Publication

Study Background: We will present on two stepfamily-related assessments designed to help clinicians/practitioners and researchers. First, the Remarriage Belief Inventory (RMBI; Higginbotham & Adler-Baeder, 2008) is a seven-factor, 22-item instrument that measures an individual’s beliefs regarding remarriage/stepfamily topics. Second, the Revised Questionnaire for Couples in Stepfamilies (RQCS; Schramm & Higginbotham, 2009), which uses 22 items to assess four domains of stepfamily di&iculties. This presentation will highlight the original development and the subsequent international efforts to adapt these assessments into Portuguese (Santos, Higginbotham, Costa, & Martins, 2023) and Japanese (Jikihara, Nozawa, Ando, Higginbotham, Schramm, & Adler-Baeder, 2023). Other translations include Polish (Kołodziej & Przybyła-Basista, 2014) and Urdu (Razaq, Kahn, Qurratulain, Bakhsh, & Ayub, 2024). Aim/Objectives: We will present the development of the original assessments, the process of adapting them for international usage, and practical uses for those who work with stepfamilies. Research Methods: We will review the research methods used by the American, Portuguese, and Japanese teams, respectively. We will highlight the international samples and methods used for the different validation studies, including dyadic confirmatory factor analysis (Garneau, Adler-Baeder, & Higginbotham, 2016). Results: These validated stepfamily assessments have been translated, utilized, and published in multiple languages. Examples of findings we could highlight include the associations with measures of marital quality. Additionally, results from causal invariance tests indicated that associations did not di&er by stepfamily type or years married. We can also review the implications of the different studies, which include using the tools in different countries to identify, understand, and address dysfunctional beliefs in remarital relationships in different parts of the world. Conclusion: The RMBI and RQCS are available to help clinicians and researchers understand what works in blended families. The assessment developers can answer questions and collaborate on adaptations to other languages.