Replicating a study done 15 years ago, a survey was mailed to psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and marriage and family counselors who were listed in the San Antonio Yellow Pages to get information about their perceptions of unethical practice. Results show a shift in perceived unethical practice over the 15-year time frame. (Author)

Investigates client perceptions of helpful and unhelpful aspects of couples therapy. Results show that couple participants associated helpful therapy experiences with being given choices regarding ideas and ways of working that fit for them; working with a therapist they trusted; and developing new ideas about the couple relationship. (Author/MKA)

Research in the field of marriage and family therapy requires many ethical considerations due to the complexity of relationships among family members and the sensitive information involved. The AAMFT Code of Ethics and ethical standards for research attempt to address these concerns. The guidelines cover issues such as risk management, informed…

Studies marital relations of 469 Israeli couples, in late adulthood, categorized as synchronous (either both pre-retired or both retired) and asynchronous (one spouse working and one retired). Examines differences between the groups for division of household tasks, power relations, and quality of marriage. Martial power relations were generally…

Studies of the impact of short vs. long time delays between initial referral and first appointment for relationship counseling of 60 clients. Results indicate that clients offered appointments within two weeks of referral were significantly more likely to attend for first appointment than were clients whose appointment came between 4 and 12 weeks…

Profiles the lives of Gilbert Wrenn, a "pioneer" of the counseling profession, and his wife, Kathleen. Shares the story of the Wrenns' life together since 1926 as an inspiration to counselors of couples and clients who are trying to cope in an increasingly complex world. (Author/GCP)

The companionate theory of marriage suggests that egalitarianism in practice and belief leads to higher marital quality for wives and higher levels of positive emotion work on the part of husbands. Our analysis of women's marital quality and men's marital emotion work provides little evidence in support of this theory. Rather, in examining women's…

We apply marital search theory to examine whether out-of-wedlock childbearing affects mate selection patterns among American women. Using 1980-1995 CPS data, we apply probit models with selection to account for potential selection bias due to differences in "marriageability" between women in and not in unions. Compared to those without unmarried…

The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of women's attachment injuries within heterosexual couple relationships. An interpretative, phenomenological approach (van Manen, 1990) was used in this exploratory study. Four women participated in three separate research interviews in order to illuminate the phenomenon of "attachment…

The purpose of the study was to investigate college women's were unwillingness to participate in 24 alternative marital and family forms. Data were collected through the use of anonymous questionnaires distributed in classes. The analysis revealed "One man married to two or more wives" (95.1%), "Man has "right" to sex outside of marriage"…

I use qualitative interview data from a sample of 44 cohabiting couples who have children together to investigate how they view their unions and how the presence of children influences the meanings they attach to them. I find most cohabiting parents begin cohabiting in response to a pregnancy but do not believe they should stay in a relationship…

Using survey data from a nationally representative sample, this article explores how marriage timing varies across major religious denominations. Survival analysis indicates that net of statistical controls, Catholics, moderate Protestants, conservative Protestants, and Mormons marry significantly earlier than their unaffiliated counterparts. This…

Cohabitation is now the modal path to marriage in the United States. Drawing on data from 115 in-depth interviews with cohabitors from the working and lower middle classes, this paper explores how economics shape marital decision making. We find that cohabitors typically perceive financial issues as important for marriage, and we delineate several…

Using data from the 1995 General Social Survey (N= 2,639), this study examines two competing repartnering choices made by Canadians after first union disruption: marriage or cohabitation. About 42% of women and 54% of men form a second union 5 years after union disruption, with cohabitation being the most prevalent choice. The timing of second…

This study explores how cohabitation differs for older and younger adults, drawing on data from 966 cohabitors in each of the first 2 waves of the National Survey of Families and Households. Older cohabitors report significantly higher levels of relationship quality and stability than younger cohabitors, although they are less likely to have plans…