Semi-rural first-married couples (N=29) seeking marital counseling from a small community mental health center were administered Cattell's Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) as part of the intake procedure of the agency. Male and female mean scores for each of the 16 personality factors were derived and compared to the Cattell and Nesselroade (1967) means for unstable married couples. The mean profile for the males was significantly different on seven of the sixteen personality factors. For the females, nine of the sixteen proved significant. Differences were discussed in relation to the cultural influences of the community. The necessity of developing local norms when using psychometric instruments in marital counseling was called for. (Author)