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Belief In Marital Myths Scale

Do you believe everything you've ever heard about marriage? Take this test to find out how much damage 'marital myths' are doing to your marriage.

Mark Travers, Ph.D.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D.

January 16, 2024

Mark Travers, Ph.D., is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, responsible for new client intake and placement. Mark received his B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder. His academic research has been published in leading psychology journals and has been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker, among other popular publications. He is a regular contributor for Forbes and Psychology Today, where he writes about psycho-educational topics such as happiness, relationships, personality, and life meaning. Click here to schedule an initial consultation with Mark or another member of the Awake Therapy team. Or, you can drop him a note here.

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Marriage is often ensnared in a web of misconceptions that can cast shadows on its otherwise luminous potential. Marital myths, rooted in beliefs without empirical foundation, weave through the fabric of relationships, subtly influencing perceptions and actions. Understanding these myths is crucial for couples embarking on the journey of matrimony, as they navigate the evolving landscape of love and partnership.

The identification and measurement of belief in marital myths become paramount as couples strive to build resilient and fulfilling relationships. Belief in these myths can be sabotaging, contributing to unrealistic expectations and communication breakdowns.

By assessing the extent to which individuals subscribe to these misconceptions, researchers and relationship experts gain valuable insights into potential challenges couples may face. This understanding aids in designing targeted interventions while also equipping couples with the knowledge needed to fortify their relationship against the corrosive effects of misguided beliefs.

The Belief In Marital Myths scale is a vital tool designed to quantify individuals' adherence to these misconceptions. This scale, rooted in empirical research, measures the extent to which one's beliefs align with prevalent marital myths. By providing a quantifiable metric, this scale enables researchers, therapists, and couples alike to identify potential areas of concern, offering a roadmap for targeted interventions.

References: Larson, J. H. (2006) Overcoming myths about marriage. Marriage and Families, 17(2). 1-9.

Step 1: Rate the following statements based on how much you agree with them on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

1. If my spouse loves me, they should instinctively know what I want and need to be happy.

2. No matter how I behave, my spouse should love me simply because they are my spouse.

3. I can change my spouse by pointing out their inadequacies, errors and other flaws.

4. Either my spouse loves me or they don’t love me; nothing I do will affect the way they feel about me.

5. The more my spouse discloses positive and negative information to me, the closer I will feel to them and the greater our marital satisfaction will be.

6. I must first feel better about my partner before I can change my behavior towards them.

7. Maintaining romantic love is key to marital happiness over the lifespan for most couples.

8. Marriage should always be a 50-50 partnership.

9. Marriage can fulfill all of my needs.

10. Couples should keep their problems to themselves and solve them alone.

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Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores with people similar to you.

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What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.