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Marital Interaction (marital + interaction)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Psychology	45%
Humanities and Social Sciences	36%
Medical Sciences	18%

Selected Abstracts

Critical Theorizing: Enhancing Theoretical Rigor in Family Research

JOURNAL OF FAMILY THEORY & REVIEW, Issue 3 2009
Stan J. Knapp
Theory performs vital descriptive, sensitizing, integrative, explanatory, and value functions in the generation of knowledge about families. Yet theory and research can also simultaneously misconceive, desensitize, misdirect, misinterpret, and devalue. Overcoming the degenerative potentialities of theory and research requires attention to critical theorizing, a joint process of (a) critically examining the explicit and implicit assumptions of theory and research and (b) using dialogical theoretical practices. I draw upon the work of John Stuart Mill to argue that critical and dialogical theorizing is a vital and necessary practice in the production of understandings of family phenomena that are more fully scientific and empirical. A brief examination of behavioral research on marital interaction illustrates the importance of critical theorizing. [source]

When marital interaction and intervention researchers arrive at different points of view: the active listening controversy

JOURNAL OF FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 1 2003
McArthur Hafen Jr
In 1998, John Gottman and his associates published an article which asserted that training ,active listening' between couples was an ineffective therapeutic intervention. Not surprisingly, this claim generated considerable controversy, particularly in relation to treatment and educational models that were heavily dependent on active listening as a major part of their intervention programmes. The authors of one such approach, the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), were particularly vocal in their disagreement with Gottman's conclusions. This paper provides an account of the controversy, a summary of the current status of the debate and a discussion of the remaining unanswered questions. [source]

Understanding and altering the longitudinal course of marriage

JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 4 2004
Thomas N. Bradbury
Weak and counterintuitive findings linking couples' interactional processes to marital outcomes have prompted new lines of research on how marriages change. Recent findings reviewed here highlight the value of (a) expanding conceptions of marital interaction by considering how social support and positive affect moderate the effects of problem-solving skills on changes in marital quality; (b) examining partners' individual strengths and vulnerabilities as antecedents of marital aggression and hostile interaction; and (c) recognizing the central role of chronic and acute circumstances in governing fluctuations in spouses' judgments of marital quality. We outline implications of these findings for ongoing efforts to prevent adverse marital outcomes, and for recent federal initiatives to strengthen healthy marriages among people with low incomes. [source]

Continuity and Change in Marital Quality Between 1980 and 2000

JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 1 2003
Paul R. Amato
We use data from two national surveys of married individuals,one from 1980 and the other from 2000,to understand how three dimensions of marital quality changed during this period. Marital happiness and divorce proneness changed little between 1980 and 2000, but marital interaction declined significantly. A decomposition analysis suggested that offsetting trends affected marital quality. Increases in marital heterogamy, premarital cohabitation, wives' extended hours of employment, and wives' job demands were associated with declines in multiple dimensions of marital quality. In contrast, increases in economic resources, decision-making equality, nontraditional attitudes toward gender, and support for the norm of lifelong marriage were associated with improvements in multiple dimensions of marital quality. Increases in husbands' share of housework appeared to depress marital quality among husbands but to improve marital quality among wives. [source]

Cognitive complexity and marital interaction in newlyweds

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 2 2010
BENJAMIN R. KARNEY
Although newlyweds tend to be satisfied with their marriages, they nevertheless vary in their ability to resolve problems effectively. This study examined whether problem-solving effectiveness was associated with the complexity of spouses' thoughts about their problems. Newlyweds provided open-ended descriptions of marital problems and then engaged in interactions that were coded by independent observers. Results confirmed that the complexity of each spouse's descriptions accounted for unique variance in the quality of their discussions. Moreover, results supported a weak link effect, such that the thoughts of the least complex spouse accounted for additional variance, controlling for the main effects of each spouse. These results suggest that interventions to improve problem solving attend to both the structure and the content of partners' cognitions. [source]

Forgiveness in Marriage: Implications for Psychological Aggression and Constructive Communication

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 3 2002
Frank 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 study

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 1 2002
Judith 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]

Perceived criticism, marital interaction and relapse in unipolar depression,findings from a Korean sample

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 5 2006
Jung-Hye Kwon
Perceived criticism by partner (PC) has been demonstrated to be a powerful predictor of depressive relapse. The purpose of this prospective 11-month study was to replicate this finding in an outpatient series of married women in Korea, but also to further explore the nature of PC in terms of qualities of the marital relationship and dysfunctional attitudes. The subjects consisted of 27 married female outpatients who had all been treated for major depression, but were in recovery at time of first contact or shortly after. All were interviewed at time 1 and then again after 11 months at time 2 to ascertain major depressive episode using the Korean version of SADS as well as completing the BDI. At first contact, questionnaire and interview assessments were used for marital quality and dysfunctional attitudes denoting dependency. There was a significant relationship between the single-item PC and depressive relapse at follow-up as predicted. This relationship was not enhanced by using the expanded item scale. PC and/or PC-E were significantly correlated with marital quality variables, specifically lack of emotional support from partner, negative interaction and dependence on partner. The study shows that perceived criticism by spouse is a predictor of depressive relapse in Korean outpatients and that this appears to reflect actual negative characteristics of the marital relationship as well as the depressed person's high dependence on the relationship. These results support the importance of improving marital interactions in preventing relapse in depression.,Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

PREDICTING 2-YEAR MARITAL SATISFACTION FROM PARTNERS' DISCUSSION OF THEIR MARRIAGE CHECKUP

JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 4 2002
Christina B. Gee
This study tested whether the observed marital interactions of partners follwing a marriage checkup predicted marital satisfaction 2 years later. In addition, this study examined whether recommendations to pursue therapy predicted subsequent treatment seeking and whether changes in marital distress follwing the checkup remained stable over 2 years. Results suggest that the affective tone of a couple's interaction predicts later marital satisfaction. Further, receiving a treatment recommendation predicted subsequent treatment seeking for wives. Finally, support was found for the hypothesis that changes in marital distress are self-sustaining. [source]

Feasibility of Using Interactive Voice Response to Monitor Daily Drinking, Moods, and Relationship Processes on a Daily Basis in Alcoholic Couples

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 3 2010
James A. Cranford
Background:, Daily process research on alcohol involvement has used paper-and-pencil and electronic data collection methods, but no studies have yet tested the feasibility of using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology to monitor drinking, affective, and social interactional processes among alcoholic (ALC) couples. This study tested the feasibility of using IVR with n = 54 ALC couples. Methods:, Participants were n = 54 couples (probands who met criteria for a past 1-year alcohol use disorder and their partners) recruited from a substance abuse treatment center and the local community. Probands and their partners reported on their daily drinking, marital interactions, and moods once a day for 14 consecutive days using an IVR system. Probands and partners were on average 43.4 and 43.0 years old, respectively. Results:, Participants completed a total of 1,418 out of a possible 1,512 diary days for an overall compliance rate of 93.8%. ALC probands completed an average of 13.3 (1.0) diary reports, and partners completed an average of 13.2 (1.0) diary reports. On average, daily IVR calls lasted 7.8 (3.0) minutes for ALC probands and 7.6 (3.0) minutes for partners. Compliance was significantly lower on weekend days (Fridays and Saturdays) compared to other weekdays for probands and spouses. Although today's intoxication predicted tomorrow's noncompliance for probands but not spouses, the strongest predictor of proband's compliance was their spouse's compliance. Daily anxiety and marital conflict were associated with daily IVR nonresponse, which triggered automated reminder calls. Conclusions:, Findings supported that IVR is a useful method for collecting daily drinking, mood, and relationship process data from alcoholic couples. Probands' compliance is strongly associated with their partners' compliance, and automated IVR calls may facilitate compliance on high anxiety, high conflict days. [source]