Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 22, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-71).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008. / Title from title screen (site viewed February 25, 2010). PDF text: xv, 136 p. : ill. ; 1 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3371944. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-66).

Stressful experiences external to a marriage (e.g., work stress, finances) are often associated with poor relationship functioning and lowered marital satisfaction, a phenomenon called stress spillover. To date, however, little attention has been devoted to understanding the specific mechanisms through which stress may lead to maladaptive relationship patterns. Drawing from theories of self-regulatory depletion, it was predicted that coping with external stress is an effortful process that consumes spouses' regulatory resources, leaving spouses with less energy to effectively respond to their relationship issues. The current study relied on a sample of 171 newly-married couples to examine whether self-regulatory depletion may mediate the link between external stress and relationship well-being. Couples were asked to complete a 14-day daily diary, which assessed their daily stress, their state of self-regulatory depletion, their marital behaviors, and their daily marital appraisals. Within-person analyses revealed that, on average, couples experienced stress spillover, such that on days when their stress was higher than usual they reported enacting more negative behaviors towards their partner and endorsed less positive appraisals of the relationship. Further evidence revealed that self-regulatory depletion accounted for a majority of these spillover effects. These findings suggest that even happy and committed couples may find it difficult to engage in adaptive relationship processes under conditions of stress. / text

Despite being linked to many health benefits, marriage is known to be related to weight gain and obesity (e.g. Hedblad et al., 2002; Lipowicz, Gronkiewicz, & Malina, 2002). Those who have studied physical health outcomes of marriage have taken three different approaches: 1) analysing selection effects, 2) investigating protection effects, and 3) focusing less on the discrete comparison of marrieds versus others and more on factors that might make marriage more or less beneficial, such as the quality of the interaction. The focus of this research is to examine this last approach. Could the quality of one’s marriage, level of barriers to leaving, sex, and age provide insight into the relationship between marriage and weight gain? Data is from the Americans Changing Lives survey Waves I-III. Stability paths, marital protection paths, relationship commitment paths and psychological stress paths are outlined. The moderating effects of barriers to leaving, sex and age are also discussed. Cross sectional analyses show that marital quality decreases depression while barriers to leaving increases depression with an interaction effect at Wave III where high marital quality decreases depression when barriers are low; when barriers are high, marital quality has a stronger effect on depression. These effects are stronger for the young than the old and for females compared to males. Longitudinal analyses show that marital quality and barriers to leaving are positively related to depression over time. The same effects occur when examined by age (barriers however, are no longer significant) and depression is negatively related to weight gain (only at Wave II) for the old. Analyses by sex show that barriers moderate the effect of marital quality on depression over time for men but not women at Wave III. Once again marital quality increases depression for both sexes but depression decreases weight concurrently and increases weight over time for men. Overall, results show modest support for the links between marital quality and barriers to leaving on depression and little support for its effect on weight. Results should be interpreted with caution as suppressor effects may be occurring and model fit was poor in the longitudinal models. / text

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This daily diary study investigated the emotional experiences and relationship behaviors of married couples coping with the husband's Type 2 diabetes, and how those experiences and behaviors affected his blood glucose levels. Repeated measures multilevel models examined the effects of husbands' and wives' absolute levels of positive and negative emotional experiences, balance of positive to negative emotional experiences, absolute levels of positive and negative behaviors, and balance of positive to negative behaviors on husbands' glucose. Husbands' negative emotional experience and wives' positive balance of relationship behaviors predicted lower blood glucose levels. For husbands who were younger, in poorer general health, and whose wives were more satisfied with their marriage, husbands' positive emotional experience predicted lower blood glucose levels. For husbands in better general health, wives' reports of a higher balance of positive as opposed to negative emotional experience also predicted lower blood glucose levels. Overall, results indicate that positive emotional experience and a balance of emotional experience and relationship behavior that is predominantly positive predicts positive diabetes outcomes as measured by lower daily blood glucose levels.

This investigation sought to discover, identify and describe in-session change episodes in marital Experiential Systemic Therapy (Friesen et al., 1989) through a naturalistic discovery-oriented methodology. This study responds to calls made regarding the need to study complex and intricate processes, such as psychotherapy (Greenberg, 1986), via discovery-oriented methods (Mahrer, 1988). The observational analysis of 40 videotaped-sessions, of three couples, revealed the presence of ten episodes of change. The actions and interactions of the members of the therapeutic system in these episodes were analyzed via the grounded theory method of analysis. This analysis generated a conceptual framework describing the internal structure of change. The resulting conceptual framework consisted of a core category named synergetic shifting. This category refers to an interactional process in which the partners with the assistance of the therapist moved away from rigid, distancing and alienating interactional patterns toward interpersonal flexibility, compassion and affiliation by working through blocks hindering the couples' engagement and intimate connection. Synergetic shifting consists of four client and three therapist categories. Within the progressive nature of synergetic shifting, the client categories were: (1) owning one's part in the relational conflict; (2) couple contacting: restricted and limited; (3) couple working through blocks to intimacy; and (4) couple engaging compassionately. The therapist's actions and interactions were categorized under supporting, transitional and shifting operations.

Consistently researchers have demonstrated that marital interactions of couples with and without a depressed partner differ. Given the high comorbidity of depression and marital distress, it is unclear whether observed communication patterns are due to marital distress or depression. Recent investigations suggest that, after controlling for marital satisfaction, marital communication behaviours may not be specific to depression. However, depressed groups in these investigations may have consisted of individuals with a wide range of acute mood states, thus minimizing differences between depressed and non-depressed mood states. Consistent with cognitive vulnerability models of depression, depressed individuals’ dysfunctional behaviours may manifest only during negative mood states. The first purpose of the present study was to use a mood induction procedure (MIP) to examine whether any marital communication were specific to depression, after controlling for marital satisfaction. The second purpose of the study was to examine whether communication behaviours predicted depressive symptoms at 6-month follow-up. The hypotheses were tested in a sample of 69 couples characterized by a wide range of wife depressive symptoms and couple marital satisfaction. Results of the current study showed that women who endorsed higher depressive symptoms were more likely to use high-level negative demands (e.g., use of angry, belligerent tone) and indirect demands (e.g., use of flirting, whining, or nagging tone) after they received a sad MIP, but depressive symptoms were not related to these behaviours when there was no MIP. Interestingly, depressive symptoms were positively correlated with low-level negative demands (attempts to influence one’s partner in a frustrated, defensive manner) regardless of whether or not wives received a sad MIP. Results also showed that when wives were induced with a sad mood, husbands of wives who endorsed higher levels of depressive symptoms engaged in more positive demands (e.g., use of warmth and understanding). Additionally, preliminary longitudinal data suggest that, wives who engaged in higher levels of high-level negative demands report lower levels of subsequent depressive symptoms. These findings are discussed in light of interpersonal theories of depression. / Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 09:52:59.682

The purpose of the study was to explore the significance of the concept, differentiation of self (DOS), for understanding marital satisfaction. Also, the predictive validity of the Family Systems Personality Profile was explored. The sample was nonclinical in nature and was composed of 101 married couples from east central Indiana.Subjects responded to three questionnaires: Family Systems Personality Profile (FSPP), a psychometric instrument for measuring differentiation of self; the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), a psychometric instrument for measuring marital adjustment; and a demographic information sheet.A multiple regression analysis using marital adjustment as the criterion variable was conducted. The predictor variables were: Education level, income, age, years married, age at marriage, number of children, previous marriage, cohabitation, and FSPP total score. The .01 alpha level was necessary for statistical significance.Findings1. Contrary to the Bowen theory, there was not a significant relationship between spouses' levels of differentiation of self.2. Consistent with the Bowen theory, there was a statistically significant relationship between levels of DOS and marital satisfaction for males and females.3. As a predictor of marital quality, the FSPP contributed approximately 17% of the variability in DAS scores over and above that variance contributed by all of the demographic variables, for males and females.ConclusionsIn this nonclinical population of highly educated, middle class married couples, the FSPP was a useful predictor of marital quality. The mate selection hypothesis of the Bowen theory was not supported by this data. Thus, this study did not rule out the possibility that the FSPP could be measuring another psychological construct in addition to differentiation of self.