This dissertation examines the relationship between marital satisfaction and family cohesion across three family life spans among evangelicals. Chapter 1 defines the factors involved when studying the social sciences of marriage, parenting, cohesion and adaptability, and family life cycles. Attention is also given to historical research, trends, recent contributions, and theological insights that apply to the aforementioned subjects. Chapter 2 sets a biblical and theological foundation and thereby acts as a guide for defining values and focus for the precedent literature. Specifically, this chapter analyzes the contributions in the fields of marriage, child-rearing, and family development from a social historical perspective. Chapter 3 examines the methodological design for this body of research through four guiding research questions. In addition, the formulations of procedures for gathering research are identified in great detail. Chapter 4 describes the research findings and offers the statistical analysis to show significance in relationships between a number of dependent and independent variables that constitute the marriage and family paradigm. Research questions are interpreted in light of the statistical information and reports are given through tables and figures to display relevant findings. Chapter 5 interprets the data in a conclusive manner. It explains what the significant findings represent for marital satisfaction and the relationship this has with family cohesion, family adaptability, and on the family life cycle. Findings are then applied to a specific ministry setting. For those interested in the fields of education or Christian education, this chapter explores issues related to this study, from which the reader my benefit from further research. Key Words . marriage, adaptability, cohesion, satisfaction, evangelical, family, life cycle, marital happiness, and marital satisfaction.

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi investigar a qualidade conjugal nos relacionamentos contemporâneos. Para tal, dois artigos foram elaborados. O primeiro apresenta uma revisão sistemática da literatura com o intuito de mapear o que é investigado como relevante a respeito das temáticas associadas à qualidade, ajustamento e satisfação conjugal. O segundo apresenta um estudo empírico com 1476 sujeitos, no qual investigou-se a associação entre as variáveis idade, tempo de duração da conjugalidade, presença ou não de filhos, salário pessoal mensal, percepção sobre a conjugalidade dos pais e a qualidade conjugal que vivenciam. Uma análise discriminante entre grupos de alta e baixa qualidade conjugal também foi realizada. Os resultados refletem a presença de múltiplos fatores que circunscrevem a qualidade conjugal dos participantes e que expressam a complexidade de investigar e compreender esse fenômeno. / The objective of this research was to investigate marital quality in contemporary relationships. To this, two articles were prepared. The first presents a systematic literature review in order to map what is investigated as relevant regarding issues associated with quality, adjustment and marital satisfaction. The second presents a study of 1476 participants in which we investigated the association between the variables age, duration of the marital relationship, presence of children, monthly personal income, perception of parental marital and marital quality that experience. A discriminant analysis between high and low marital quality groups was also realized. The results reflect the presence of multiple factors that circumscribe the marital quality and express the complexity of investigate and understand this phenomenon.

In this study, the proposed model was tested and focused on Vietnamese spouses who which participate in the life adaptation and language study courses in Kaohsiung. 213 foreign spouses were asked to answer questionnaires and effective respondents were 187 sets. The complex data was collected and analyzed by One-way ANOVA, T-test, Pearson correlation analysis and multi-regression regression analysis with SPSS. This study is focused on two social psychological factors: marital expectation and gender role attitude, and discusses the relationship between these two variables and marital quality. The conclusions of this research summarize as following: ¤@¡BFor Vietnamese spouses, the length of time that acquainted before married is significant toward the economical expectations of marital expectations. ¤G¡BEducational degree is significant toward the gender role attitudes for Vietnamese spouses; the lower educational degree that Vietnamese spouses have, the higher traditional gender role attitudes they have. ¤T¡BThe methods Vietnamese spouses adopt in order to go to Taiwan are significant toward the familial roles, extrafamilial roles and stereotypes of male/female characteristics and behaviors of gender role attitudes. ¥|¡BThe marital expectations of the Vietnamese spouses are correlated with their marital quality. ¤­¡BThe gender role attitudes of the Vietnamese spouses are highly correlated with their marital quality. ¤»¡BThe reason that Vietnamese spouses getting married is falling in love, marital expectations, and gender role attitudes are positive predict variables towards marital quality. ¤C¡BThe familial roles of gender role attitudes, and getting married by falling in love are also positive predict variables towards value consensus, interaction of spouses, marital happiness, and marital stability of marital quality. Base on the conclusions from this study and suggestions for spouses of transnational marriages, administration and guidance system of government and further studies.

Very little research on marital dynamics has focused on Latinos or Mexican-origin couples, although Latinos are currently the largest minority group in the United States. Furthermore, previous studies suggest women of Mexican origin experience a gradual decline in marital satisfaction over their life course, but examination of this issue has yielded inconsistent findings. The current study was conducted to investigate the influence of three specific Latino cultural values on the marital satisfaction of women of Mexican origin: familismo (family loyalty, unity, and obligation), machismo (male dominance and responsibility to provide for and protect his family), and marianismo (women as self-sacrificing, nurturing, and pious). The goal of this study was to examine the accompanying and shifting cultural values of the acculturation process and increase understanding of the implications of Latino cultural values on marital satisfaction among women of Mexican origin in U.S. society. Two hundred and fourteen married women of Mexican origin, ranging in age from 19 to 68 (M = 37), participated in the study. Data collection was completed online through an internet survey program. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Short Acculturation Scale (Marin, Sabogal, Marin, Otero-Sabogal, & Perez-Stable, 1987), the Familism Scale (Lugo Steidel & Contreras, 2003), the Machismo Subscale of the Multiphasic Assessment of Cultural Constructs-Short Form (Cuellar, Arnold, & Gonzalez, 1995), the Latina Values Scale-Revised (Marano, 2000; revised by Melendez, 2004), the Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988), and a supplemental question regarding their tolerance for divorce. Three hypotheses were proposed in terms of the three cultural values, participant acculturation level, and husband’s generational status, with marital satisfaction as the criterion variable. A large percentage (71.5%) of the sample in the study was well-educated, with either a college, master’s, or doctoral degree; hence, the results are reflective of highly educated, Mexican-origin women. Using hierarchical regression analyses it was found that familismo was positively correlated with marital satisfaction among women of Mexican origin. In addition, neither of the hypothesized interactions (marianismo x perceived machismo (participant’s perception of her husband’s endorsement of machismo) and acculturation x husband’s generational status) was confirmed. Correlational and regression analyses revealed that both marianismo and perceived machismo were significantly and negatively correlated with marital satisfaction. Clinical and research implications, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed. / text

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

Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Seminary, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 181-197).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Seminary, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 181-197).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi investigar a qualidade conjugal nos relacionamentos contemporâneos. Para tal, dois artigos foram elaborados. O primeiro apresenta uma revisão sistemática da literatura com o intuito de mapear o que é investigado como relevante a respeito das temáticas associadas à qualidade, ajustamento e satisfação conjugal. O segundo apresenta um estudo empírico com 1476 sujeitos, no qual investigou-se a associação entre as variáveis idade, tempo de duração da conjugalidade, presença ou não de filhos, salário pessoal mensal, percepção sobre a conjugalidade dos pais e a qualidade conjugal que vivenciam. Uma análise discriminante entre grupos de alta e baixa qualidade conjugal também foi realizada. Os resultados refletem a presença de múltiplos fatores que circunscrevem a qualidade conjugal dos participantes e que expressam a complexidade de investigar e compreender esse fenômeno. / The objective of this research was to investigate marital quality in contemporary relationships. To this, two articles were prepared. The first presents a systematic literature review in order to map what is investigated as relevant regarding issues associated with quality, adjustment and marital satisfaction. The second presents a study of 1476 participants in which we investigated the association between the variables age, duration of the marital relationship, presence of children, monthly personal income, perception of parental marital and marital quality that experience. A discriminant analysis between high and low marital quality groups was also realized. The results reflect the presence of multiple factors that circumscribe the marital quality and express the complexity of investigate and understand this phenomenon.