Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.48-65).

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Marital quality is a broad measurement of perceptions of satisfaction, happiness, and stability by partners in an established relationship. Marital quality has been relatively understudied among Mexican Americans, a population that warrants the inclusion of cultural constructs in any model concerning relationship outcomes. Therefore, acculturation differences between Mexican American couples were conceptualized as a distal context for understanding marital quality. Traditional gender role values and communication style (warmth and hostility) were included as proximal contexts. Data from Conger’s California Families Project were utilized; results indicated that while most measures of acculturation did not impact marital quality, language use interacted with gender roles values and communication style to influence husbands’ marital quality. Warmth, hostility, and traditional gender role values all exhibited a significant direct influence on marital quality for both husbands and wives. Potential explanations and recommendations for future directions are discussed.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between a subject's percepteptanalysis as revealed by certain indices of the Rorschach and marital success or failure.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 12, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-95).

Variability in daily relationship satisfaction has been shown to undermine future relationship well-being. The current study suggests that the relationship climate may moderate this effect. Namely, and in light of prior work showing that ignoring relationship issues can be detrimental for long-term relationship well-being, it is argued that when the relationship is characterized by more negative relationship experiences, variability in daily satisfaction may actually represent an adaptive acknowledgement of those experiences. Seventy-eight newly-married couples completed a 10-day daily diary task which assessed the variability of daily marital satisfaction, the positive and negative marital events taking place each day, and the daily coping strategies used to manage negative marital events. Spouses then reported on their global marital happiness as well as the severity of their marital problems every six months over the first two and a half years of marriage. Results revealed that when the marriage was characterized by more negative than positive marital events (i.e., a more negative marital climate), greater variability in daily satisfaction predicted initially lower levels of global marital happiness and more severe marital problems. However, greater variability in a more negative marital climate also was associated with less steep declines in global marital happiness and fewer increases in marital problems over time compared to low variability. Together, these findings suggest that variability in daily relationship satisfaction may temporarily feel unpleasant but over time may allow couples to address important relationship issues. / text

This study investigated how a therapist and clients created couple change over the course of 15 sessions of Experiential Systemic Therapy (ExST) for the marital treatment of alcohol dependency. The aim of this research was to explore how change occurred during a single case of successful ExST and to refine and expand ExST theory. ExST has been shown to be an effective treatment for couple recovery from alcohol dependence yet little research has focused on how change occurs in ExST. The case selected for analysis was an exemplar of successful ExST couples therapy. The case met several criteria for success including therapist and client satisfaction with therapy, the cessation of alcoholic drinking, increased marital satisfaction at posttest and follow-up periods, and evidence of in-session couple change. Two therapy episodes containing relational novelty (couple change) were analyzed using the Comprehensive Discourse Analysis procedure. The results of this study highlighted the existence of a subtype of relational novelty called syncretic relational novelty. Syncretic change refers to the generation of intimacy by therapist and couple where initially there existed disparate beliefs and behaviour that isolated system members. The study found that the couple’s distance oriented beliefs and practices were reconciled and intimacy was enhanced through the employment of intense experiential activities and the provision of a collaborative therapeutic atmosphere. These two activities fostered increased couple intimacy by encouraging clients to engage one another through self disclosure, empathy, shared vulnerability, increased cooperation and greater personal awareness. Couple intimacy was fostered during experiential activity through a carefully paced intensification of clients’ thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. In addition, intimacy was facilitated by the therapist when she accepted clients’ experiences and adopted clients’ language styles. As well as working collaboratively, the therapist acted as a therapeutic guide interceding during harmful spousal interactions, altering the therapy agenda at client request, promoting joint decision-making and valuing marginalized client experience. Recommendations based on these findings were made for the refinement and expansion of ExST theory.

Problems occur in nearly all marriages at one time or another. Even individuals in healthy marriages have suffered from some form of relationship offenses by their spouses. The literature has examined many facets of marital satisfaction and marital stability. Because of the numerous studies associating marital dissatisfaction with marital dissolution, the focus of the literature on marital problems has typically been on distressed couples. This study’s focus is on problems experienced by married participants who are not currently reporting thoughts of ending their marriages. It examined factors that contribute to maintaining satisfaction in marriages that are not considered distressed, but in which there has been some offense committed. Specifically, it examined the role of trust and forgiveness as predictors of marital satisfaction in married participants. Participants were asked to complete a series of measures that included the Trim-18 (which is a common instrument in the forgiveness literature to measure levels of forgiveness following specific relationship offenses), the Dissipation Rumination scale, the Trust Scale, and the Relationship Assessment Scale. As done in previous forgiveness research, participants were asked to recall and list offenses committed by their spouses. They then rated the amount of pain experienced by the most bothersome offense on a scale from 1-10. All measures were regressed on the Relationship Assessment Scale. Results of analyses indicated that trust, forgiveness, and amount of pain did significantly predict relationship satisfaction. Specifically, avoidance (from the forgiveness measure) and faith (from the trust measure) seemed to explain the most variance in the model. Forgiveness explained slightly more variance than trust or pain, but all significantly contributed. Trait forgiveness, as measured by the Dissipation Rumination scale did not contribute to the overall model. The most notable finding of the current study was that forgiveness served as a mediator between trust and relationship satisfaction. Listed offenses were categorized into either an unfaithfulness category or other category. Of the 153 participants, 10 participants listed spouse unfaithfulness as the offense. No differences were found between type of offense and relationship satisfaction, however participants who reported unfaithfulness did differ significantly on the amount of pain reported. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.49-55).

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.45-50).