The objective of two studies was to devise an assessment procedure for the evaluation of therapy with distressed marriages. An extension of behavior exchange theory was proposed to include phenomenological ratings by the couple of the intent of messages sent and the impact of messages received. Convergent criteria were used to select 14…

A pattern common to marital breakdown and divorce is described in which one partner seeks closeness and reassurance while the other desires separateness and independence. The roots of these dynamics in the spouses' families of origin are discussed. Recommendations for family therapy are treated briefly. (Author)

Two couples and one family who failed to show any progress during the course of structured enrichment programs were evaluated. It was concluded that the parents' or marital partners' inability to look at themselves critically was one reason for the failure. Discusses possible future research. (Author)

The Allred Interaction Analysis for Counselors (AIAC) is an instrument for systematically analyzing counselors' and clients' verbal behaviors. It was constructed to provide marriage and family counselors-in-training a method for acquiring meaningful, objective feedback on counseling behaviors. Interrater reliability coefficients have been high.…

Examined how spousal behaviors related to global and daily marital satisfaction. Eighty-two couples completed daily checklists of spousal behaviors for seven days using an individualized or a standardized assessment method. Daily behavioral event measures were significantly related to global and daily measures of marital satisfaction,…