Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Cette thèse poursuit deux objectifs principaux. Le premier consiste à développer un modèle de la compatibilité conjugale fondé sur les notions d’attachement (évitement de la proximité et anxiété d’abandon) et de personnalité (névrotisme). Le deuxième objectif est d’examiner la validité prévisionnelle de ce modèle de compatibilité chez des couples en psychothérapie conjugale. Dans un premier temps, la présente thèse fait brièvement état de la situation des couples au Québec et des répercussions de la détresse conjugale. Par la suite, la recension de la documentation traite du concept de compatibilité entre conjoints en tant qu’alternative à la conceptualisation des dynamiques de couples. Cette analyse théorique montre ensuite la pertinence d’enrichir les modèles de compatibilité en y introduisant les notions d’attachement et de névrotisme. L’examen de ce modèle est suivi par une description des enjeux méthodologiques et statistiques à prendre en compte pour déterminer les fondements scientifiques des hypothèses sur la compatibilité conjugale. L’analyse de la validité prévisionnelle du modèle de compatibilité proposé compose le cœur de cette thèse. Pour ce faire, des couples effectuant une thérapie conjugale ont complété une série de questionnaires en début de suivi, dont l’Échelle d’ajustement dyadique (Spanier, 1976), le Questionnaire sur les expériences d’attachement amoureux (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) et le NEO-FFI (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Les données des 365 couples de l’échantillon sont d’abord analysées en appliquant une méthode fondée sur les modèles d’interdépendance acteur-partenaire (APIM) (Kashy & Snyder, 1995). Les résultats démontrent que la présence d’évitement de la proximité est négativement liée à la satisfaction des conjoints eux-mêmes et à celle de leur partenaire. La méthode APIM révèle aussi que plus l’écart entre les conjoints sur l’évitement et le névrotisme est grand, plus les partenaires rapportent être insatisfaits de leur relation. Les résultats sont ensuite examinés à l’aide d’une technique statistique, l’analyse des regroupements naturels ou des clusters, susceptible de mieux examiner la notion de compatibilité. Cette analyse montre la présence de sept regroupements naturels de conjoints selon leurs scores d’attachement et de névrotisme. De plus, lorsque ces clusters sont croisés en fonction de la détresse conjugale, trois grands sous-types de couples qui engendrent des profils de détresse conjugale distincts émergent des analyses. Ces clusters présentent enfin des différences qualitatives quant à la nature des mandats thérapeutiques confiés aux thérapeutes. Les implications des résultats sont discutées en regard de la validation du modèle de compatibilité fondé sur les notions d’attachement et de névrotisme. Certaines données de la présente thèse suggèrent que ce ne sont pas les caractéristiques de l’un ou de l’autre des conjoints prises isolément, mais plutôt la combinaison des caractéristiques des conjoints qui explique le mieux la nature et la gravité de la détresse conjugale vécue. Plusieurs défis conceptuels, théoriques et méthodologiques sont discutés et des pistes de recherches futures sont proposées afin de consolider les assises scientifiques du modèle de compatibilité. / The first goal of this thesis is to propose a new model of compatibility. Partner’s compatibility is conceptualized from two attachment dimensions (avoidance and anxiety) as well as personality trait (neurotism). The second goal was to test this model on a sample of couples seeking marital therapy. A critical literature review on the role of compatibility in the understanding of couples’ dynamics is completed, underlining the relevance of improving this concept’s definition by taking attachment and neurotism into account. Methodological and statistical issues to consider are also discussed. To evaluate the predictive validity of the model, 365 couples completed the Dyadic adjustment scale (Spanier, 1976), the NEO-FFI (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and the Experiences in close relationships questionnaire (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) at intake. The association between personality, attachment and marital satisfaction is first examined with the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (Kashy & Snyder, 1995). Results show that attachment avoidance is negatively associated with marital satisfaction for spouses themselves as well as for their partners. Analysis of similarities and differences is then performed, revealing that differences between partners on the combination of avoidance and neurotism are correlated with marital insatisfaction. To examine the patterns of natural groupings between partners in the sample, clusters analyses were conducted. Seven different types of couples exhibiting significant differences in their marital satisfaction were found. Three main groups of couples were identified within these types, the first one regrouping mostly satisfied couples, a second one including very dissatisfied partners and a last one presenting a difference between the man’s and the women’s satisfaction. These results could be considered as provinding preliminary confirmation of our compatibility model based on attachment and neurotism, but these propositions must be validated. Some elements of the present findings suggest that it is the combination of attachment anxiety, avoidance and neurotism between partners that is linked to severity of marital distress. However, many challenges, conceptual, theoretical, as well as methodological, are then discussed and future scientific contributions are proposed in order to consolidate the conceptual base of compatibility.

The world of work is changing at a whirlwind speed with mergers, acquisitions, new markets, products, growth as well as many similar business activities being at the order of the day, all aimed at improving income and profits. Fierce competition, and optimisation of resources by businesses, has led to corporations realising that economic and social sustainability cannot be achieved through technology alone and attention has to be given to human needs. Peoples' capacities we progressively being optimised as a strategic important business element and when this resource is neglected, it can have detrimental effects for businesses. This confirms a growing interest and call for wellness and well-being efforts by employers to find out just how happy people are, and what can be done to improve employees' satisfaction. Since employee satisfaction is recognised as important to the success in the workplace, efforts to improve and maintain high levels of job satisfaction will contribute to the overall success of a business. Limited research that can guide interventions in the chemical factory environment to improve general satisfaction in the workplace exists about the relationship between satisfaction in the workplace and subordinate structures influencing job satisfaction and the effect job satisfaction has on general satisfaction in the workplace. This study aimed at investigating satisfaction or wellness in the workplace by focussing on the different layers of satisfaction and how the satisfaction on a level is affected by the level of satisfaction on subordinate levels. To enhance the results of the study, the two primary questionnaires were also validated for use in the chemical factory environment, and sense of coherence and job satisfaction in the chemical factory were analysed at the same time. The research approach followed in this study focussed on a literature study, followed by an empirical analysis of data collected that was related to the specific area of study. A survey design was used to collect the data, using a questionnaire booklet that was distributed to a crosscut sample of employees working in the chemical factory environment. The sample represented all the demographic groups in the organisation ( N = 583). The questionnaires used were the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Health Questionnaire, Work Locus of Control Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale, Affectometer, and a biographical questionnaire. In Article 1 and Article 2, two questionnaires considered primary to the study were tested for use in the chemical factory environment. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire's structural equivalence for use in a multilingual population, and the construct validity of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire in an abbreviated 11-item format, were confirmed. The different levels of job satisfaction and sense of coherence for different demographic subgroups were also determined. Job satisfaction was found to differ significantly between the different language groups, certain age groups, as well as for different job levels. Moreover, while intrinsic job satisfaction increased with age and job level, extrinsic job satisfaction decreased with the level of education. Sense of coherence differed also significantly between some demographic groups, namely language, qualification and job level. In Article 3 the relationship between job satisfaction, sense of coherence, affect and locus of control were tested as an indication of the hierarchical structure of subjective well-being. The hierarchical structure of subjective well-being was confirmed, deducted from the correlation between different variables and the percentage of variance in successive levels of satisfaction explained by the level of satisfaction in subordinate levels. Recommendations were made to the host organisation and for future research. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:37:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PriscillaSF_DISSERT.pdf: 1872789 bytes, checksum: 62cb00ebc34e2b70870437c638d7288c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-30 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / O amor afeta a vida de milhares de seres humanos. Ele evoluiu para encorajar atividades que levem a a??es reprodutivas bem sucedidas e ? respons?vel pela cria??o e manuten??o de la?os afetivos entre indiv?duos. Assim como h? diferen?as nos comportamentos reprodutivos entre os sexos tamb?m h? diferen?as em como eles amam e se apaixonam. Essas diferen?as poder?o ditar a din?mica do casamento e a satisfa??o marital no mesmo. O casamento favorece o sucesso reprodutivo individual promovendo a escolha de parceiro e a cria??o de um ambiente prop?cio para a cria??o de filho, e a satisfa??o marital ? vista como o mecanismo psicol?gico que acompanha os custos e benef?cios do casamento. O MARQ-Brasil ? um question?rio que permite mensurar o n?vel de satisfa??o marital. Uma de suas escalas, a Escala Amor foi desenvolvida para aferir o n?vel de v?nculo emocional entre parceiros em um relacionamento amoroso. Este trabalho teve como objetivo validar a escala Amor como alternativa para medir v?nculo emocional e analisar que caracter?sticas pessoais de parceiros(as) podem influenciar o amor de homens e mulheres e sua satisfa??o marital. No presente estudo participaram 176 indiv?duos em relacionamento est?vel. A partir dos resultados, conclu?mos que a escala Amor se constitui um instrumento v?lido como medida de satisfa??o marital. Al?m disso, verificamos que v?rias caracter?sticas pessoais influenciam o amor dos c?njuges. Apesar de ambos os sexos continuarem a avaliar a qualidade do relacionamento, as mulheres demonstraram ser mais exigentes nessa avalia??o. Observamos que caracter?sticas comuns no universo de escolha de parceiro permanecem importantes e exercem sua influ?ncia no amor e na satisfa??o marital ap?s a escolha de parceiro ter sido realizada

In line with the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation (VSA) model of marriage, this study examined the role of neuroticism, stressful life events, mutual problem solving and negative relationship attributions on marital quality and adjustment among a sample of newlywed couples in Addis Ababa. A quantitative cross-sectional study design involving a sample of 192 newlywed couples was employed. Data were analysed using correlation and multiple regression analysis methods. The PROCESS module in SPSS and Structural Equation Modeling was also used to test indirect effects and actor and partner effects, respectively. The results showed that for both wives’ and husbands’, neuroticism significantly predicted their own marital satisfaction but only husbands’ neuroticism significantly predicted their partners’ marital satisfaction. Stressful life events did not have a significant actor and partner effect for both wives’ and husbands’. Negative relationship attribution was found to be a significant predictor of actors as well as partners' marital satisfaction for both wives’ and husbands’ while only husbands’ mutual problem solving, not that of wives’, had a significant effect on their own marital satisfaction. Tests of indirect effects also showed that, for both wives’ and husbands’, neuroticism had a significant negative intrapersonal and interpersonal indirect effect on marital satisfaction through the mediation of both mutual problem solving and negative relationship attribution. Wives’ and husbands’ stressful life events had a significant negative intrapersonal and interpersonal indirect effect on marital satisfaction through the mediation of negative relationship attribution. Mutual problem solving only mediated a significant indirect effect of husbands’ stress on marital satisfaction at the intrapersonal level and wives’ stress on marital satisfaction at the interpersonal level. This research contributed to enhancing scientific knowledge that guides the design and implementation of policies, programs, and services to promote newlyweds’ marital quality and adjustment in the Ethiopian context. The research also made a theoretical contribution to the VSA model by indicating that adaptive processes play a varying mediational role for wives’ and husbands’ in the indirect effect of stress on marital satisfaction and by confirming that adaptive processes such as mutual problem solving and negative relationship attribution play a more prominent role in affecting marital quality and satisfaction than the other two components of the model, that is neuroticism and stressful life events. / Psychology

<div> <div> <div> <p>The following study used a liberal feminist lens to address a gap in the literature on contraceptive method use and romantic relationships by examining the association between contraceptive method use and both relationship satisfaction and balance of power. Specifically, it surveyed married women between the ages of 20-49 using either oral contraceptives (OCs) or natural family planning (NFP). Relationship satisfaction was measured using the Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI-4). Balance of power in the relationship was measured using the Relationship Balance Assessment (RBA). It was hypothesized that women using NFP would report higher relationship satisfaction and greater balance of power than women using OCs. Instead, results of the multiple regression analyses indicated that women using NFP experienced significantly lower rates of balance of power in their relationship. There was no significant difference in relationship satisfaction between groups. Additionally, control variables of religious importance and number of children were found to be associated with balance of power. Controls of age and religious importance were found to be associated with relationship satisfaction. Clinical implications, strengths and limitations, and future directions for research were discussed. </p> </div> </div> </div>

Previous research has indicated the importance of providing marriage education to ethnic minority couples who are struggling with their marital relationships. Despite this known importance, significantly fewer resources are available for Latino couples, who have a high rate of divorce. The purpose of this quantitative, randomized, wait-list control group trial design was to determine whether Couples in Contact, a culturally-based, psychoeducational intervention group program for Latino couples, increases marital satisfaction, as measured by the Marital Satisfaction Inventory, Revised (MSI-R). This study drew on cognitive behavioral therapy applied to couples, and the supportive theories underlying family systems theory and Gottman's theory. This study included 50 Latino married couples who were primarily Spanish speaking and either first- or second-generation immigrants. They were randomly assigned to the experimental or wait list control condition. Marital satisfaction was assessed before and after the experimental group participated in the intervention. A 2-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that Couples in Contact yielded significant results for 3 out of the 4 of the research questions assessed. The findings suggest positive changes in the individual couple level, and an effective tool for mental health providers to use when working with Latino couples. This evidence-based program can be used to help reduce the divorce rate, foster the quality of married life, promote a healthier family life, and build a stronger community.

No description available.

[pt] Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral estudar sobre as repercussões da transição para a parentalidade na conjugalidade. Realizamos pesquisa qualitativa, através de entrevista semiestruturada, com quatro homens e cinco mulheres, pais de primeiro(a) filho(a) com idade entre 12 e 25 meses, com desenvolvimento típico. A pesquisa foi realizada com sujeitos independentes, pertencentes à camada média da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Os dados coletados foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo e emergiram cinco categorias: (1) Projeto Parental: do desejo ao momento ideal para a chegada do filho; (2) Transformação da intimidade conjugal; (3) Conflitos conjugais: motivações e estratégias de resolução; (4) O impacto do trabalho na dinâmica conjugal e parental; (5) Influências da família de origem. Constatou-se diminuição na frequência e espontaneidade das relações sexuais, no uso do tempo para estarem juntos e desenvolvimento de novos comportamentos para expressão da intimidade. Os principais motivos geradores de conflito foram a relação com as famílias de origem, a criação dos filhos e a divisão das tarefas domésticas. Em relação ao padrão de resposta aos conflitos, tanto as mulheres como os homens, fizeram menos uso de estratégias construtivas e mais uso de comportamentos de retirada e evitação. A família ampliada foi citada por todos os entrevistados como parte essencial da rede social, sendo capaz de oferecer ajuda e apoio em momentos de crise. Observou-se também que a representação mental que homens e mulheres fazem em relação à geração anterior é preditora de seu comportamento enquanto pais. Concluímos que a satisfação conjugal é afetada por diferentes fatores na transição para a parentalidade. / [en] This research intended to study the repercussions in conjugality of the transition to parenthood. We conducted qualitative research, through semi-structured interviews, with four men and five women, parents of first-born children with ages ranging between 12 and 25 months, with typical development. The research was carried out with independent subjects, belonging to the middle class of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The collected data were submitted to content analysis and five categories emerged: (1) Parental Project: from the desire to the ideal moment for the child s arrival; (2) Transformation of conjugal intimacy; (3) Marital conflicts: motivations and resolution strategies; (4) The impact of work on marital and parental dynamics; (5) Influences of the family of origin. Results showed reduction in the frequency and spontaneity of sexual relations, decrease in time spent together and the development of new behaviors to express intimacy. The main reasons for conflict were the relationship with families of origin, child care and division of house chores. Regarding the pattern of response to conflicts, the new parents made less use of constructive strategies and more use of withdrawal and avoidance behaviors. The extended family was cited by all respondents as an essential part of the social network, being able to offer help and support in times of crisis. It was also observed that the mental representation that men and women make in relation to the previous generation is a predictor of their behavior as parents. We conclude that marital satisfaction is affected by different factors in the transition to parenting.

The current study examines interrelations among family factors in a sample of married couples with children in middle childhood. Specifically, this study tested the associations between parents' mental health, marital satisfaction, and provision of a secure base through emotional sensitivity to the child. We further explored bidirectional and moderation effects between spouses. Participants included 86 heterosexual couples residing in the North Texas community. Using the actor-partner interdependence model, multilevel modeling results indicated that both spouse's mental health symptomology and relationship satisfaction are linked to parent's self-perceived ability to provide a secure base; several gender effects were also found. Additionally, actor relationship satisfaction significantly moderated the association between actor mental health symptomology and secure-base provision. In the context of low actor satisfaction, as the actor's mental health symptomology increases, secure-base provision also increases; however, in the context of high actor satisfaction, as actor's mental health symptomology increases, secure-base provision decreases. Additionally, partner relationship satisfaction significantly moderated the association between partner mental health symptomology and actor secure-base provision. In the context of low partner satisfaction, as partner mental health symptomology increases, actor secure-base provision increases; however, in the context of high partner satisfaction, as partner mental health symptomology increases, actor secure-base provision decreases. Spill-over, compensatory, and cross-over hypotheses, strengths, limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.