Dr. ZHOU Dehui, RuthRuthDr. ZHOU DehuiChiu, Yu-Lung MarcusYu-Lung MarcusChiu2018-02-022018-02-022013Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 2013, vol. 23(3), pp. 198-214.0218-5385http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/4943Metaphor is embedded with representations of both experience and longing and can go far beyond problem representations in exploring marital experience. This paper reports the development of a marital metaphor questionnaire and its use with 123 Chinese single mothers. Lower marital satisfaction does correlate with their ratings of marital experience, but not with their general attitude toward marriage. The implications are discussed as to how marital metaphors could be used as an effective tool to engage clients on sensitive topics, reveal hopes and strengths, and how empirical studies can be conducted in a stigma-free and strength-based orientation.enMarital MetaphorsMarriage ConceptualizationSingle MothersChinesePeer Reviewed Journal Article10.1080/02185385.2013.803934