The purpose of this study was to expose a theory which explains how married persons maintain monogamy. Ten participants were interviewed twice, using a semi-structured interview format, which lasted approximately 45 minutes to one hour and 30 minutes. The interviews were transcribed verbatim. Grounded theory methods of data collection and analysis…

Junior enlisted Marines are getting married at a faster rate than their civilian counterparts and nearly twice that of senior personnel (Gomulka, 2010; Cohen, Passel, Wang, & Livingston, 2011). With the high rate of marriage, these same junior Marines have a disproportionately high divorce rate. While the high rate of divorce is a significant…

The growing trend of adult learners in Christian universities offers an opportunity to enrich their marriages and spiritual formation. A marriage enrichment seminar was presented to sixteen adult and graduate students enrolled in the Adult Graduate Studies program at Evangel University, and their spouses, in a two-day, eight-hour relationship…

Previous research found that relationship quality (RQ) for intimate couples may be adversely effected in times of stress, potentially decreasing marital satisfaction up to 36% during a four-year period for high stress couples. Previous research indicated family values (FV) may mediate RQ in stressful times; however, no research has examined this…

This study examined the basic utility of topic models, a computational linguistics model for text-based data, to the investigation of the process of couple therapy. Linguistic analysis offers an additional lens through which to examine clinical data, and the topic model is presented as a novel methodology within couple and family psychology that…

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and provide insight into meanings and factors that contribute to healthy committed marriages among African American heterosexual married couples. This study explored the experiences of couples who had been married for 25 years and longer. This qualitative study was conducted using a…

The intent of this dissertation is to help engaged couples prepare for the rough terrain of marriage by providing instruction and mentorship. I propose to critically review literature that discusses factors that contribute to successful and unsuccessful marriages. I will also investigate existing premarital education programs; and the benefits of…

Research on the influence of relationship education on marital satisfaction over the last decade has demonstrated positive outcomes for both high school and premarital programs within the general American population. Yet few studies have examined relationship education as a factor of marital satisfaction specifically within the North American…

Newlywed couples face many challenges in the early years of marriage that can affect their satisfaction with the marital relationship. Research has identified the balance of career and marriage as one of the prominent stressors in newlywed couples lives. However, studies have not explored what is problematic about balancing career and marriage.…

The growing literature on the impact of doctoral programs on marriages has identified four major areas of concern: financial difficulties, change of lifestyle, lack of time, and communication issues (Bergen & Bergen, 1978; Cao, 2001; Giles, 1983; Middleton, 2001; Norton, Thomas, Morgan, Tilley, & Dickins, 1998; Williams, 1977). In addition,…

A study of healthy marriages was conducted and five keys were found to exist in all of them: spirituality, intimacy, conflict resolution, communication and financial management. The author examined secular and spiritual literature and found these keys were prevalent in both. Military couples experience many stressors that are not found in…

A career with Extension can be very rewarding, but also very demanding, as employees have to balance job stress and time demands with family goals and demands. The very nature of Extension work brings some tension between the job and family, and employees need to be equipped to make decisions about personal and work time. If the Extension System…

The purpose of this study was to explore how women attending graduate degree programs in public universities in Virginia were affected by such issues as stress and lack of marital/social support. Utilizing a mixed method approach for data collection, 23 participants completed demographic data, an essay response, and the PSS-10 Stress Scale; 8 were…

Marital satisfaction is the strongest predictor for happiness in many areas of life (Russel & Wells, 1994). A satisfying marriage is associated with better general adjustment and fewer health problems (Bray & Jouriles, 1995). Factors that contribute to marital satisfaction reported by researchers include religion and spirituality (Anthony,…