Brief Description
The Fondness and Admiration System, also called the Fondness and Admiration Questionnaire, was created by John Gottman and is a tool included in the Gottman Relationship Checkup. The FAAS measures how much warmth and affection partners have for each other in a romantic relationship. Respondents rate each item either ‘true’ or ‘false’ based on how much they identify with the experience of fondness and admiration described (e.g., "I can easily list the three things I most admire about my partner"). The FAAS is commonly used by Gottman-trained couples counselors to help explore whether partners feel fondness, admiration, and respect for one another. This tool helps identify both areas of strength and areas that may need improvement.
Assessment Administration Type
Self-report
Number of questions
20
Age Range for Administration
18+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
No recommended standard frequency; Blueprint recommends monthly or as clinically indicated.
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
Each item is answered as either “true” or “false.” The measure is scored by giving 1 point for each "true" answer and summing the total responses. A score of 10 or higher suggests that fondness and admiration are strengths in the relationship, meaning both partners feel positively toward each other. A score below 10 indicates that this area of the relationship might need some work, suggesting that the couple could benefit from focusing on rebuilding admiration and fondness to strengthen their bond.
Blueprint Adjustments
This tool is commonly called the Fondness and Admiration System and Fondness and Admiration Questionnaire. Blueprint uses the name Fondness and Admiration System as this is how the developer, John Gottman, refers to it. The wording of this assessment has been altered slightly to be inclusive of long-term relationships (e.g., replacing “spouse” with “partner” and “marriage” with “relationship”).
Clinical Considerations
Estimated time for completion: 5-7 minutes
This measure is one part of the Gottman Relationship Checkup, which was created based on the Sound House Theory.
Collaboration between members of the couple in taking the measure is strongly discouraged.
For proper analysis of the measure, both members of the couple must complete it.
Citation
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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