Handbook of Measurements for Marriage and Family TherapyNorman Fredman and Robert Sherman, New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1987, pp. 236, $25.00.

Abstract

New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1987, pp. 236, $25.00. Professionals working in the area of marriage and family therapy will find this handbook an invaluable addition to their library as it is an excellent resource for aiding the assessment of dysfunctional marital and family relationships.Drs. Fredman and Sherman have organised the most current and widelyused assessment devices into six groups which cover: clinical popular tests, observational measurements, general marital satisfaction and adjustment scales, marital communications and intimacy scales, special family assessment scales and Minnesota family inventories. All instruments are presented with a brief description of the inventory followed by sections on sample, reliability, validity, administration requirements, a location guide to find the journal containing the instrument and a short discussion of the benefits or shortcomings of the instruments. An illustration of many of the inventories is also included with sample items.One limitation of the book is its failure to provide details regarding the culture and characteristics of the normative samples involved, making crosscultural or group comparisons difficult.A section on scoring would have also been useful to help the therapist determine the appropriateness of the instrument for particular client groups. Nevertheless, references for each instrument are provided which should explain the scoring and interpretation of the inventories.The handbook does achieve its purpose however, in providing both the researcher and the practitioner with a quick reference guide to assessment devices for the measurement of marital and family therapy.