Exploring the Factor Structure and Concurrent Validity of Two Stepfamily Measures for Japanese Couples

We examined the validity of the Japanese versions of the Revised Questionnaire for Couples in Stepfamilies and the Remarriage Belief Inventory in Japan where social and cultural patterns of divorce and remarriage are substantially different from the West. Participants were 548 married Japanese individuals in stepfamilies. Both scales’ validity, factor structure, and internal consistency were confirmed. The links between remarriage beliefs, marital adjustment and various challenges experienced by couples in stepfamilies were examined. Stepparents’ belief that success is slim was associated with biological parents’ low marital quality and the difficulties they experienced as spouses. Biological fathers’ belief that adjustment should come quickly was related to stepmothers’ difficulties in fulfilling the social and family dimension in stepfamilies.