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Predicting Marital Stability & Satisfaction

Predicting Marital Stability & Satisfaction. Grace White, B.S. Erika Lawrence, Ph.D University of Iowa. Introduction.  Marital distress and dissolution are significant problems in today’s society

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Predicting Marital Stability & Satisfaction

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  1. Predicting Marital Stability & Satisfaction Grace White, B.S. Erika Lawrence, Ph.D University of Iowa

  2. Introduction •  Marital distress and dissolution are significant problems in today’s society • Marital distress and dissolution lead to child problems, individual adult psychological problems, and individual adult physical health problems (Harvey & Anh, 2001)

  3. Introduction • Treatments have had limited success • Prevention might be a better approach • Purpose of the present study is to test a novel, discriminating, integrated approach to predicting marital outcomes

  4. Marital Stability vs. Marital Satisfaction • Marital stability & marital satisfaction had been considered a single outcome (Gottman, 1992) • Marital stability addresses whether or not the marriage remains intact/stable across time

  5. Marital Stability vs. Marital Satisfaction Marital satisfaction addresses whether or not partners are happy/satisfied in the marriage Conceptualization as single outcome could not explain dissatisfied couples with stable/intact marriages Recent research has conceptualized as two distinct outcomes

  6. Positive & Negative Behaviors as Distinct Factors • Marital literature has largely focused on negative interaction behaviors in the deterioration of relationship • Some researchers have begun to argue for the importance of studying positive behaviors (Gottman, 1996; Carrere & Gottman, 1999, Pasch & Bradbury, 1998). • Additionally looking at interactions outside of conflict settings may also provide important information about relationship

  7. Research has shown that reciprocation of low intensity negative affect is a significant predictor of marital instability (Gottman et al., 1998) Couples who later divorced showed significantly more negative emotions early in conflict interactions (Carrere & Gottman,1999) Positive & Negative Factors Differentially Predict

  8. Positive & Negative Factors Differentially Predict • Personality variables like hostility and neuroticism have significantly discriminated between couples who separated or divorced after 5 years (Rogge et al., 2006) • Independent of conflict behavior, positive behavior, especially amount of supportive behavior exhibited has been predictive of less marital stress (Fincham, 2003).

  9. Positive & Negative Factors Differentially Predict • Positive affect has been repeatedly shown to be associated with marital satisfaction and happiness (Fincham, 2003; Gottman, 1994; Gottman et al. 1998). Gottman and colleagues (1998) • There is a paucity of research examining the relation between positive behavior/affect and marital outcomes

  10. Present Study: Aims • (1) Assess the affect expressed in social support and problem-solving interactions • (2) Assess the relationship between expressed affect and marital satisfaction and stability • (3) Assess the relationship between personality and marital satisfaction and stability.

  11. Present Study: Hypotheses • (1) positive affect expressed during interaction tasks would be predictive of marital satisfaction • (2) expressed negative affect would predict marital dissolution • (3) negative personality traits such as neuroticism and hostility would also predict divorce • (4) positive personality traits would predict marital satisfaction

  12. Present Study: Method • Participants • Recruited through marriage license records in suburban Midwestern town • Newlywed couples 18-50 (first marriage both spouses) • 105 couples in first wave of data • Mostly Caucasian (95% husbands; 94% wives) • Couples dated an average of 48 months (SD= 27.79) prior to marriage • 77% of couples cohabitated before marriage

  13. Present Study: Method • Procedure • Time 1 (3-6 months of marriage), participating couples completed questionnaires at home • Couples then came into the laboratory for support & conflict tasks; paid $100 for participation at Time 1. • Times 2-4 (9-12 months, 21-24 months, and 30-33 months of marriage, respectively), couples completed questionnaires at home. Couples were paid $50 at each time point for Times 2-4.

  14. Present Study: Method • Measures • Negative Behavior/Affect • SPAFF interaction • CTS-2-psych, physical, and sexual aggression • TNS (Test of Negative Social Exchange)-psych aggression • PANAS-negative affectivity • SNAP-negative temperament • AQ-hostility

  15. Present Study: Method • Measures • Positive Behavior/Affect • SS interaction • PANAS-positive affectivity • Marital Coping Inventory (MCI; Bowman)** • AFC (The Affective Communication Scale of Snyder’s MSI)** • PSC (The Problem Solving Scale of Snyder’s MSI)**

  16. Present Study: Method • Measures • Marital Satisfaction • Marital Adjustment Test (MAT) Time 1-4 • Kansas Marital Survey (KMS) Time 1-4 • Quality of Marriage Index (QMI) Time 1-3

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