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Research done in the United States has linked household division of labor to marital quality. Research shows that satisfaction with division of labor is associated with greater marital happiness. There is minimal research in other countries on the relationship between division of labor and marital quality. China, with a history of gender inequality and emerging women's rights, makes an ideal setting for examining the relationship between division of labor and marital quality. In addition to measuring the influence of division of labor and satisfaction with division of labor on marital satisfaction, this study includes a scale on childcare related tasks. The data used in this study were collected between 1995 and 2001, from 446 couples, in Beijing and Hangzhou, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for dyadic analysis. Results show that traditional division of labor and wives' satisfaction with division of labor positively affect Chinese husbands' marital satisfaction. Contrary to US research, results do not show a statistically significant effect between division of labor and Chinese wives' marital satisfaction. Results also show that higher levels of wives' responsibility for childcare predicts lower levels of marital satisfaction for husbands. Implications for culturally sensitive counseling are discussed.

Remarriages account for about one third of all marriages in the United States, however the research on remarried couple outcomes is limited, particularly with regard to finances and financial conflict. The family economic stress model theorizes that economic hardship promotes economic strain, which in turn promotes emotional distress and conflict patterns that have negative impacts on relationship satisfaction and relationship stability. This study used secondary cross-sectional dyadic data to conduct an actor-partner interdependence path analysis of 158 remarried couples to examine the direct and indirect effects of each spouse's perception of economic strain on their own marital satisfaction and stability, as well as on their spouse's marital satisfaction and stability, with financial conflict as an intermediary variable. Tests for indirect effects indicated that financial conflict strongly influences the relationship between economic strain and the marital outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and stability); none of the direct paths between economic strain and the marital outcomes were significant when accounting for financial conflict as a mechanism. Results indicated that, in the context of a remarriage, a person's perception of how much they have conflict about finances is a key mechanism that explains the association between that person's perception of economic strain and their marital satisfaction and stability, regardless of household income and marriage length. Clinicians who lack specific training in financial management but work with remarried couples experiencing economic strain and financial conflict may still be able to intervene effectively to improve relationship quality by helping spouses reduce interpersonal conflict. / Master of Science / Remarriages account for about one third of all marriages in the United States, however the research on the satisfaction (overall relationship quality) and stability (propensity for divorce) of remarried couples is limited, particularly with regard to disagreements about their finances (financial conflict). This study analyzed data from 158 remarried couples to examine the possible effects of each spouse's views of their perceived inability to meet their financial demands (economic strain) on their own, as well as their spouse's, marital satisfaction and stability (marital outcomes), with their perceived financial conflict acting as a mediating variable between economic strain and marital outcomes. Results indicated that, in the context of a remarriage, financial conflict strongly influenced the relationship between economic strain and marital outcomes, regardless of household income and marriage length, such that even though there is still a relationship between economic strain and marital outcomes apart from financial conflict, it is weaker than when financial conflict is included. In other words, risk of dissatisfaction and divorce are less about how financially strained a remarried couple perceives they are, and more about how frequently the couple perceives they have conflict about finances. Therefore, the results of this study indicated financial conflict frequency is an important mechanism for understanding how economic strain can influence remarital outcomes for both spouses. Clinicians working with remarried couples to improve their relationships, but lack specific training in financial management, may still be able to intervene effectively around the financial conflict.

The purpose of this study was to compare couples in different phases of marriage with the primary goal of contributing to our understanding of marital quality throughout the life span. Rusbult's investment theory (Rusbult, 1980, 1983; Rusbult & Buunk, 1993), which predicts specific outcomes concerning relationship satisfaction, commitment, and stability, served as the guiding theory behind this effort. Assumptions derived from the theory were tested with couples in three distinct phases of marriage selected from the first wave of the National Survey of Families and Households (Sweet, Bumpass, & Call, 1988). Short-term couples consisted of husbands and wives married between 4 and 6 years, intermediate couples consisted of those married between 20 and 25 years, and long-term couples consisted of those married 45 years or more. Couples were compared with regard to four specific aspects of their relationships: conflict frequency, conflict resolution, satisfaction, and perceptions of the quality of alternatives to their current marriages. Data generated from spouses' averaged scores were analyzed using a series of one-way ANOVAs and paired t-tests. Results from this sample of respondents clearly revealed that long-term couples engaged in less conflict, utilized different conflict resolution strategies, were more satisfied with their marriages, and perceived alternatives to their relationships as less favorable than younger couples. In addition, when husbands' and wives' scores on the above measures were compared, long-term couples exhibited fewer differences than younger couples. Findings from this study are discussed in light of existing research and theory. / Ph. D.

Doctor of Philosophy / Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra M. Stith / Little information is available on the use of relational aggression in adult romantic relationships. In a sample of 325 married couples (650 spouses) we assessed the use of relational aggression within couples married an average of approximately 18 years to learn more about relational aggression within this population. To understand a potential motivating factor for the use of relational aggression, marital power was also examined. Finally, to learn whether or not relationship satisfaction mediates the relationship between marital power and relational aggression, relationship satisfaction was measured and was found to be a significant mediating variable. Using the actor/partner interdependence model, we found that those who were dissatisfied in their relationships, regardless of perceived marital power, were more likely to use relational aggression. Additionally, those who were satisfied in their marriage were less likely to use relational aggression. Wives participated in more relational aggression than husbands and husbands perceived themselves as having more power and were more satisfied in the marriage. Implications and suggestions for clinicians are offered.

Master of Science / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared A. Durtschi / Can having more frequent conversations with a romantic partner prior to marriage contribute to better marital outcomes several years into a marriage? Little is known regarding premarital self-disclosure and its association with distal marital outcomes. Data was utilized from 707 newly married couples assessed across the first four years of marriage through three waves of assessment as part of the Marriage Matters Panel Survey of Newlywed Couples (Nock, Sanchez, & Wright, 2008). Structural equation modeling, including common-fate analysis, was used to test self-disclosure prior to marriage and its association with later marital quality of each spouse and the odds of divorce or separation by the first four years into marriage. Couple-level reactivity was tested as a mediator of these associations, while controlling for known covariates. Results indicated that premarital self-disclosure was associated with wives’ higher marital satisfaction and lower odds of divorce or separation three to four years into marriage. This relationship was mediated by reactivity. Clinical implications are discussed for couples prior to marriage, suggesting more frequent conversations about a wider variety of topics between dating couples.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared R. Anderson / The present study tests the reciprocal relationships between marital attitudes, time spent together, and marital satisfaction in a sample of newlyweds (N = 1220). Using cognitive dissonance theory and the investment model, this study tests two sets of theoretically derived unidirectional pathways to provide empirical evidence for longitudinal associations between these three constructs. Two separate models were tested, one for husbands, and one for wives. For both husbands and wives, results of the panel models indicated significant autoregressive paths among all three variables from T1 to T2, T2 to T3, and T1 to T3. Among husbands, significant cross-lagged paths emerged between T1 marital satisfaction and T2 marital attitudes, T1 marital satisfaction and T2 time spent together, T1 time spent together and T2 marital satisfaction, T2 time spent together and T3 marital satisfaction, and T2 time spent together and T3 marital attitudes. For wives, cross-lagged paths between T1 marital satisfaction and T2 time spent together, T1 time spent together and T2 marital satisfaction, and T2 time spent together and T3 marital satisfaction were found to be significant. Bootstrap test for indirect effects resulted in no significant mediating effects in the models. The results of these models are discussed and implications for future research and intervention are given.

A qualidade dos relacionamentos interpessoais tem grande influência nos diversos contextos da vida de qualquer indivíduo, aqui se incluindo o contexto conjugal, fonte potencial de prazer e realização ou frustração e transtornos psicológicos. Pesquisas têm mostrado a importância de habilidades sociais específicas para a maximização da qualidade do relacionamento conjugal, como sua estabilidade e duração, sugerindo seu impacto possível também sobre a satisfação conjugal, embora não se disponha, ainda, de estudos empíricos suficientes para sustentar esta última relação. Essa lacuna está, em parte, relacionada à falta de instrumentos para a avaliação das habilidades sociais conjugais e sua possível especificidade em relação às habilidades gerais dos cônjuges. Este estudo propôs-se verificar a relação entre a satisfação conjugal dos cônjuges e habilidades sociais gerais e conjugais e, concomitantemente, aperfeiçoar um instrumento de avaliação destas últimas. Participaram 406 respondentes de ambos os sexos (a maioria casais), com nível mínimo de escolaridade de segundo grau e idades entre 20 e 73 anos , que responderam ao Inventário de Habilidades Sociais (IHS-Del-Prette), Inventário de Habilidades Sociais Conjugais (IHSC) e à Escala de Satisfação Conjugal (ESC). Foram obtidos escores individuais para cada instrumento, procedendo-se a análises descritivas de cada um e a comparações entre eles, especialmente entre maridos e esposas, além de análise da influência de variáveis sócio-demográficas. Os resultados apontaram correlação significativa entre escores do IHS-Del-Prette, IHSC e escore da ESC, sugerindo que quanto mais elaborado o repertório de habilidades sociais (conjugais e gerais) do respondente, maior é sua satisfação com o casamento, confirmando a hipótese inicial do estudo. Correlações entre fatores do IHSC, IHS-Del-Prette e da ESC apontaram classes de comportamentos do respondente e de seu cônjuge especificamente associadas à satisfação conjugal. O IHSC apresentou boa consistência interna (Alfa de Cronbach = 0,81) e uma estrutura de seis fatores que explicaram 45,407 da variância total obtida. São discutidas a aplicabilidade do instrumento a novos estudos e ao contexto prático de atuação do psicólogo, bem como as implicações dos resultados obtidos para novas pesquisas. / The quality of interpersonal relations has a great influence on many life contexts, including here the marital context, a potential source of pleasure and accomplishment or of frustration and psychological disorders. Researches have shown the importance of specific social skills for the maximization of the marital relation quality as well as upon its stability and duration, suggesting a possible impact also upon the marital satisfaction. Nevertheless, these relations don\'t have enough supportive empirical studies. This gap is partially related to the lack of instruments to access the social marital skills and to its possible specificity in relation to the spouses\' global skills. This study was aimed to verify the relation between the spouses\' marital satisfaction and global and marital social skills and simultaneously to improve an instrument to evaluate social skills. 406 participants from both sexes (most couples, with high school educational level, age between 20 and 73 years) completed the Social Skills Inventory (SSI-Del-Prette), the Marital Social Skills Inventory (MSSI) and the Marital Satisfaction Scale (MSS). It was computed individual scores for each instrument, then proceeding to descriptive and statistical analyses, especially comparing husbands and wives and social-demographic variables influence. The results showed a significant correlation between the SSI-Del-Prette, MSSI and MSS scores, suggesting that the more elaborated was the respondent\'s social skills repertoire (marital and global), greater was his/her marital satisfaction, confirming the initial hypothesis. Correlations between the SSI, MSSI and MSS factorial scores showed which respondents social skills classes was specifically associated to the marital satisfaction. The MSSI presented a good internal consistency (Alpha of Cronbach = 0,81) and a six factors structure that explained 45,407 of the obtained total variance. It has been discussed the instrument applicability to new studies and to practical context of psychologist professional work as well as these results\' implications to further researches.

This study examined the relationship among the variables of marital satisfaction, life satisfaction, and parenting stress of grandparents raising grandchildren and whether the sources and levels of marital satisfaction, life satisfaction, and parenting stress differed among grandparents raising grandchildren and grandparents not raising grandchildren.

The purpose of this study was to investigate if and how comparative skill levels within marital leisure activities relate to marital satisfaction, and if gender or activity type affects that relationship, and if Flow theory could help explain a potential correlation of these leisure activity contexts. Specifically, this study examined three different comparative skill differences and similarities of couples engaging in leisure activities in three different types of leisure activities as factors in marital leisure satisfaction and ultimately Satisfaction With Married Life (SWML). Their gender and the skill-gender interactions were also included in the analysis. This study followed up on Johnson et al.'s (2006) recommendation for “œmore consideration . . . to be given to the context of the activities themselves and the motivation behind participation” (p. 20). The sample consisted of 657 participating couples regionally reflecting the population and ethnicity across the United States. The Modified Marital Activity Profile (MMAP) was used to measure marital leisure satisfaction. The Satisfaction with Married Life (SWML) scale was included after the MMAP to obtain the overall satisfaction with married life score. The flow experience was measured using items from the Flow State Scale (FSS). A mixed models analysis of co-variance indicated the most common joint leisure activity of both spouses at a similar skill level, and husband is noticeably better than wife, reported significantly higher SWML scores than when the wife is noticeably better than the husband most often. Also, couples who are satisfied with their leisure participation in worse than spouse activities have significantly high SWML scores. Analysis further showed three of the four significant Flow variables had high SWML scores when experiencing Flow, whereas non-athletic activities appeared to be opposite of the other three Flow variables. These relationships were significant even when accounting for the variance explained by demographic variables of gender, age, years married, marriage history, education obtained, ethnicity, and location. Findings support existing family leisure research. This study, however, goes beyond existing research by indicating which comparative skill levels, by gender, and activity types, are positively correlated to SWML. The findings provide implications to couples who are interested in maintaining a healthy marriage, to those considering marriage, scholars, and professionals.