Data collected from 161 married couples were analyzed for communication patterns indicative of "domineeringness" and "transactional redundancy" (the degree of randomness contained within a couple's communicative behavior). From this data came the following observations: There is a negative correlation between domineeringness, particularly by the…

Empirical findings have supported an inverse relationship between closeness to extended family and friends versus spouse. The three foregoing interpersonal relationships in terms of affective quality, direction and dominance were investigated, using an objective test as well as the TAT. Bellak (1986) considered that the strength of the TAT lies in…

This study was conducted to examine the moderating effects of attributions on the relationship between marital satisfaction and marital violence. It was predicted that distressed spouses who made more maladaptive attributions for partner behavior would be more likely to engage in marital violence than would distressed spouses who offered fewer…

The family has been identified as one of the primary potential support systems, with marriage as the key relationship within the family system. Multi-generational research has pointed out the central importance of the middle generation in maintaining the complex family system functioning. This study was designed to enhance understanding of…

The Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale was administered to 35 Caucasian, Protestant couples who were married an average of nine years, largely middle class, and lived in Knoxville, Tennessee. Significant correlates of marital adjustment were organized into groups of similar variables. Correlate groups that were the same for the husband and…

Despite the apparent influence of marriage and childbearing on women's educational outcomes, these variables generally have not been included in models of educational attainment. To investigate the factors associated with the educational attainment of a national sample of young women drawn from the Project Talent Data Bank, the effects of family…

Little evidence exists about either the short or long-term effects of coping strategies on the reduction of emotional distress or the lessening of problems. To examine the predictors and effectiveness of four marital coping efforts (negotiation, optimistic comparison, selective ignoring, and resignation), data derived from a panel study of 758…

Researchers are now attempting to improve techniques for studying stable behavior patterns in family systems over long periods of time, e.g., the marital dyad across several levels of function and dysfunction covering time periods of months to years. One approach to improving this research design is based on the assumptions that longitudinal…

Little empirically-based research has been conducted on the effects of widowhood on males. The lifestyles of 26 elderly men widowed in 1978 were examined, with special emphasis on their living arrangements, heterosexual relationships, and attitudes toward remarriage. In-depth interviews conducted after the men had been widowed an average of two…

Power modes in marital interactions were investigated in a laboratory observation study at the University of New Hampshire in 1975. Married couples (N=78) were the subjects in this study, whose focus was on the power modes (types of power assertion) used by the partners, shifting attention from the much-considered distribution of power in marriage…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the stereotypes of husbands and wives presented in television commercials can influence a child's perception of the role of husband and wife. Ten classes, five fourth and five fifth grade classes, from the Logan Public School system in Georgia participated in the study. Four conclusions were…

In Nigeria, various forms of polygamy and monogamy are practiced; however, monogamy is more or less practiced by many Christians and a greater percentage of younger men. A survey of marital success and failure was conducted with samples of Nigerian Diploma students and selected educated community members. Subjects completed two instruments, the…

Based on previous research on cohabitation and Levinger's model of marital cohesiveness and dissolution, the hypothesis that a higher level of violence exists in ongoing marriages than in ongoing cohabitating relationships was investigated. Data from a national sample of 2,143 adults did not support this hypothesis. Instead the reverse was found,…

Premarital sexual attitudes of a convenience sample of 95 young unmarried college women were examined to ascertain the association between liberality of premarital sexual attitudes, religiosity, conservatism, self-reported premarital sexual behavior, and self-esteem. SPSS Pearson Correlation analysis showed different patterns for the group as a…

Interpersonal interaction in intimate relationships must be viewed as a function of the context within which it occurs. A contextual model of interaction was studied along the dimensions of conflict and intimacy. Subjects were married couples, who individually discussed conflict and nonconflict issues of high-level or low-level intimacy. Patterns…