Examined the relationship between commitment to one's marriage at the onset of therapy and changes during marital therapy in a sample of 42 couples. Results showed that wives' commitment level was significant, while results for men were less striking. Discusses the importance of commitment in marital research. (LLL)

Evaluated the effect of previous marital history, particularly the husband's marriage order, on the stability of first and second marriages of White and Black women. The most important predictor of the instability of first marriages of women are the previous divorces of husbands. (Author)

Predicted that parents' gender, level of psychological differentiation, perceptions of the marital relationship, and occupational identities would account for differences in parental experiences. Sex differences were found. Greater marital harmony and more advanced occupational identity statuses predicted more confident parenting; better marital…

Contrasted communicator styles used within the marital relationship to styles used in general situations. Found that styles used in the relationship were different from those used in general. Also found attributes of a good communicator were affected by the relational aspect. (Author/RC)

Past research suggests that commitment to one's marriage is a variable which should be a contributing factor to marital satisfaction and the process of marital therapy. To examine the predictive utility of commitment, the relationship between commitment to marriage at the onset of therapy and changes during therapy was examined for a sample of 42…

Assesses the theoretical perspectives of marriage and family counselors (N=204). Results show that 43.6% of participants primarily adhere to the systems paradigm; 42.2% practice from a combination of paradigms; while the social constructionism is used by 13.7%. Predictor variables included the current of most recent supervisor's preferred…

The high school dropout problem in 1979 and the reasons students leave school were examined. Results indicated that women were more likely to leave because of pregnancy or marriage and men because of work. Family background strongly influenced dropout behavior and accounted for almost all racial differences in dropout rates. (Author/LC)

Examined the circumstances surrounding marriage termination in relation to the aftermath of marital separation. Collected data from a nonprobability sample of 205 individuals. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that 41 percent of the variance in acceptance of marital termination can be explained by marital history variables. (Author/RC)

Reviews research both supportive and skeptical of theories (based upon status competition processes, status incompatibility, complementary needs, and threat to gender identity) which posit that stress is created in marriages where the wife's occupational achievements exceed the husband's. Posits a theory explaining which couples will succeed in…

The 32-item Attitudes about Romance and Mate Selection Scale (ARMSS) was developed to measure constraining beliefs about mate selection. Results of factor analysis showed few gender differences in the degree to which constraining beliefs about mate selection are held by single young adults. However, significant differences were found when age,…

Examined the aspirations of adolescent women for combining marriage, motherhood, and employment, and the aspiratons of adolescent males for their future wives' roles (N=948). Path models suggested that, for both males and females, sex-role variables are the most important predictors, but background, significant other, and achievement also are…

This book contains 17 papers devoted to the following four aspects of the transition to adulthood: effects of alterations in the structure of opportunity; effects of prior experiences in the family; effects of prior experience in the workplace; and career development and marriage formation during a period of rising inequality. The following papers…