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The purpose of the present article was to determine the ability of cognitive factors (beliefs and attitudes) and adverse childhood experiences to predict men's reactions towards their spouses' violence. To do so, 120 males who had referred to family court to seek divorce due to spouses' violence were randomly selected and an author's--made questionnaire containing 27 subscales was administered to them. Four of the 27 subscales comprised of 22 questions regarding 'types of reactions towards spouses' violence', 'attitudes towards spouse', and 'experiencing family violence during childhood'. Our results showed that witnessing violence during childhood could positively predict reactions such as 'cessation of relationship' and 'reprisal'. Men's beliefs regarding 'permission to use violence' could positively predict reaction such as 'cessation of relationship'. Furthermore, factors such as 'Believing his wife is more knowledgeable' and 'Wife's Physical Appearance' negatively predicted reactions such as 'Cessation of relationship' and 'Tolerance'. Also 'Man's perceived career success' positively predicted the reaction of 'Attempts to Resume Relationship'. These results are discussed in the context of the existing literature. Keywords Beliefs * Attitudes * Reactions towards violence * Adverse childhood experiences, By definition, culture includes all values, attitudes, beliefs and patterns of behavior that a society holds and practices. Given that the family constitutes the smallest unit of a society and [...]

In this article I examined what it means to be in a relationship according to the narratives of married African-American couples. To determine whether there were differences in the narrative experiences of men and women, I examined the qualitative responses of 20 married African-Americans to a question regarding the subjective meaning that couples attribute to being in a marital relationship. Qualitative analyses of the data resulted in four delineated themes: (1) mutual dependence, (2) companionship, (3) commitment, and (4) work. The themes were related to times when an individual expresses confidence that his or her spouse will support them during difficult times, the friendship that develops between couples as a result of time spent together, the couple's determination to remain together and work through difficult times in the relationship, and the amount of time that is necessary to keep the marriage strong, respectively. Most couples expressed relationship meaning to be based on mutual dependence. Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each theme. Implications for understanding and strengthening African-American marital relationships are also discussed. KEYWORDS African-American, marriage, narratives DOI: 10.1080/01494929.2010.543037

The World Health Organization's (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a framework for understanding functioning and disability of persons with a health condition. WHO refers to [...]

Three very large, nationally representative samples of married couples were used to examine the relative importance of 3 types of personality effects on relationship and life satisfaction: actor effects, partner effects, and similarity effects. Using data sets from Australia (N = 5,278), the United Kingdom (N = 6,554), and Germany (N = 11.418) provided an opportunity to test whether effects replicated across samples. Actor effects accounted for approximately 6% of the variance in relationship satisfaction and between 10% and 15% of the variance in life satisfaction. Partner effects (which were largest for Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability) accounted for between 1% and 3% of the variance in relationship satisfaction and between 1% and 2% of the variance in life satisfaction. Couple similarity consistently explained less than .5% of the variance in life and relationship satisfaction alter controlling for actor and partner effects. Keywords: Big Five, similarity, relationship satisfaction, life satisfaction, dyadic data analysis DOI: 10.1037/a0020385

Byline: Ulrich Schimmack (1), Richard E. Lucas (2) Keywords: Well being; Satisfaction; Environment; Longitudinal; Dyadic; Couples; Spouses; Heritability Abstract: This article uses dyadic latent panel analysis (DLPA) to examine environmental influences on well-being. DLPA requires longitudinal dyadic data. It decomposes the observed variance of both members of a dyad into a trait, state, and an error component. Furthermore, state variance is decomposed into initial and new state variance. Total observed similarity between members of a dyad is decomposed into trait similarity, initial state similarity, new state similarity, and error similarity. Dyadic similarity in new state variance reveals that both members of a dyad change in the same direction, which is a strong indication of environmental effects. DLPA is used to examine environmental influences on life satisfaction and domain satisfaction based on 22 annual assessments of married couples in the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (N's = 607--740). The results show high similarity in new state variance for life satisfaction and objectively identical domains (household income, housing), and less similarity for objectively less similar domains (recreation, health). This finding provides strong evidence for environmental influences on well-being. In addition, the results show high trait similarity. The implications of the latter finding for interpretation of behavioral genetics studies of well-being are discussed. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga (UTM), 3359 Mississauga Road North, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada (2) Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA Article History: Registration Date: 24/08/2009 Accepted Date: 23/08/2009 Online Date: 27/09/2009

This study examined dyadic interrelations between episodic memory and depressive symptom trajectories of change in old and advanced old age. The authors applied dynamic models to 10-year incomplete longitudinal data of initially 1,599 married couples from the study of Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old ([M.sub.age] = 75 years at Time 1). The authors found domain-specific lead-lag associations (time lags of 2 years) among wives and husbands as well as between spouses. For memory, better performance among husbands protected against subsequent memory decline among wives, with no evidence of a directed effect in the other direction. For depressive symptoms, wives' scores predicted subsequent depression increase and memory decline among husbands. Possible individual covariates (age, education, functional limitations) and spousal covariates (length of marriage, number of children, and whether the couple remained intact over the study period) did not account for differential lead-lag associations. The findings of antecedent-consequent relations between wives and husbands are consistent with life-span notions that individual development both influences and is influenced by contextual factors such as close social relationships. Keywords: dyad, spouses, successful aging, dynamic modeling, growth curve modeling DOI: 10.1037/a0016346

The present research uses a behavioral observation methodology to examine emotional and behavioral reactions to threatening interpersonal situations in married couples. The research shows that although anxious attachment can hinder people's tendencies to react constructively to threatening events, greater relationship commitment may serve as a buffer against the negative effects associated with attachment insecurities, diminishing feelings of rejection, enhancing feelings of acceptance, and promoting more constructive accom- modation behaviors. The research also reveals that wives' degree of relationship commitment has stronger effects on emotional outcomes for both partners than does husbands' degree of commitment. Moreover, husbands' and wives' emotional reactions affect their own accommodative behaviors as well as their spouses' behaviors. These dyadic findings are discussed in terms of attachment theory and interdependence theory. Keywords: accommodation, attachment, commitment, interpersonal, relationships

This article examines how perceiving concealment in close relationships influences marital well-being. It suggests that the perception of concealment from a partner signals separateness from one's partner and contributes to feelings of perceived partner exclusion. These feelings of exclusion, in turn, should negatively affect relational quality. These predictions are tested in a prospective study among 199 newlywed couples. Results suggest that perceiving concealment reduced marital adjustment and trust and increased conflict over time. Importantly, change in perceived partner exclusion mediated these effects. This article demonstrates that the perception of concealment (a) has deleterious effects on relational well-being in the long run and (b) is harmful in part because it elicits feelings of exclusion. Keywords: concealment; social exclusion; close relationships; marital quality

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2009.00566.x Byline: Susanne Olsen Roper (1), Jeremy B. Yorgason (2) Keywords: caregiving of the elderly; marital quality; mood; multiple chronic illnesses; social support networks Abstract: Using daily diary data from 28 later life couples where one spouse had diabetes and osteoarthritis, we examined crossover effects of target spouses' daily activity limitations and their partners' daily mood. On days when target spouses' daily activity limitations were higher than average, partners' positive mood decreased and negative mood increased; when target wives' limitations were higher than average, husbands' positive mood was higher. Marital happiness and frequency of telephone conversations of target spouses buffered some relations. Results advance our understanding of daily health processes within later life marriages by identifying crossover effects of activity limitations of an ill spouse with the mood of their partner and underscore the role of marital happiness and social contacts in buffering these associations. Author Affiliation: (1)Brigham Young University (2)Brigham Young University* Article note: School of Family Life, 2089 Joseph F. Smith Building, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (susanne_olsen_roper@byu.edu).

Participants included 202 newlywed couples who reported retrospectively about child maltreatment experiences (sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect) and whose marital functioning was assessed 3 times over a 2-year period. Decreased marital satisfaction at T1 was predicted by childhood physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect for husbands; only neglect predicted lower satisfaction for wives. Increased maltreatment of various types was also related to T1 difficulties with marital trust and partner aggression. Dyadic growth curve analyses showed that the marital difficulties reported at T1 tended to remain over the course of the study. Further, in several instances, maltreatment exerted an increasingly detrimental influence on marital functioning over time, particularly for husbands. Examination of possible mediators between maltreatment and reductions in marital satisfaction revealed pathways through decreased sexual activity, increased psychological aggression, and increased trauma symptoms reported by husbands. These findings suggest that clinicians should consider how an adult's history of child maltreatment may contribute to current marital dysfunction. The authors also identify possible targets for intervention when working with this population. Keywords: child maltreatment, marital satisfaction, trust, sexual functioning, partner aggression

Objectives. We examine the extent of emotional and social loneliness among older people and how the evaluation of the functioning and quality of marriages plays a role. Methods. Data on 755 respondents aged 64-92 are taken from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (Wave 2001-2002). Hierarchical negative binomial regression analysis is used. Results. Between 1 in 4 and 5 older adults who are married exhibit moderate or strong emotional or social loneliness. Stronger emotional and social loneliness is observed in adults whose spouse has health problems, who do not often receive emotional support from the spouse, who have nonfrequent conversations or are in disagreement, of who evaluate their current sex life as not (very) pleasant or not applicable. Emotional loneliness is stronger among women in second marriages, whereas marked social loneliness is especially characteristic of older men with disabled spouses. Moreover, smaller social networks and less contact with children also increase emotional and social loneliness in later life. Discussion. Differentiating marital quality and gender provides greater insight into emotional and social loneliness in married older people. Key Words: Loneliness--Emotional loneliness--Social loneliness--Marriage--Marriage quality.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between spousal caregiving and declines in functioning and self-rated health among older care-givers. The authors used data from the 2000 and 2002 waves of the United States Health and Retirement Study, a biennial longitudinal survey of a nationally representative cohort of adults aged 50 or more years. Two outcomes were examined, declines in functioning and declines in self-rated health. Care-givers were classified into three groups: no care-giving, less than 14 hours of care-giving per week, and 14 or more hours care-giving per week. To assess declines in functioning, two summary scores were created of limitations in basic and instrumental Activities of Daily Living. To assess declines in self-rated health, we compared responses from 2000 and 2002. In the fully adjusted models, caregiving hours did not have an independent effect on declines in functioning or self-rated health. The relationship between care-giving hours and declines in functioning and self-rated health is probably attributable to socio-demographic characteristics, mainly age. The findings suggest that spousal care-giving does not of itself harm functional health or perceived health among older adult care-givers. Understanding the differential effects of these socio-economic characteristics with care-giving hours on health will be useful in promoting the health of older adult care-givers and treating their disorders. KEY WORDS--care-giving, spousal care, older adults, decline, self-rated health.

The study explores relationships between differentiation of self and marital satisfaction among 121 Israeli men and women at various stages of married life. Marital satisfaction was found to be inversely correlated with emotional cutoff, so that lower cutoff was associated with greater satisfaction. An interesting gender finding was that satisfaction was connected to emotional reactivity, emotional cutoff and I-position among men, but only related to emotional cutoff among women. Another gender difference was that level of marital satisfaction and duration of the marriage were negatively correlated for women and positively correlated for men. The present study sheds light on several notions of Bowen's (1978; Kerr & Bowen, 1988) theory, and is the first to indicate a relation between differentiation and marital satisfaction among Israeli participants at various stages of marriage. Results suggest that a crucial balance of separation and closeness provides an optimal context for meeting the needs of spouses and promoting the healthy development of marital life.

Addressing potential weaknesses in an earlier investigation, the authors examined the latent structure of marital discord using 4 product indicators from the Marital Satisfaction Inventory--Revised (Snyder, 1997) in a representative sample of community couples (N = 1,020). Results from 3 taxometric procedures suggested that marital discord is taxonic, with an estimated base rate of .31. Cut scores for classifying members of this marital discord taxon were identified. Additional analyses with several data sets of community and clinic couples provided evidence that the marital discord taxon classification demonstrated good (a) 6-week test--retest reliability, (b) criterion validity (i.e., differences in taxon prevalence in community vs. clinic couples), and (c) construct validity (i.e., correlations with therapist ratings of relationship quality). These results suggest that discordant couples differ qualitatively and not just quantitatively from nondiscordant couples and that user friendly methods, suitable for a range of research and clinical applications, can be used to identify marital discord. Keywords: taxometric, taxon, taxonic, marital discord

The author believes that author of 'Franklin's Tale' presents how marriage ideals of a couple are tested by circumstances. 'Franklin Tale' is about a couple whose behavior in public is different than that in private in order to conform to the expectation of behavior of married couples by society.

This study examined married men and women's subjective class identification between 1972 and 2002, and the role of individual gender ideologies in married persons' shifting status-evaluation models. We used nationally representative trend data gathered as part of the General Social Survey. Consistent with previous theoretical predictions, results indicated that overall, husbands and wives used status-sharing models of status-evaluation. Interestingly, however, in the late 1990s and early 2000s women shifted toward a status-borrowing model of status-evaluation. We concluded that shifts in hegemonic gender beliefs, rather than individual gender ideologies, are a more likely explanation of changes in couples' models of status-evaluation. Keywords Class identification * Gender egalitarianism * Gender ideology * Status-evaluation

This research investigated how the organization of partner knowledge was related to global relationship evaluations and specific interpersonal behaviors in a sample of 107 married couples. Spouses first completed several questionnaires and later participated in a 12-min videotaped conflict resolution task. As expected, wives in older relationships exhibited greater marital quality (self-reported and observed) when they had (a) an integrative knowledge structure and used many negative traits to describe their spouse or (b) a compartmentalized knowledge structure and used few negative traits to describe their spouse. Greater marital quality, however, was found for husbands when they were (a) in older relationships and possessed an integrative structure or (b) in newer relationships and possessed a compartmentalized structure. Exploratory analyses suggested that in some circumstances people may have greater marital quality when they share an organizational style with their spouse. Keywords: marital satisfaction; marital interaction; cognitive organization

Research on the division of family work has focused on household work and child-care to the exclusion of other domains, whereas studies on care-giving for older people typically ignore spouses' support to care-givers. In this paper we apply an approach that is typical of research on spouses' division of family work in caring for parents, in that the theoretical model focuses on the 'cultural mandates' that guide spouses' division of care, namely gender ideologies about appropriate roles, kinship obligations, and taboos against cross-gender personal care. Other predictors of the spousal division of care drawn from economic and health-care utilisation models are also examined. The analyses use pooled data on 1,449 care occasions from the first five waves of the US Health and Retirement Study. It was found that most couples to some extent share parent care, and that the involvement of husbands depended on a complex interplay of cultural mandates and contexts. Husbands participated most in personal care for parents if the care was mandated by kinship obligations (they cared more for their own than their wife's parents), and by cross-gender care taboos (they cared more for fathers than mothers). Other cultural contexts (such as race), a spouse's other commitments, health-related ability, resources (including support from the parents' other children), and care-burden also played a role. The findings demonstrate that decisions to care for parents emerge from complex negotiations among spouses and their children and siblings or, in other words, that parental care is a family endeavour. KEY WORDS--care-giving, division of labour, gender ideology, filial obligation.

The Korean family has long met Confucian values by producing children to maintain and support the paternal family line, but in South Korea's transition to a low birth rate, an increasing number of couples have remained childless. Have Confucian family values been abandoned? In this study, 103 young single South Koreans wrote protocols describing their thoughts about childless couples and having children. Most of them viewed childless couples negatively and said that they planned to have children of their own. Confucian values were clearly central in what students wrote about childlessness. The results suggest that the increase in voluntary childlessness does not mean that Confucian values have been abandoned by young South Koreans. Confucian family values seem to remain primary, but they may be reinterpreted or reluctantly violated because economic and other circumstances make it difficult or impossible to meet those values in the South Korean context. Keywords: Confucian values; voluntary childlessness; South Korea; fertility

Seventeen in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted to discover whether the conceptualizations proposed in our communicative theory of marital commitment (Thompson-Hayes & Webb, 2004) comported with the lived experience of marital dyads. Each spouse validated the conceptualizations of commitment (the extent to which spouses experience mutual desire to remain in their marriage as a function, in part, of their interaction), projected longevity (the extent to which marital partners imagine themselves growing older together), and marital quality (the extent to which marital dyads recognize that their marriage has outstanding valued features evaluated as superior to comparable features in other relationships they have had, could be having, and are likely to have). Strong support was found for the conceptualization of communication maintenance behavior (the extent to which marital dyads successfully employ specific interaction activities to sustain, to repair, and to redefine their relationships).

Byline: Daniel T. L. Shek (1), C. K. Cheung (2) Keywords: Marital adjustment; Chinese; Assessment; Confirmatory factor analysis Abstract: Based on the responses of 1,501 Chinese married adults to the Chinese version of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (C-DAS), confirmatory factor analyses showed that four factors were abstracted from the C-DAS (Dyadic Consensus, Dyadic Cohesion, Dyadic Satisfaction and Affectional Expression) and these four primary factors were subsumed under a second-order Dyadic Adjustment factor. Invariance of the factorial structure between men and women were also found. The findings suggest that the dimensions of marital adjustment assessed by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale [Spanier (1976). Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38, 15--28] can be replicated in the Chinese culture, although some minor refinement might be needed. The present findings also provide support for the use of the C-DAS for assessing marital adjustment in Chinese people. Author Affiliation: (1) Centre for Quality of Life, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong kong (2) Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China Article History: Registration Date: 06/03/2007 Received Date: 23/02/2007 Accepted Date: 01/03/2007 Online Date: 31/03/2007

This study examined the influence of surrogate gender on the accuracy of substituted judgments about the use of life-sustaining treatment in a sample of 249 older adults and their self-selected surrogate decision-makers. Overall, wives were more accurate than husbands at predicting their spouses' treatment wishes. Surrogates' perceptions of their own abilities did not differ by gender but, among patients, husbands had more confidence than wives in their spouses' accuracy as, and comfort being, a surrogate. The results are discussed within the context of broader gender differences in caregiving and highlight the need for more research regarding predictors of surrogate accuracy to assist patients in selecting surrogates who will help protect their end of life wishes.

This study tests status inconsistency theory by examining the associations between wives' and husbands' relative statuses--that is, earnings, work-time, occupational, and educational inconsistencies--and marital quality and global happiness. The author asks three questions: (a) Is status inconsistency associated with marital quality and overall happiness? (b) Do those who hold traditional or egalitarian gender ideologies react differently to status inconsistency? (c) Are these patterns replicable across three data sets, gathered at different points in time? Data are from the Marital Instability Over the Life Course Survey (1980), the National Survey of Families and Households (1987-1988), and the General Social Survey (1996). With only one exception, status inconsistency is not associated with marital quality or global happiness, even among those who hold the most traditional gender ideologies. Keywords: gender ideology; global happiness; marital quality; status inconsistency

The influence of parental demands and perceived culture novelty on the expatriate's and spouse's cross-cultural adjustment is studied. Results conclude that the parental demands are related only to spousal adjustment and the expatriates are less likely to be influenced by perceived culture novelty.

This study investigated the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral group program for spouses of stroke patients. The program consists of 15 bi-monthly 1 1/2 h sessions. The goal of the intervention is to reduce the prevalence of mental disorders and burnout among care-giving spouses of stroke patients. The sample (stroke patients and their spouses) consisted of one intervention group (n = 38 couples) and two different control conditions, those receiving informational support (n = 35 couples) and those receiving standard care (n = 51 couples). We used the following instruments to measure spouses' mental health and quality of life: Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire. Measurements were taken before the intervention (Time 1), directly following the intervention (Time 2) and 6 months after Time 2 (Time 3). Several regression analyses allowed for examination of the short-term and long-term effects of the intervention. The spouses' participation in the intervention program was associated with significant short-term changes in care-giving spouses' quality of life and with long-term changes in their quality of life and depression. The presented multi-component intervention appears to have an immediate effect on care-giving spouses' quality of life. In contrast, the intervention-related changes in more resistant mental-health-related variables did not appear until after a latent stage in the later post-intervention phase. Keywords: Caregivers; Stroke; Intervention; Clinical trial

When non-heterosexual spouses come out of the closet to their husbands or wives, attention is generally focused upon the non-heterosexual member of the relationship. He or she is often lauded for having the strength to openly acknowledge and pursue a central component of his or her personal identity. Although the attention is justified in many cases, left unexplained is how the heterosexual spouse was treated prior to the revelation. I argue that many heterosexual-non-heterosexual pairings involve spousal abuse. The maltreatment stems from the deceived being treated as a mere means, and prevented from exercising her autonomy and receiving a nurturing marriage the heterosexual spouse expects and deserves.

Studies consistently show sex differences in married couples' use of demand and withdraw behavior. The social structure hypothesis proposes that these differences are the result of power differentials between spouses. This study examined the link between 3 aspects of marital power and demanding and withdrawal behavior. Contrary to social structure predictions, results showed that wives did not possess less decision-making ability or access to resources and appeared to exhibit greater situational power (i.e., domineering and dominant behaviors) than did their husbands during problem-solving discussions. Furthermore, the spouse who exhibited the most demands also exhibited the most domineering and dominant behaviors, whereas the spouse who exhibited the most withdrawal exhibited the least domineering and dominant behaviors during problem-solving discussions. Keywords: problem solving, demand, withdraw, marital communication, marital power

Interracial marriages between blacks and majority group members face higher social sanctions than other interracial unions (Herring & Amissah, 1997; Lewis & Yancey, 1995; Spickard, 1989; Yancey, 2003). This higher […]

Individuals' self-reports of communication and their reports about their spouses' communication is assessed in order to examine the congruence of spousal views, and the presence or absence of the uniqueness of the information about observed material interactions are investigated. The findings indicate that self-reports of both verbal aggression and cooperation are strongly associated with the same individual's report of his or her spouse's verbal aggression and cooperation.

The main purpose of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between early abusive experiences (sexual abuse, parental violence, and witnessing parental violence) and subsequent couple adjustment with a theoretical model that incorporates attachment and psychological distress as mediator variables. We specifically examined the variability in long-term psychosocial characteristics of child abuse survivors across women and men. A representative sample of French-Canadian couples composed of 632 men and women completed measures of child abuse, attachment, psychological distress, and dyadic adjustment. Structural equation analyses showed that, for both women and men, sexual abuse was related to dyadic adjustment through anxiety about abandonment and psychological distress. For men, experiencing physical or psychological violence was associated with dyadic adjustment through psychological distress. For women, there was an indirect relationship between witnessing physical violence and dyadic adjustment through abandonment anxiety. Differences between men and women in the long-term adjustment to childhood sexual abuse were small and not consistent with a gender-specific model of psychosocial repercussions. Keywords: Early abuse; mental distress; gender differences; attachment; psychological distress; structural equation modeling

The prospective associations between attitudes about sacrifice and marital outcomes were investigated in 38 married couples. Results showed that attitudes about sacrifice discriminated between couples who would become distressed versus nondistressed over time and sacrifice attitudes mediated the link between commitment and relationship.