Deals with the marital dynamics characteristics of the period immediately prior to a decision to divorce. The concept of a marital Point of No-Return (N/R) is introduced. Guidelines for working with the concept are presented. (Author)

Reports on the effect of the legal process in Pennsylvania on adjustment to marital separation. The data suggest that, although the majority of respondents found fault or encountered difficulty with the legal system, these problems did not necessarily result in reported poorer adjustment following the separation. (Author)

Examines the economic hardship that divorce entails. Wives are usually awarded custody of children without commensurate financial help from fathers and face other impediments in the labor market to higher pay and adequate employment opportunities. Policies dealing with these problems often center on income transfers and enforcement of child…

Examines the health and contentment of husbands of employed women and husbands of housewives, replicating an earlier study. Improvements in sampling, measurement, and analysis procedures were incorporated into the restudy. Husbands of employed women evidenced no more signs of marital discord and stress than did spouses of housewives. (Author/BEF)

The role of formal assessment in the practice of sex therapy with couples is discussed. A case is made for the use of behaviorally oriented paper-and-pencil tests of the self-report variety in clinical settings. Such procedures yield information relevant to diagnosis. (Author)

Data from married Utah residents were used to assess a model of marital role satisfaction. Conclusions suggest that a roles approach in evaluating global satisfaction is appropriate. Stress and conflict are general conditions rather than role specific. Behaviors which decrease role stress may not result in increase in role satisfaction.…

Examines two factors of dyadic relationships on the basis of communicative behaviors: domineeringness, an individual measure based on one-up messages, and dominance, a joint measure based on the dyad's transactional patterns. These variables are associated with differential levels of dyadic satisfaction, degree of interspousal understanding, and…

This study examines factors related to the affective meanings that spouses and cohabitors attach to child care, baby care, and nine household chores. Gender is related to about a third of these task meanings. Gender also moderates the relationship between work and twelve task meanings. (Contains 35 references, 8 tables, and 1 appendix.) (BF)

Marital estrangement, positive feelings toward spouses, and locus of control among a national sample of 323 female counselors who were either married or formerly married to alcohol-abusing or to non-alcohol-abusing male partners were examined. Statistically significant differences between groups were found. (Contains 36 references.) (Author)

Surveyed 409 caregivers. Found primary correlates of caregiver burden related to levels and types of impairment in patient functioning, caregiver life satisfaction, social support. Each category of caregiver circumstances had unique set of correlates with total amount of variance explained in burden ranging from 25 percent (husbands living with…

Assessment of community couples (N=272) revealed that more women than men reported physically aggressing against their partners at premarriage and 18 months. At 30 months, men and women did not report significantly different rates of aggression. Likelihood of physical aggression at 30 months given aggression before marriage and at 18 months was…

Compared self- and other-rated depression in spousal caregivers for 23 Alzheimer's patients, 23 Parkinsons' Disease patients, and 23 control subjects. Two caregiver groups were similar in length of time they had been giving care and in caregiver distress and both caregiver groups were more depressed than control subjects. (Author/NB)

Examined leisure time expenditures of married women in paid labor force. Found both active and passive leisure activities differentially affected by work. Estimated path model of amount of available leisure time, showing effects of paid labor time, age, children, and household labor time. Estimated that women's responsibilities for employment and…

Defines sexual addiction and describes its effects on individual and his/her primary relationship. Addresses problems of recognizing sexual compulsivity and offers suggestions for treatment which include use of both dyadic and group therapy. Recommends attendance at self-help groups based on Alcoholics Anonymous model. (Author/CM)

Interviewed 132 older women and found that widows and married women had comparable number of primary friends. Being over age 74 influenced size of friendship network for widows but not for marrieds. Primary friendships of both groups paralleled each other in terms of endurance and stability. Compared to married women, widows did rely on confidant…