Reviews the impact that "talk about a past partner" (Tapp) has on one's current intimate, dyadic relationship. Four metacommunicative functions of Tapp are suggested: disclosing past relationship history, conveying relationship rules or expectations, creating closeness or distance, and confirming self-perceptions. (Author)

Presents unilateral family therapy in which intervention is directed toward changing the behavior of an uncooperative family member through working with a cooperative member as mediator. Applies the approach to the problem of endeavoring to reach and change an uncooperative alcohol abuser. (Author)

Used data from 378 married couples to test applicability of resource theory and social exchange theory in explaining determinants of influence within a specific decision-making area (wives' employment). Results indicated increments in wives' resources correlate positively with wives' influence, while increments in husbands' resources correlate…

Examined Rodman's theory of resources in cultural context to understand decision-making patterns among spouses in intergenerationally linked Puerto Rican families in the United States. Data indicated husbands in the parent generation with higher socioeconomic achievements, reflecting socialization to modern values, had less power in decision…

Examined one instrument devised to classify respondents for research purposes into high and low marital or dyadic adjustment groups. Data indicated that, while the overall scale performs the task reliably, the majority of its 32 items are unnecessary. Factor analysis revealed that there was one underlying "adjustment" dimension. (Author)

Explored nature of informal supports given to older women, depending upon their marital status and presence of living children. Interviewed 371 noninstitutionalized female residents of life care communities. Women who were presently, or who had been married, received more emotional, social, and instrumental support from their family members.…

Evaluated Holland's methods for characterizing person-environment interactions. Marital partners were assigned to one of four categories based on combinations of Holland variables. In general, men and women with high spouse congruence and high personality consistency obtained higher scores on general measures of marital and self-satisfaction.…

Reports on a marriage preparation program using a small discussion-group format and pre- and postwedding sessions, emphasizing communication patterns and conflict resolution. Evaluation shows that spouses in such a program are less likely to engage in destructive conflict with each other, and that spouses would seek assistance in solving problems.…

Discusses the unique characteristics of dual-career marriages/families. These familial units are identified as a high stress group presenting unusual challenges to the clinician. Specific implications for the clinician include: (1) values of therapist and clients; (2) critical issues; and (3) assets and liabilities. (Author)

Using National Longitudinal Survey panel data on wages of married women, the authors found that real wages at reentry are lower than at the point of labor force withdrawal, and the decline in wages is greater, the longer the interruption. Discusses how this data affects immigrants to the United States. (CT)

The dual career couple is forced to make a series of choices and compromises that impact the realms of marriage and career. The dilemmas that confront dual career marriages can be overcome only by compromise, accommodation, and mutual understanding on the part of the individuals involved. A revamping of human resources and recruitment programs is…

Compared two behavioral treatments for marital discord with a nonspecific control and waiting-list control. Behavioral treatments combined problem-solving skills with contingency management procedures, differing only in contracting form, good faith contracts, and quid pro quo contracts. Both behavioral groups improved significantly more than…

Investigated the relative effectiveness of therapeutic components common to behavioral marital therapies: procedures designed to change behavior and attitudes, and nonspecific therapeutic effects. Ordering produced three treatment conditions--nonspecific, behavioral, and behavioral-attitudinal. The behavioral-attitudinal group showed significantly…

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was completed by 42 fathers and 71 mothers of pediatric cancer patients and 26 fathers and 29 mothers of hemophilic children. MMPI profiles were examined for signs of emotional disturbance. Results indicated both groups of parents suffered more distress than a normal group. (Author)

No relation was found between assertion and marital adjustment for 187 married graduate students. In a second study, 15 students who completed one of two five-week assertiveness workshops significantly increased levels of assertive behavior relative to a control group, but no significant difference occurred for marital adjustment between groups.…