Feb. 14, 2000

A new questionnaire developed by five universities has an 80 percent success rate in projecting whether a marriage will make it - or fail!

Science Specialist Ed Yeates says engaged couples will soon be able to take the test on the internet before they test their vows.

In Provo, two couples - one engaged, the other going steady - took an inventory test to find out if they were compatible for marriage.

Sherrie Ewell: "IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ASK ABOUT MYSELF - LIKE AM I CONSIDERATE? BUT I KNOW HE IS."

The questionaire takes more than an hour to fill out. It covers every conceivable issue married couples face - who they are - the way they think - values - family background - how well they communicate with each other.

Adam Drais: "SOME OF THE QUESTIONS IN HERE I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE. AND I SAID WHOOOO MAYBE THIS IS IMPORTANT AND I SHOULD THINK ABOUT THAT BEFOREHAND."

Ben Puffer: "YOU KNOW STUFF THAT MAYBE YOU WOULDN'T EVEN WANT TO SAY TO SOMEONE YOU ARE ENGAGED TO JUST YET."

The test, called "Relate," is the product of 60 years of research. Researchers from BYU, Syracuse, Texas Tech and the University of Arizona followed couples five years into their marriages and found the questionnaire was 80 percent accurate in identifying happy marriages - or marriages which ended in divorce.

Dr. Thomas Holman / BYU Family Studies Center: "THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT WON'T BE RESOLVED BY MARRIAGE AND WILL INDEED ONLY GET WORSE. AND SO WE DO HAVE SOME COUPLES WHO DO USE IT AS A MECHANISM FOR DECIDING TO BREAK UP."

That was not the case with Amanda Godbold and Ben Puffer. The two have been engaged for about a month. Both did very well and appear suited for each other. But communication did show some red flags.

Amanda Godbold: "MAKING SURE WE WERE MORE ATTENTIVE TO THE OTHER PERSON'S NEEDS - AND TO NOT BE CRITICAL."

ED YEATES, SCIENCE SPECIALIST: "DR. HOLMAN SAYS SOMETIMES A WOMAN - AND IT'S ALWAYS THE WOMAN - WILL TAKE THE TEST WITH TWO DIFFERENT MEN ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ONE IS STABLE - THE OTHER FUN - AND SHE WANTS TO KNOW WHICH ONE IS THE MOST COMPATIBLE."

But for the most part it's mostly serious couples wanting to identify differences which often never come up until after marriage.

The non-profit university consortium which developed "Relate" makes no money on the project. It will be available on the Internet in May at a cost of $10 per couple.

Link To BYU Family Studies Center