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Married Couples (married + couple)
Selected AbstractsUsing Videotaped Feedback During Intervention With Married Couples: A Qualitative AssessmentFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 4 2006Edgar C. J. Long Abstract: Sixteen married couples volunteered to participate in a 6-week empathy training program. Ten of the 16 couples observed and made comments about their taped interaction at the end of the program. Individuals watched the tape of their own interaction at the follow-up and were asked several qualitative questions, including what they noticed about themselves. The five themes that emerged in the comments individuals made after watching themselves on videotape included surprised by self, discomfort watching the tape, increased self-awareness of emotions, observed patterns of interaction, and nondefensive self-disclosure. We discuss the potential utility of the videotape methodology for marriage educators and interventionists. [source] Role Balance Among White Married CouplesJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 4 2001Stephen R. Marks We generate models predicting wives' and husbands' feelings of overall balance across roles. Drawing on fine-grained data about marital lifestyles and time use, we find few predictors that are the same for both partners. Both report greater role balance when their level of parental attachment to children is higher and when their marital satisfaction is greater, but gendered time use gives rise to important differences. Wives report greater balance when they have more paid work hours but have fewer of these hours on weekends. Wives' balance is also greater when they feel less financial strain, have less leisure time alone with their children, more couple leisure alone with their husbands, and more social network involvement. Husbands' contribute to wives' balance when they report more relationship maintenance in the marriage and more leisure with their children at those times when wives are not present. Husbands' own role balance increases as their income rises, but it decreases as their work hours rise. Husbands' balance also rises with more nuclear family leisure, and it lessens as their leisure alone increases. Our discussion highlights the ways that gendered marital roles lead to these different correlates of balance. [source] Unemployment and the Separation of Married CouplesKYKLOS INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, Issue 1 2001Kornelius Kraft This article analyzes whether unemployment has an effect on the splitting of a marital relationship. The study uses 40 000 observations on unemployment spells and marital status during the period from 1987 to 1996. Random effects probit and conditional likelihood logit models for panel data are applied. Using several control variables, it was confirmed that unemployment does actually lead to a higher probability of the separation of married couples. [source] Parenting Was for Life, Not Just for Childhood: The Role of Parents in the Married Lives of their Children in Early Modern EnglandHISTORY, Issue 283 2001Elizabeth Foyster Marriage is a false dividing line to impose on our understanding of childhood, adulthood and parenting in the past. In early modern England neither the dependency which has been associated with childhood, nor the supervision of parents in the lives of their children, ceased with wedding bells. An examination of the parent-child bond beyond marriage within the middle and upper ranks can provide new and important insights into the intergenerational relationships of the early modern past. While parents could contribute to the smooth running of their children's marriages, they could also have a role as instigators of, commentators upon, and arbitrators of the discord which could result in their children's marriages. Motives for parental involvement could be complex, but parents could share in both the sorrows and the joys of their children's marriages. The emotional and financial repercussions of marriage breakdown could have painful effects for parents as well as for the married couple. [source] The modern furies: projection and superego subversion in the moral justification of violenceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOANALYTIC STUDIES, Issue 1 2007James Poulton Abstract The moral rationalization of violence and prejudice has long been viewed by psychoanalysis as resulting from a subversion of superego functioning. Yet, the specific mechanisms by which such subversions occur have remained obscure. In this paper, the intrapsychic and intersubjective dynamics of rationalizations of violence are explored as they arise in the dyadic interactions of a married couple in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Those dynamics are then extrapolated to larger group processes (e.g. sects, races, nations, etc.), with the aim of developing a more complete understanding of the cycles of hatred and violence that can occur between them. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Lepidopterism , oak processionary caterpillar dermatitis: Appearance after indirect out-of-season contactJOURNAL DER DEUTSCHEN DERMATOLOGISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT, Issue 9 2008Andreas Maronna Summary Lepidopterism by contact with oak processionary caterpillars is becoming more frequent in Germany and is often described in the lay press. The hairs of the adolescent caterpillars cause localized and generalized mechanic-irritative, toxic and allergic skin reactions. We describe the oak processionary caterpillar dermatitis in a married couple caused by indirect contact via their dog's saliva, after the dog had oral contact with an abandoned caterpillar nest in winter and became ill. Accordingly, the recommendation for prophylaxis by avoiding contact with oak processionary caterpillars has to be extended beyond the direct contact with caterpillars in summer. [source] From Dream story (Schnitzler) to Eyes wide shut (Kubrick) From identity through meaning formation to identity through excitation,THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS, Issue 3 2007Joachim F. Danckwardt Using different psychoanalytic points of view, in this comparative study of Traumnovelle by Schnitzler and Eyes wide shut by Kubrick the author analyses the cultural changes between the first and last thirds of the 20th century. This change consists in the way ,facts of life' are dealt with. It is a change from identity through insight and understanding to an identity through excited self-objectification. This change proceeds along the lines of ,I think therefore I am' to ,I feel therefore I am' arriving at ,I am excited, therefore I am noticed and thus I am'. In the description and illustration of 48 hours in the life of a married couple, this transformation from thinking to feeling and sensing is made tangible. After 9 years of being married, the couple faces the end of their passionate love. They struggle with the primordial anxiety in love life: the traumatic loss of faith in one's capacity to love. This transformation is accompanied by a change in media that symbolizes the couple's experience: from the language of dreaming, reading and listening in Schnitzler to the representation in audiovisual media, i.e. visual art, theatre, movies and public events in Kubrick. It marks a change in the representation of psychic life in space and time. [source] The longitudinal association between multiple substance use discrepancies and marital satisfactionADDICTION, Issue 7 2009Gregory G. Homish ABSTRACT Aims The objective of this work was to examine the relation between patterns of substance use among newly married couples and marital satisfaction over time. In particular, this work examined if differences between husbands' and wives' heavy alcohol use and cigarette smoking, rather than simply use per se, predicted decreases in marital satisfaction over the first 7 years of marriage. Methods Married couples (n = 634 couples) were assessed on a variety of substance use and relationship variables at the time of marriage and again at the first, second, fourth and seventh years of marriage. Results After controlling for key socio-demographic variables, discrepancies in husband and wife cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol use were related to significant reductions in marital satisfaction. Importantly, couples who were discrepant on both substances experienced the greatest declines in marital satisfaction over time. Conclusions Patterns of substance use among newly married couples are important predictors of changes in marital functioning over time. It was not simply the heavy alcohol use or cigarette smoking that predicted dissatisfaction but, rather, differences between husbands' and wives' substance use that impacted the relationship. [source] Couples with Schizophrenia "Becoming like Others" in South Korea: Marriage as Part of a Recovery ProcessFAMILY PROCESS, Issue 3 2009MYUNG-YEE YU PH.D. Very little is known about the married life of couples with schizophrenia. In this paper, authors report perceptions and experiences of 5 married couples with schizophrenia on their strategies in forming and maintaining healthy marriage. Our data reveal that participants had realistic expectations of marriage, and recognized benefits as well as obstacles in their marriages with respect to their recovery. This paper examines the importance of extended family members, mental health professionals, and the larger society's attitudes toward marriage as a factor in the recovery process for persons with schizophrenia. The authors identify implications for mental health professionals regarding the respect of client dignity and the applicability of a strengths perspective when working with couples with schizophrenia. The authors argue that mental health professionals' decisions regarding the balance between respecting a client's self-determination and protecting a client from risks associated with cohabitation and marriage should no longer be a dilemma for those working with people with mental illness. RESUMEN Se sabe muy poco de la vida matrimonial de las parejas que padecen esquizofrenia. En este trabajo, los autores informan sobre las percepciones y las experiencias de 5 parejas casadas que padecen esquizofrenia y sus estrategias para constituir y mantener un matrimonio sano. Nuestros datos revelan que los participantes tuvieron expectativas realistas en relación con el matrimonio, y reconocieron los beneficios y los obstáculos de sus matrimonios con respecto a su recuperación. Este artículo analiza la importancia de los familiares, de las actitudes de los profesionales de la salud mental y de la sociedad en general hacia el matrimonio como factor en el proceso de recuperación para las personas con esquizofrenia. Los autores identifican las implicancias para los profesionales de la salud mental con respecto a la dignidad del paciente y la aplicabilidad de una perspectiva de énfasis en las virtudes cuando se trabaja con parejas que padecen esquizofrenia. Los autores sostienen que las decisiones de los profesionales de la salud mental con respecto al equilibrio entre respetar la autodeterminación de un paciente y proteger a un paciente de los riesgos asociados con la convivencia y el matrimonio ya no debería ser un dilema para aquellos que trabajan con personas que tienen enfermedades mentales. Palabras clave: preservación del matrimonio, esquizofrenia, coreano, recuperación, dignidad del paciente, perspectiva de énfasis en las virtudes [source] Using Videotaped Feedback During Intervention With Married Couples: A Qualitative AssessmentFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 4 2006Edgar C. J. Long Abstract: Sixteen married couples volunteered to participate in a 6-week empathy training program. Ten of the 16 couples observed and made comments about their taped interaction at the end of the program. Individuals watched the tape of their own interaction at the follow-up and were asked several qualitative questions, including what they noticed about themselves. The five themes that emerged in the comments individuals made after watching themselves on videotape included surprised by self, discomfort watching the tape, increased self-awareness of emotions, observed patterns of interaction, and nondefensive self-disclosure. We discuss the potential utility of the videotape methodology for marriage educators and interventionists. [source] The Demand/Withdraw Pattern of Communication as a Predictor of Marital Satisfaction Over TimeHUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002Future Directions, Unresolved Issues There is ample evidence that marital dissatisfaction is associated concurrently with demand/withdraw, the marital pattern of communication in which one spouse nags or criticizes while the other avoids. However, the connection between demand/withdraw and changes in satisfaction is less clear. Some studies suggest that demand/withdraw is associated with low but steady marital satisfaction; other studies imply that demand/withdraw predicts declines in satisfaction; and still others indicate that demand/withdraw foreshadows increases in marital satisfaction. The current longitudinal study of married couples (N = 46) examined the connection between demand/withdraw and changes in satisfaction. The results suggest that the correlation between demand/withdraw and dissatisfaction endures to some extent, but also that demand/withdraw predicts increases in wives' satisfaction. Comparisons of the current study to previous studies of demand/withdraw imply that the association between demand/withdraw and marital satisfaction may be more complex than heretofore assumed, suggesting that future research ought to consider whether different ways of enacting demand/withdraw vary in their impact on marriage. [source] Family and work predictors of parenting role stress among two-earner families of children with disabilitiesINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2005Marji Erickson Warfield Abstract Family resources (i.e. household income and spouse support), parenting challenges (i.e. number of children, difficulty finding reliable child care, and child characteristics), work rewards (i.e. work interest) and work demands (i.e. hours and work overload) were tested as predictors of parenting role stress among mothers and fathers in two-earner families of five-year old children with disabilities. The two-level hierarchical model was adapted to assess mothers and fathers as nested within married couples. Both common and unique predictors of maternal and paternal parenting role stress were found. Having fewer children in the family predicted less stress for both parents. Household income and an interaction between child behaviour problems and work interest were significant predictors of maternal parenting role stress. In contrast, greater difficulty in finding reliable child care predicted higher levels of parenting role stress for fathers but not mothers. The policy and research implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] From east to west: Nepalese women's experiencesINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 3 2004C. Rolls rn Abstract Background:, Nepal is a small mountainous South Asian country located between the nations of India and China. Forty-two per cent of the 22 million Nepalese people live in poverty. As a result, immigration to a developed country is the dream of many but available to few. Some immigrants from Nepal have arrived in Australia in recent years entering the ,Skill' stream of eligibility categories. Nepalese immigrants to Australia are predominantly young married couples with professional education qualifications. Aim:, To generate knowledge of the childbirth and early experiences of Nepalese women in their mother country and in Australia. The aspect presented here is the immigration experiences of Nepalese women to Australia. Method:, An ethnographic, grounded theory approach was used to observe and analyse the experiences of 11 Nepalese participants. Findings:, Analysis of data suggests that Nepalese female immigrants with the ability to comprehend and speak English and a level of education and skill required by Australia can successfully negotiate the change of culture and adapt to their new society. Major benefits of immigration for the women were the opportunities to work, become independent and to share in decision making for their family. Conclusion and implications for nursing practice:, Severance from the Nepalese joint family, a male dominant hierarchical society, and a new way of life allow a Nepalese woman to become an individual rather than a member of a collective. This study has produced transcultural information from the perspective of the educated professional Nepalese female immigrant that will assist in the provision of midwifery and nursing care. [source] Relational aggression in marriageAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 5 2010Jason S. Carroll Abstract Drawing from developmental theories of relational aggression, this article reports on a study designed to identify if spouses use relationally aggressive tactics when dealing with conflict in their marriage and the association of these behaviors with marital outcomes. Using a sample of 336 married couples (672 spouses), results revealed that the majority of couples reported that relationally aggressive behaviors, such as social sabotage and love withdrawal, were a part of their marital dynamics, at least to some degree. Gender comparisons of partner reports of their spouse's behavior revealed that wives were significantly more likely to be relationally aggressive than husbands. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that relational aggression is associated with lower levels of marital quality and greater marital instability for both husbands and wives. Implications are drawn for the use of relational aggression theory in the future study of couple conflict and marital aggression Aggr. Behav. 36:315,329, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Effects of physical and verbal aggression, depression, and anxiety on drinking behavior of married partners: a prospective and retrospective longitudinal examinationAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2009Margaret K. Keiley Abstract In an ethnically diverse sample of 195 married couples, we conducted a latent factor growth analysis to investigate the longitudinal link (4 time points over 4½ years) between marital aggression (physical and verbal aggression self- and partner-reports) and individual internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety) as they relate to trajectories of alcohol use among husbands and wives. Alcohol use was operationalized as a latent factor with self- and partner reports of problem drinking as measured by the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and the Alcohol Dependence Scale. Verbal aggression by husbands or wives, by itself, has no effect on their alcohol use over time. In conjunction with depression, however, verbally aggressive husbands do have elevated drinking levels. The effects of husbands' and wives' physical aggression on their own and their partners' drinking behavior were also significant. This study is one of the first to examine the change over time in alcohol use for marital partners as related to marital aggression and internalizing symptoms. Our results shed light on areas of marital functioning (aggression, internalizing, alcohol use) that have not been investigated in conjunction with each other in a longitudinal design. Aggr. Behav. 35:296,312, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Inbred women in a small and isolated Swiss village have fewer childrenJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2010E. POSTMA Abstract Despite overwhelming evidence for a negative effect of inbreeding on fitness in plants and nonhuman animals, the exact nature of its effect in humans remains subject to debate. To obtain a better understanding of the effects of inbreeding on reproductive success in humans, we reconstructed the genealogies of the current inhabitants of a small and isolated Swiss village and used these to estimate the level of inbreeding of both members of all married couples, as well as their relatedness (i.e. the level of inbreeding of their offspring). Although there was no effect of parental relatedness on the number of children a couple had, we found that inbred mothers, but not inbred fathers, had significantly fewer children. Thus, although related couples did not have fewer children themselves, their inbred daughters did leave them with fewer grandchildren. Thereby, we provide evidence for the existence of inbreeding depression in human fertility, also in relatively outbred and egalitarian communities. [source] Uncovering beliefs embedded in the culture and its implications for practice: the case of Maltese married couplesJOURNAL OF FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 1 2005Angela Abela Given the low incidence of marriage breakdown in Malta, this study investigates the level of marital satisfaction among Maltese couples and how they manage conflict between them. One particular interest in conducting this study has been that of exploring how cultural beliefs shape marital relationships and to what extent Maltese clinicians can rely on the Anglo-American literature in their clinical work with married couples. Three hundred and fifty-four randomly selected couples answered a self-administered questionnaire simultaneously and separately. A number of findings, namely the influence of a child-oriented family in the level of marital satisfaction and the predominance of a constructive style of conflict resolution, differed from those we normally find in the Anglo-American literature. The study addresses the importance of taking into account the cultural context when working with couples. The implications for practice of the various beliefs embedded in the culture are highlighted. [source] PARTNER AGGRESSION SEVERITY AS A RISK MARKER FOR MALE AND FEMALE VIOLENCE RECIDIVISMJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 3 2006Erica M. Woodin Pretreatment aggression severity was examined as a risk marker for recidivism in the treatment of partner aggression. Intact married couples experiencing husband-to-wife partner aggression were recruited from the community and participated in either conjoint group treatment or gender-specific group treatment. Elevated levels of husband and wife physical aggression and wife psychological aggression before treatment predicted the continuation and severity of physical aggression by both spouses during treatment and in the following year, with no significant differences across treatment formats. These results indicate that high levels of psychological and physical aggression signify a poor prognosis for both conjoint and gender-specific group treatment programs, suggesting the need for interventions of greater intensity, duration, and/or focus for individuals highest in psychological and physical aggression. [source] AN INVESTIGATION OF UNMET INTIMACY NEEDS IN MARITAL RELATIONSHIPSJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 4 2005Jennifer S. Kirby In this investigation we examined partners' responses to unmet intimacy needs in hopes of better understanding how these responses may affect intimacy satisfaction and overall relationship satisfaction. Eighty-four married couples, plus four additional husbands and 12 additional wives, were recruited from the community and completed measures of relationship satisfaction, intimacy need satisfaction, and attributional and communication responses to unmet intimacy needs. Consistent with the proposed mediational model, less negative attributional and communication responses to unmet intimacy needs were found to be beneficial for overall intimacy satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. In addition, more positive communication responses contributed to greater intimacy satisfaction. Limitations and clinical implications of the current study and directions for future work are discussed. [source] WHO'S DRAGGING THEIR FEET?JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 2 2003HUSBANDS AND WIVES SEEKING MARITAL THERAPY Despite its demonstrated efficacy, marital therapy's impact has been limited by couples' general reluctance to seek help unitl their problems become severe. To understand this delay, 147 married couples (294 individuals) in the process of seeking marital therapy were surveyed. Using multilevel confirmatory factor analysis, three relatively independent steps (problem recognition, treatment consideration, and treatment seeking) were identified. On average, wives were rated as completing all three steps before their husbands. Gender-role orientation, demographics, relationship satisfaction, and specific relationship problems (especially husbands' dissatisfaction with sex) were also predictive of the steps toward therapy. Implications for marital therapy are discussed. [source] Cohabiting and Married Couples' Income Organization: Approaches in Sweden and the United StatesJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 3 2003Kristen R. Heimdal Using 1994 International Social Survey Program (ISSP) data, we examine the effect that cohabitation versus marriage has on couples' income organization approaches in Sweden and the United States, two legally and normatively different contexts. Previous research on this topic has focused almost exclusively on married couples, so our inclusion of both married and cohabiting couples helps fill a gap in the literature. The effects of ever having been divorced, socioeconomic homogamy, and traditional gender ideology also are explored. Type of relationship and ever having been divorced are the only variables that predict income organization approach in both countries, suggesting that relationship experiences are more important than socioeconomic or ideological factors. [source] Compatibility, Leisure, and Satisfaction in Marital RelationshipsJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 2 2002Duane W. Crawford This study challenges the prevailing view that marital companionship promotes marital satisfaction. By following a cohort of married couples for over a decade and by incorporating several methodological improvements,such as refining the measurement of marital satisfaction, determining how much spouses enjoy doing the leisure activities they pursue together and apart, and using diary data to portray marital leisure patterns,we found that the association between companionship and satisfaction is less robust than previously believed, and that it depends on how often spouses pursue activities that reflect their own and their partner's leisure preferences. Over time, involvement in leisure liked by husbands but disliked by wives, whether as a couple or by husbands alone, is both a cause and a consequence of wives' dissatisfaction. [source] Parental Identity and Reflected-Appraisals: Measurement and Gender DynamicsJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 2 2001Trent W. Maurer A new theoretical model for parental identity, reflected-appraisals, and behavior was proposed. Parental identity and behavior in married parents were then investigated as a function of partner's and perceived reflected-appraisals, taking into account gender context effects. Sixty-four married couples completed the Caregiving and Breadwinning Identity and Reflected-Appraisal Inventory (CBIRAI), developed for this study to assess parental caregiving and breadwinning identity and reflected-appraisals, as well as caregiving and breadwinning behavior measures. The model was confirmed for fathers and partially confirmed for mothers. Specifically, caregiving identity and behavior in fathers, and breadwinning identity in mothers were functions of perceived reflected-appraisals. Limitations and implications are discussed. [source] Unemployment and the Separation of Married CouplesKYKLOS INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, Issue 1 2001Kornelius Kraft This article analyzes whether unemployment has an effect on the splitting of a marital relationship. The study uses 40 000 observations on unemployment spells and marital status during the period from 1987 to 1996. Random effects probit and conditional likelihood logit models for panel data are applied. Using several control variables, it was confirmed that unemployment does actually lead to a higher probability of the separation of married couples. [source] Empathic accuracy and accommodative behavior among newly married couplesPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 4 2002Shelley Dean Kilpatrick An established method for assessing empathic accuracy was used to examine the consequences of accurate understanding during the early years of marriage. Structural equation modeling analyses simultaneously examined within,individual and across,partner associations among variables (actor effects and partner effects). During the first year of marriage, actor effects and partner effects were observed for two presumed consequences of empathic accuracy,accommodative behavior and couple well,being. Actor effects, partner effects, or both were observed for three possible determinants of empathic accuracy,commitment level, partner perspective,taking, and psychological femininity. Levels of empathic accuracy reliably declined following the first year of marriage, as did the strength of the above,noted associations with empathic accuracy. [source] Forgiveness in Marriage: Implications for Psychological Aggression and Constructive CommunicationPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 3 2002Frank D. Fincham Two studies examined whether forgiveness in married couples predicted partner reports of psychological aggression and constructive communication. Study 1 found that forgiveness of hypothetical acts of psychological aggression predicted partner reports of psychological aggression. Study 2 examined actual transgressions and found two underlying dimensions of forgiveness (positive and negative). The negative dimension predicted partner reports of psychological aggression, and, for husbands, the positive dimension predicted partner reports of constructive communication. All findings were independent of both spouses' marital satisfaction. The implications for understanding marital interaction and future research on forgiveness are discussed. [source] Attachment, marital interaction, and relationship satisfaction: A diary studyPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 1 2002Judith A. Feeney The relations among measures of attachment, spouse behavior, and marital satisfaction were assessed in a broad sample of 193 married couples, using both questionnaire and diary methods. Insecure attachment was associated with less favorable reports of spouse behavior, as assessed by diary checklists. Marital satisfaction was predicted by attachment measures and reports of spouse behavior. The relation between attachment security and marital satisfaction was moderated, but not mediated, by reported spouse behavior. Specifically, insecure individuals' evaluations of their relationships were more reactive to recent spouse behavior, an effect that was especially marked for fearful participants and for those in longer-term marriages. Some gender differences in patterns of prediction were obtained. The results are discussed in terms of the working models associated with attachment styles, and the processes by which relationship satisfaction may be eroded over time. [source] Attachment style and coping resources as predictors of coping strategies in the transition to parenthoodPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 2 2001RICHARD ALEXANDER The relations among adult attachment style, coping resources, appraised strain, and coping strategies were examined in a prospective study of married couples having their first child (N= 92). Attachment and coping resources were measured during the second trimester of pregnancy, and parenting strain and coping strategies were assessed when the babies were about 6 weeks old. Results supported a theoretical model proposing that attachment is predictive of coping resources and appraised strain, and that attachment, resources, and strain are predictive of coping strategies. Results also highlighted the complexity of associations among attachment, stress, and coping: Gender differences in mean scores and predictive associations were obtained, and some interactions were found between resources and strain in predicting coping strategies. The findings support the utility of integrating theories of attachment and coping in explaining couples'adjustment to important developmental transitions. [source] Attachment and spousal caregivingPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 1 2001JUDITH A. FEENEY A community sample of 362 married couples participated in a study of attachment and spousal caregiving, which combined qualitative and quantitative components. The qualitative component focused on actual experiences of caregiving, assessed by participants' semi-structured accounts of a situation involving their role as caregiver for their spouse. Attachment styles and their underlying dimensions (comfort with closeness, anxiety over relationships) were related to the type of support provided, the coping strategies used in the situation, caregivers' feelings about the quality of their care, perceived effects on the couple bond, and the emotional tone of the accounts. The quantitative component tested a theoretical model of factors predicting willingness to provide care for the spouse if he or she should become dependent in later life. Measures of attachment and caregiving styles, attachment to spouse, and anticipated burden provided reliable prediction of willingness to care. The results support the conceptualization of attachment and caregiving as interrelated features of marital bonds, and they have important implications for patterns of family caregiving. [source] Attractions and constraints as determinants of relationship commitment: Longitudinal evidence from gay, lesbian, and heterosexual couplesPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 3 2000LAWRENCE A. KURDEK The proposition that commitment to a relationship is uniquely determined by forces that draw one to the relationship (attractions) and forces that prevent one from leaving the relationship (constraints) was tested with five annual waves of longitudinal data from two samples: both partners from 155 married couples and both partners from 57 gay couples and 50 lesbian couples. Growth curve analyses that controlled for the interdependence of partners' scores indicated that, for both heterosexual and gay/lesbian couples, variability in one's own commitment was uniquely predicted by one's own attractions and one's own constraints, interactions involving one's own attractions and one's own constraints, and one's partner's attractions. It is concluded that attractions and constraints exert unique dynamic effects on maintaining a close relationship. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||