IMPLICATIONS OF THE DIVORCE MEDIATION ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT FOR MEDIATION PRACTICE

• Published date: 01 January 1991
• Author: Ngoh Tiong Tan
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.174-1617.1991.tb00209.x
• Date: 01 January 1991

IMPLICATIONS

OF

THE DIVORCE

MEDIATION ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT

FOR MEDIATION PRACTICE

Ngoh Tiong Tan, Ph.D.

The development of the Divorce Mediation Assessment Instrument (DMAI), based

on

sir

dimensions -commitment, social-psychological factors, values, understanding,

skills,

and con-

flict-was in response to the need

to

systematically assess clients’ readiness for divorce

mediation and

to

inform and guide intervention. Tests

on

Dh4AI showed high reliabiliy, and

reasonable instrument validity. The implication of DMAI for mediation practice is discussed in

terms of the various outputs

of

DMAI: DMAI score, subscale score, and item score. Issues in

assessment raised included

highlighting

strengths, working

on

agreements, and preventive

intervention. DMAl’S implication for

theory

building and research

is

also discussed. Careful

assessment is needed for appropriate use of mediation, and the DMAI provides a model of

assessment which has clinical, empirical, and theoretical validity.

While theory building, research, and general interest in mediation has

blossomed, the emphasis on effective practice remains vital to the mediation

profession. The key to sound professional practice is good assessment.

Assess-

ment refers to the global process of synthesizing information about individ-

uals

so

as to describe and understand them better (Brown, 1983; Filsinger,

1983).

The purpose of assessment is to inform and guide intervention.

The development of the Divorce Mediation Assessment Instrument

(DMAI) was in response to the need for systematically assessing clients’

readiness

for

divorce mediation. A model of assessment involving

six

di-

mensions

-

commitment, social-psychological factors, values, understand-

ing, skills, and conflict

-

was developed through comprehensive interviews

with clients and mediators and a survey of existing literature and documents

on the subject of divorce mediation.

No

focus group interviews with

mediators were conducted to clarify the dimensions of the instrument and

edit the items generated.

The initial questionnaire was pilot tested on

14

subjects and reported in

Mediation

Quarterly (Tan,

1988).

The revised instrument was then adminis-

tered to three subsamples from a public, a private nonprofit, and a private

agency comprising

133

respondents. Reliability and validity analyses were

Author’s Note:

Copies of the instrument are availablefrom the author

on

request.

FAMILY

AND

CONCILIATION

COURTS

REVIEW,

Vol.

29

No.

1,

January

1991

26-40

0

1991

Sage

Publications,

Inc.

26