A survey on work experience of the population shows that the median income of families with an unemployed member was 21 percent lower than that of families without unemployment. (Author)

Examined the effects of a structured choice-awareness, marriage enrichment program on participants' marital satisfaction and self-concept. Meaningful trends in the predicted direction of increased marital satisfaction and increased self-concept were noted for the experimental group. (Author)

Suggests that intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts are influential in marital relationships. Results indicate happy couples had predispositions for productively managing conflict; clinical couples had higher aggressiveness predispositions. Happy couples also had more loyalty to their communities, more energy for tasks, and more positive…

Suggests that the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (RI) has many advantages as a measure of marital satisfaction. This article describes these advantages and the instrument itself: scoring, forms, and evidence for reliability and validity. Recommendations for using the RI to measure marital satisfaction are also discussed. (Author)

Used a mathematical simulation procedure adaptable to an interactional concept of personality to predict the interpersonal compatibility of couples. Strife scores derived from computer simulation of interactional personality data correlated significantly with partner ratings for the quality and the stability of their relationship. Significance…

Examined the marriage relationship in relation to the personality of the partners and the context within which the relationship exists. Results indicated that both the amount of love expressed and the amount of marriage problems declined from the first stages of marriage to the last. (Author/RC)

Examined the relationship between self-esteem discrepancies and depression in a long-term intimate relationship. Findings supported the hypothesis that depression is associated with discrepancies between married partners' self-appraisals, perceptions of spouse's appraisal, and spouse's actual appraisal. (Author/DB)

Describes a treatment program for couples who mishandle anger or are physically abusive. The treatment endorses the elimination of demonstrations of anger and elaborates upon ways to identify preliminary anger cues. Abusiveness is unacceptable. Methods to improve problem-solving skills and to enhance overall enjoyment of the relationship are also…

Found that the family backgrounds of couples who have willingly elected either to have or not to have children are very similar. Though levels of marital satisfaction are also very similar, childless couples tend to have less traditional attitudes toward women and interact more with each other. (Author)

Presents a theoretical perspective that integrates elements of social structural and social psychological explanations of spouse abuse. Suggests certain types of status inconsistency and status incompatibility involve very high risks of spouse abuse, particularly life-threatening violence. Other types of inconsistency seem to protect couples from…

The personality typologies of couples who sought marital counseling were generally incongruent as determined by Holland codes. The Holland hexagonal model was useful in predicting which spouse would initiate marriage counseling, in obtaining a cognitive understanding of specific conflicts, and in helping couples resolve concerns. (Author)

Suggests six analytic areas for dual-career research (marriage type, domestic responsibility, satisfaction, self-image, career salience, and career line); provides questions for a large-scale survey research project; and analyzes scale types. The scales provide useful direction for dual-career family research. (Author)

Couples' motivation for trying role sharing was most often to realize practical benefits rather than to realize an ideological commitment to feminism. Most couples enjoyed greater independence and opportunities for self-development. Problems included domestic skills and career conflicts. (JAC)

Two hundred Black and White male college students were questioned to determine personality needs, perception of a wife's financial contribution, and need to play a masculine role in relation to their preferences for a traditional or nontraditional future wife. Data were analyzed according to race and other mediating variables. (GC)

Findings indicated that physically attractive couples were more likely to show public intimacy. Younger couples displayed more intimacy than older couples. Couples who were similar in age interacted more than couples who differed in age. Husband-wife attractiveness did not significantly influence intimacy. (Author/BEF)