Couple Analysis
Background Information for the Couple
Let’s call the couple who took the assessment Trevor and Anne. The background
information for each of them provides insight on their mindsets and attitudes, due to their
upbringing and current demographic. This helps, then, to determine what their future together
might look like. One thing that jumps out is the level of similarity they share in their background,
pointing to a potential for marriage success. Only three years apart in age, both fall within the 24
and above age bracket identified as optimal for lasting marriages.1 Both are also strongly
affiliated with the protestant Christianity. Trevor works full time as an editor in an online
magazine while Anne works from home as a digital creator. Both, thus, command decent
incomes, with Trevor’s being slightly larger than Anne’s. One difference in their background is
that Trevor is the oldest of three kids, while is an only child. However, they both grew up in
loving families whose parents never got separated. They have both never been married, and have
been dating for three years now, without any pause in the relationship so far. This also suggests
potential for a strong marriage.
Couple Type
The couple type Trevor and Anne fit in is the conventional type. This couple type is
known to be highly committed and positively agreeable with each other concerning marriage
roles and belief systems, including spirituality, child rearing, and relationship with friends and
family.2 The area of issue with this couple type involves communication and conflict resolution
1 Les Parrott and Leslie Parrott, Saving Your Marriage before It Starts: Seven Questions to Ask before --
and after -- You Marry (Zondervan Uuuu-Uuuu, 2015), 37.
2 Adrienne Kaufman, Personality, Partner Similarity and Couple Satisfaction: Do Opposites Attract or
Birds of a Feather Flock Together? (2011), 6
https://app.prepare-enrich.com/pe/pdf/research/2011/personality_and_couple_satisfaction.pdf.
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skills. For Trevor and Anne, though, their communication score is sufficiently high, even while
their conflict resolution is expectedly low and a growth area for them. Both partners are highly
committed and recognize this in each other, being both, as a result, deeply satisfied with the
relationship. However, they may both be idealistic about the relationship, as their report
indicates. Trevor is the most idealistic of the two, though, usually glossing over potential issues
in the relationship, while Anne, though mostly idealistic too, is more realistic and may take
potential issues more seriously than Trevor. This is an area that may require some discussion
with the couple, in order to avoid potential problems in their relationship from gaining wings due
to negligence arising from their idealistic distortion.
Possible Strength or Growth Areas
Aside the conflict resolution and idealistic distortion identified in the couple, a significant
growth area identified is their financial management ideals. With Trevor being somewhat
dissatisfied with Anne’s spending and saving habits, it is seen that they have differing ideas on
how and when to spend money, and what to spend it on. This is a significant potentially
problematic area, that needs to be swiftly addressed, especially considering the low score the
couple have in the area of conflict resolution. It is therefore important to spend a good amount of
time during counseling with this couple in addressing this area where they so strongly disagree,
in order to help them work through the conflict, and other potential future conflicts, successfully.
One way to help the couple in this area would be to set them exercises where they set budgets
and financial goals, so they learn to work together for a more positive financial management
policy. Recommending a financial management training class could also be of benefit to them in
building a positive financial partnership for successful marriage life.
2
Circumplex Model/Family Map
As mentioned earlier, the couple have similar background information. Both Trevor and
Anne grew up in connected and flexible families. This could be a positive factor in their
relationship, as they can more easily understand and support each other in their relationships
with their individual families. Moreover, this may mean they will also have a close-knit family of
their own, while both maintaining close relations with each other’s families. It must be had in
mind, however, that this situation of their individual family closeness may require some
allowances, which means there must be some discussion on some dynamics that may surface.
For instance, there are bound to be customs and traditions that each of them has grown with and
may need to be reviewed to make living together smooth for them. Also, agreements need to be
made on how holidays and other important family associations will be handled, perhaps they will
have schedules on visiting each other’s families. This hinges on communication and conflict
resolution, which they will need to work on too.
SCOPE Personality Scale
This couple’s SCOPE personality scale has a few areas that require attention. SCOPE,
which stands for Social, Creative, Organized, Pleasing, and Emotionality, helps to understand
each person’s personality.3 The areas that need focus with this couple include social, creative, and
organized. Trevor is more introverted than Anne, and this difference may create some conflict if
it is not properly managed. This is more significant with Trevor’s being also less open to change
(creative) than Anne, although with both being of the conservative type, Anne may also be more
practical and inflexible in her ways. This, therefore, requires considerable discussion in order to
smoothen whatever friction may want to arise in future. One way in which conflict may arise for
3 Kaufman, Personality, Partner Similarity, (2011), 5.
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the couple, considering this disparity, is in the incidence of new opportunities that may require
relocation to new environments. Trevor may be reluctant to such disruption of their norm, while
Anne may be open to such adventures. Finally, while their couple type suggests that each partner
has some form of stability in their lives, Trevor is reports being less organized than Anne. This
may be a recipe for conflict when they begin to live together, but there may be some comfort in
the knowledge that their communication is high enough, but more work needs to be put into their
conflict resolution skill so as to offset whatever issues may arise from such. As such, a
counseling session with the couple may take the time to discuss this particular dynamic with
them.
Conclusion
I have found considerable insight working through this assignment. Having spent the
time to evaluate the couple’s report is beneficial in gaining a fuller knowledge of the couple
beyond mere figures. I can see, first hand, how important it is to have this assessment before
heading into counseling. It really does enable a counselor to see the big picture and help the
couple better than if the assessment had not been done. This is because focus can be placed on
specific areas of need, while their strength areas are also pointed out to them, through which they
can work together and build off each other’s strengths while improving on their growth areas.
Moreover, the couple will be more invested in the counseling process, with the personal touch
the report allows the counselor to put into the process. For this couple, if they do contact me for
their premarital counseling, the areas to focus on will include their conflict resolution strategies,
family relationship styles, and their SCOPE personality styles. I am certain that with due
attention given to these areas, the couple will be off to a great start and be more prepared to have
a fulfilling and lasting marriage with each other.
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Bibliography
Kaufman, Adrienne. “Personality, Partner Similarity and Couple Satisfaction: Do Opposites
Attract or Birds of a Feather Flock Together?,” 2011.
https://app.prepare-enrich.com/pe/pdf/research/2011/personality_and_couple_satisfaction
.pdf.
Parrott, Les, and Leslie Parrott. Saving Your Marriage before It Starts: Seven Questions to Ask
before -- and after -- You Marry. Zondervan Uuuu-Uuuu, 2015.
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