Hint of the Month and News Update - September, 2006
Past Hints
 
What Is Unique About PREPARE/ENRICH?

Couples and potential Administrators sometimes contact us and ask what is different about the PREPARE/ENRICH materials and program compared to some other methods of relationship exploration using questionnaires. The fact is there are several important components that are unique aspects of the Inventories and Program as they are used in Australia and throughout the world:

Five Inventories: PREPARE, PREPARE-MC, PREPARE-CC, ENRICH, MATE

PREPARE/ENRICH continues to lead the field in relevance to various relationships and
life stages. At the Smart Marriages Conference in 2005, much was made of the need to pay attention to the marriages of the aging baby boomers. While others are just beginning to recognize this need, Dr. Olson developed MATE, for couples over 50, ten years ago.

• Couple Typology

By using a statistical technique known as cluster analysis, PREPARE/ENRICH research
has revealed patterns in couple relationships referred to as the couple typology. This typological system which categorizes couples as Vitalized, Harmonious, Traditional, Conflicted, or Devitalized, has proven to be very useful in counselling, education, mentoring, and research.

• Couple & Family Map

Based on Dr. Olson’s Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems, the inventories
plot flexibility and cohesion for the couple and their family of origin. The Circumplex model is the most popular family research model, now published in over 1500 studies around the world. Administrators find it a helpful way to engage couples in discussions about family of origin issues and role relationship.

• Building A Strong Marriage Workbook with six Couple Exercises

From the beginning, Dr. Olson has paired his inventories with a feedback program
designed to teach specific skills and equip couples. The manageable and teachable couple
exercises are a powerful complement to the couple assessments.

• Idealistic Distortion Scale

The PREPARE/ENRICH Inventories are very sophisticated and refined. Idealistic
Distortion measures the extent to which a person views their relationship through “rose colored glasses”. This correction factor is used to adjust individual scores to provide a more valid result. 

Assertiveness, Avoidance, Self-Confidence, and Partner Dominance

The scales used in the Personality Assessment section identify important relationship
interaction patterns. Research shows that these patterns are highly related to relationship health and success.

Abuse Assessment

When Version 2000 of PREPARE/ENRICH was released, the background section was expanded to include questions relating to abuse and substance use. These questions are designed to provide an opening for counselors to explore these areas of concern in more depth.

Scientific Rigor & Ongoing Studies

With high levels of reliability, impressive predictive validity for marital outcomes, fifteen published journal articles and countless doctoral dissertations, the science behind the
PREPARE/ENRICH program is unmatched in the field of couple assessment.

 Past Hints  Last Month :  How are Idealistic Distortion and Avoidance Linked? 
 
News Update:  

    The June 2006 issue of the Newsletter, the Prepare Diary, is available on this web site: To read, click on: June 2006 Diary    The next newsletter will be posted in mid-December. 

    PROCESSING FEE WAS INCREASED FROM FEBRUARY 1st 2006  
    As announced in the December 2005 Newsletter, we have reluctantly increased the cost of processing to $44 (including GST) from February 1st next year. This is the first increase in the base cost of processing since 1999.  The $35 processing charge was set then and the GST added to this in June 2000, taking the GST inclusive charge to $38.50. Between June 1999 and June 2005, our net costs have increased by almost 15% due to constant increases in the expenses associated largely with wages, printing and postage. Our aim is to maintain the new processing charge for a lengthy period of time (as we have done before). We always aimed to make the processing cost comparable to that of a modest meal for a couple – we feel sure that $44 (for a couple) is still well and truly within those limits.