Relationship strain has been associated with role captivity and overload as well as caregiver effectiveness, variables that have been interpreted as appraisals of the caregiving situation . The care recipient’s appraisal of the situation is also important. However, Zweibel and Lydens (1990) believe the relationship outcomes of the caregiver and care recipient are not determined so much by the individual perceptions of the caregiver and care recipient, but whether their perceptions of the same situation agree. Dyadic congruence has been associated with a closer relationship, whereas Litvin (1992) found that perceived change in the quality of the relationship by caregiver and care recipient significantly predicted dyadic conflict. Thus, caregiving relationship quality may be the lens through which appraisal of the caregiving situation is made.