The present study examined the role that relational expectations play in determining marital satisfaction and in discriminating between married couple types. The discrepancy between one's expectations for his or her spouse's relational behavior and one's perceptions of his or her spouse's actual behavior significantly predicted marital satisfaction. In addition, this expectation/perception discrepancy was revealed to be a stronger predictor of marital satisfaction than agreement between spouses on relational expectations. There were few differences in relational expectations when compared across couple type, however when compared across individual marital type significant or near significant differences were displayed for the relational dimensions of intimacy, receptivity, mutual respect and frustration. A global measure of marital satisfaction was developed and the usefulness of this instrument is discussed.

Recent investigations of clinical depression have stressed the role of interpersonal processes in the course of the disorder. In particular, the marital relationships of depressed individuals are thought to be important in the development and maintenance of depression. Several empirical studies have shown that the marriages of depressed individuals are characterized by impaired communication and high rates of interpersonal friction. The present study was a further attempt to assess the nature of the depressed person's marital relationship. Eleven depressed female psychiatric patients, elevel nondepressed female patients and eleven normal controls and their spouses completed several questionnaires and took part in a 10-minute problem solving interaction. Behavioral and self report measures revealed that the depressed women and their husbands were unhappy in their marriages. As predicted, the depressed women engaged in fewer enjoyable activities than did controls. The women and their husbands did not, however, avoid each other during recreational time nor did they verbally express increased levels of negativity. Their nonverbal behavior lacked positive behaviors, e.g., smiles, nods and affectionate touching. These results discussed in terms of behavioral, interpersonal and systems theories of depression and related to relevant empirical studies. Several suggestions for further research were presented.

A typology of marital dyads derived from Kelly's (1955) Personal Construct Psychology was used to investigate the communicative behaviors of married companions. Four groups based on Kelly's Commonality (dyadic similarity) and Sociality (dyadic understanding) corollaries were contrasted: similar-understanding, dissimilar-understanding, similar-misunderstanding, and dissimilar-misunderstanding couples. It was expected that dyadic understanding would contribute more to self-disclosure, cooperative involvement, and marital satisfaction than dyadic similarity. Furthermore, it was anticipated that couples high in understanding and low in similarity would represent optimally functioning couples, as evidenced by disclosure, satisfaction, and involvement with each other. Sixty-three married couples who had known each other at least two years completed questionnaire items assessing demographic variables, marital satisfaction (Dyadic Adjustment Scale) and self-reported communication behaviors (Partner Communication Inventory, Dyadic Disclosure Inventory). Each spouse also completed an 8 X 8 Repertory Grid and predicted the mate's responses on the Rep Grid. Subjects then participated in three different audio-taped discussion tasks (an informal conversation, a consensus decision-making task, and a role-played conflict-resolution scene) which were rated for avoidant, competitive, and cooperative responses, as well as overall self-disclosure. Although understanding facilitated disclosure in conflict situations and similarity fostered marital satisfaction, communicative behaviors generally reflected the joint influence of both similarity and understanding. Dissimilar-understanding couples were intensely involved with each other and freely disclosed, but were not highly satisfied. Similar-understanding couples were the most content and had the greatest sense of validation as a couple. Similar-misunderstanding couples restricted their relationship by attempting to avoid expected confrontations. Dissimilar-misunderstanding couples viewed themselves in a socially desirable light, tried to maintain congenial, nonintimate interactions, and were moderately contented. Implications for therapeutic programs, for Kelly's theory, and for future research were discussed.

M.A. / This study set out to investigate the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and martial satisfaction. In the past several years, marriages appear to have undergone much change, moving towards a more egalitarian relationship. Intimacy and conflict resolution appear to play an important role in maintaining marital satisfaction. Skills involved in conflict resolution and intimacy also form part of a greater construct called Emotional Intelligence (EI). Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso (1998), describe a four branch ability model of EI. This model describes EI as the ability to be perceptive of ones own and others emotions, to manage and regulate ones emotions, to be able to effectively express ones emotions and lastly, the ability to use stored emotional information to deal with various situations. To ascertain levels of emotional intelligence and marital satisfaction the Schutte Self Report Inventory (SRI) and the Marital Satisfaction Inventory–Revised (MSI-R) was administered to a group of couples married for longer than one year (n = 61). MANCOVA’s and ANCOVA’s were administered to asses the relationship between EI and various sub-scales of marital satisfaction in the couples. The results showed that there was significant relationship between EI and certain aspects of marital satisfaction. The level of male EI was found to have a significant effect on the couples affective and problem solving communication. It also effected the level of female sexual satisfaction and the ability to cope with family history of distress. The female EI was found to be related to decreased levels of male aggression, a greater ability to deal with her family history of distress and role orientation. It was found that in most circumstances, the level of male EI was responsible for couple’s marital satisfaction. Further results indicate that the greater the gap between each partners level of EI, the greater their level of marital dissatisfaction. For future research, it may be beneficial to do a longitudinal study of the same nature using a larger sample. Measuring instruments that do not rely on self-report may produce other results. Finally, future studies may benefit by using a culturally diverse sample, to assess whether the finding may be generalised to all communities in South Africa.

Communication is an integral part of all relationships. The intent of this study was to discover if certain individual preferences for approaching conflict occur in a significant fashion between the partners of particular types of marriages. In addition, this study meant to better understand how conflict is perceived and responded to, in marriage and/or long term relationships. Fitzpatrick's (1977) Relational Dimensions Inventory (RDI), was used for this study to characterize three dimensions of marriage: interdependence, ideology, and conflict engagement/avoidance, resulting in the following marital types: Traditionals, Independents, Separates, and Mixed. Rahim's (1983) instrument, the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory (ROCI), was also used to measure five independent patterns of handling interpersonal conflict: Integrating, Dominating, Compromising, Avoiding, and Obliging. Based on prior work of Fitzpatrick (1975, 1983, 1988) and Rahim (1983), this study asked: Do conflict styles vary across marital types? Individual hypotheses examined occurrences of particular conflict styles within specific marital types. The data represent 103 couples. Data were derived from a Likert type survey instrument of Fitzpatrick's RDI and Rahim's ROCI-II, with a total of 65 questions. Chi-square and cross-tabulation were used to reveal associations between marital type and conflict style. Bonferroni procedure for multiple hypotheses was applied. Cross-tabulation did not indicate a relationship between marital types and conflict styles. One hypothesis was statistically supported. As couple level data produced few significant results, post hoc analysis at the individual level was conducted. Conflict styles were conceptually divided into concern for self and concern for other. ANOVA was run on marital type, other orientation, and satisfaction. Significant results are reported for wives.

Project Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Seminary, 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-179).

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-59).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Notre Dame, 2003. / Thesis directed by David A. Smith for the Department of Psychology. "November 2003." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-114).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-80).

This study seeks to explore how narcissistic attention seeking behaviors in faceto-face conversation contribute to marital quality and partner’s mental health over the transition to parenthood. Narcissism, considered a personality disorder, is defined as an all-pervasive pattern of grandiosity in fantasy or behavior. Central features of narcissism include a need for admiration and a lack of empathy. The concept of narcissism has been extended beyond mental illness and is now considered a personality trait (Raskin & Terry, 1988). It follows then that narcissistic tendencies might affect one’s communication style. This research elaborates the concept of narcissism, and discusses the ways that narcissistic patterns in interpersonal relationships have been studied. Finally, drawing upon social exchange theory, it finds that conversational narcissism characterizes 78 percent of marriages, frequently renders spouses invisible, and predicts maladaptive dialogue and divorce at seven years. / text