the degree of agreement and tension between spouses around how leisure time is planned and spent together.

example score4/5

4/5Frequent disagreementsexample score

0 – 1Aligned

2 – 3Some differences

4 – 5Frequent disagreements

A score of 4 suggests frequent disagreements or dissatisfaction about how you spend free time together, making leisure a likely source of tension.

AwarenessA

Measures how well spouses are informed about each other’s daily affairs and interests, where higher scores suggest more informational gaps and potential misunderstandings.

example score1/5

1/5Well-informedexample score

0 – 1Well-informed

2 – 3Some gaps

4 – 5Marked gaps

A score of 1 falls in the “Well-informed” range, indicating generally good mutual awareness with minimal informational gaps.

Wife Conflict IndexWCI

The Conflict Index Kzh measures the overall intensity of the wife's conflict behavior across areas of marital interaction.

example score36/50

36/50High conflictexample score

0 – 16Low conflict

17 – 33Moderate conflict

34 – 50High conflict

A score of 36 falls in the High conflict range, suggesting a generally elevated level of conflict behavior from the wife's side across multiple interaction areas.

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Couples in frequent arguments

41%OF USERS

Partners who argue often take it to quickly see how severe the conflicts are and which topics trigger them most.

Spouses starting counseling

34%OF USERS

People preparing for or already in therapy use it to map problem areas and set clear goals for improving communication.

Intercultural marriage partners

25%OF USERS

Couples from different cultural or national backgrounds take it to separate personal incompatibilities from culture-related misunderstandings.

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Cognitive NeedsCN

You?

Average3.5

Typical rangeTypical2.7 – 4.2

Possible0 – 5

Protecting the Self-ConceptPtS

You?

Average3.2

Typical rangeTypical2.3 – 4

Possible0 – 5

Mutual UnderstandingMU

You?

Average3.5

Typical rangeTypical2.8 – 4.2

Possible0 – 5

Personal qualitiesPq

You?

Average1.9

Typical rangeTypical1.1 – 2.7

Possible0 – 5

RolesR

You?

Average1.6

Typical rangeTypical0.8 – 2.4

Possible0 – 5

Material NeedsMN

You?

Average2.1

Typical rangeTypical1.2 – 2.9

Possible0 – 5

Culture of communicationCoc

You?

Average2

Typical rangeTypical1.1 – 2.8

Possible0 – 5

Relationships with ParentsRwP

You?

Average2.5

Typical rangeTypical1.8 – 3.2

Possible0 – 5

LeisureL

You?

Average2.4

Typical rangeTypical1.7 – 3.1

Possible0 – 5

AwarenessA

You?

Average3

Typical rangeTypical2.2 – 3.7

Possible0 – 5

Conflict Index KzhCIK

You?

Average30.7

Typical rangeTypical24.5 – 37

Possible0 – 50

Featured On

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- This does not apply to me
- No, it does not concern me
- Yes, but it concerns me only slightly
- Yes, it definitely concerns me
- Yes, it concerns me a lot
- Yes, it concerns me extremely
- This does not apply to me
- No, it does not bother me
- Yes, but it bothers me only a little
- Yes, this definitely bothers me
- Yes, this bothers me a lot
- Yes, this bothers 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

These are 3 of the 50 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Marital Conflict Diagnostic Questionnaire Test - Description and methodology of the test

behavior in conflict

family adaptation

family

For readers examining recurring disagreements in a marriage, the Marital Conflict Diagnostic Questionnaire Test offers a structured way to locate strain. It suits someone seeking a marital conflict test that turns broad dissatisfaction into specific areas for reflection, including communication, roles, support, and finances. The result profiles perceived relationship tensions rather than judging either partner.

What This Assessment Explores

Conflict is treated as multidimensional: items address intellectual interests, self-respect, support, personality differences, duties, finances, communication, relatives, leisure, and awareness of a partner’s activities. As a marital relationship assessment, the profile shows which areas merit discussion.

The result organizes these themes into the following scales and bands:

Cognitive Needs (0-5) gauges intellectual agreement: Aligned 0-1/Some tension 2-3/Marked mismatch 4-5; Self-Concept Defense (0-5) gauges self-esteem conflict: Low tension 0-1/Moderate tension 2-3/High tension 4-5.
Mutual Understanding (0-5) gauges spousal agreement and support: Good understanding 0-1/Mixed understanding 2-3/Low understanding 4-5; Personal Traits (0-5) gauges personality impact: Low impact 0-1/Moderate impact 2-3/High impact 4-5.
Roles (0-5) gauges agreement on family duties: Low tension 0-1/Moderate tension 2-3/High tension 4-5; Material Needs (0-5) gauges financial agreement: Low tension 0-1/Moderate tension 2-3/High tension 4-5.
Communication Culture (0-5) gauges respectful communication: Respectful communication 0-1/Occasional tension 2-3/Frequent difficulties 4-5; Relationships With Parents (0-5) gauges relative-related conflict: Low tension 0-1/Moderate tension 2-3/High tension 4-5.
Leisure (0-5) gauges shared-time alignment: Aligned 0-1/Some differences 2-3/Frequent disagreements 4-5; Awareness (0-5) gauges knowledge of partner activities and interests: Well-informed 0-1/Some gaps 2-3/Marked gaps 4-5.
Wife Conflict Index (0-50) gauges wife-focused overall conflict: Low conflict 0-16/Moderate conflict 17-33/High conflict 34-50; higher scores indicate greater conflict, while lower scores suggest satisfaction and adjustment.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Methodologically, this is a self-report questionnaire. Each item presents a marital situation with options from not applicable or no concern to slight, definite, strong, and extreme concern. The respondent rates personal distress or disagreement, not both partners as an observer.

Its value as a relationship conflict questionnaire lies in combining responses into domain results and an overall index. The bands organize tension, not diagnosis or causation.

The closest named source is Levkovich Marital Conflict Methodology (2002), which treats conflict through social-psychological areas. Levkovich and Zuskova (1985, 1987) provide related conceptual and methodological work. This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with those sources, not necessarily a reproduction or validated adaptation. Lopatina (2026) adds relationship-satisfaction context but does not validate it.

Interpret results as prompts for focused reflection. Current circumstances, memory, self-awareness, disclosure, and wife-focused wording can shape the profile, so it represents one partner’s perspective rather than a complete couple assessment.

Author: John M. Gottman

Literature:

Levkovich, V. P. (2002). Social-Psychological Diagnostics of Marital Relations: Teaching and Methodological Manual. Moscow: Moscow Humanitarian-Social Academy. 110 pp.
Levkovich, V. P., & Zuskova, O. E. (1985). Socio-Psychological Approach to the Study of Marital Conflicts. Psychological Journal, 6(3), 126-137.
Levkovich, V. P., & Zuskova, O. E. (1987). Methodology for Diagnosing Marital Relations. Questions of Psychology, 4, 128-135.
Lopatina, Natalia A. (2026). The influence of partners’ scripts on relationship satisfaction in couples. Transactional Analysis in Russia, 6(1), 48-52. 10.56478/taruj20266148-52

Updated: 2025-10-02