Recent research into marital satisfaction has highlighted distan.ce regulation as a central source of controversy in couples' relationships ((Byng-Hall, 1991b, 1995; Marvin & Stewart, 1990; Pistole, 1994; Stevenson-Hinde, 1990). Shifts in the spatial arrangements or structural elements of the marital couple may escalate or de-escalate attachment behaviour and partners continually regulate this distance in order not to experience separation anxiety. Albeit differently, structural family, theory (Minuchin, 1974) also emphasizes the spatial arrangements of the couple and how these differentially affect the Viability of the system. In view of the fact that both attachment theory and structural family theory are concerned with the spatial arrangements of the couple, this research proposes to examine the interface between these theories and how they may jointly, rather than separately, inform research into marital satisfaction. Opportunistic sampling of 6 groups was undertaken and self-report questionnaires assessing sociodemographics,.attachment styles, attachment history, marriage structure and marital satisfaction distributed to married couples only. Self-report questionnaires comprised the following assessment instrume,nts: the Close Relationships Questionnaire (Hazan & Shaver, 1987) measuring attachment style (viz. secure, anxious/ambivalent, avoidant); an Adjective Checklist measuring attachment-history variables (Hazan & Shaver, 1987); the Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990) measuring attachment dimensions (viz. Close, Depend, Anxiety); the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES III) (Olson, Portner & Lavee, 1985) measuring-.Qoth marriage structure (viz. the variables cohesion and adaptability) and marital satisfaction; and a 5-item Marital Satisfaction Scale compiled by the researcher. The final sample constituted 82 participants of which 34 were couples and 14 were individuals. The 14 individual respondents comprised 10. wives and 4 husbands. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation coefficients, a Canonical Discriminant Functions Analysis, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA's), chi-square /tests of independence and t-tests. Hypotheses examined the relationship between family/couple structure, attachment classifications and marital satisfaction. Relationships between individual attachment classifications and marriage structure (viz. cohesion and adaptability) (FACES III - Olson , et al., 1985) were, for the most part, not supported. The hypothesis investigating the relationship between individual attachment classifications and satisfaction with the marriage was, for the most part, not supported, however, the second part of the hypothesis investigating the relationship between couple attachment classifications and couples' satisfaction with the marriage showed a significant relationship between couple attachment style groupings (viz. secure husband, anxious wife, etc.) and one of the scales measuring couple satisfaction. Some significant relationships were found between individuals' attachment classifications and their recollection of childhood relationships with parents and parents' relationships with one another. In view of the fact that research into this area has only recently been embarked upon, it is concluded that future research using multiple methods of assessment be undertaken in order to more comprehensively establish the merits or otherwise of combining attachment theory and structural family theory in research into marital satisfaction. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

This study was designed to investiate the relationship between marital satisfaction and adherence to dysfunctional beliefs concerning the marital relationship among married couples in their twenties and retired married couples 65 years of age and older. Additionally, adherence to socially desirable response sets was also measured.Marital satisfaction among older couples was significantly higher than that of younger couples (p < .001). Older men demonstrated significantly greater adherence to dysfunctional beliefs about marriage than younger men (p < .01), while these beliefs were not significantly different for older and younger women. Older couples also demonstrated significantly greater adherence to socially desirable response sets than younger couples (p < .001 for women and p < .01 for men).Increased marital satisfaction was significantly correlated with decreased adherence to dysfunctional beliefs for all subjects (p < .001 for older women and p < .01 for all others) and with greater social desirability responding for all subjects except younger women (p < .01). Level of marital satisfaction among older couples was most influenced by that of one's spouse, while the satisfaction of younger couples was most affected by one's adherence to the belief that disagreement is destructive to the marriage. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The aim of the study was to determine the influence/effect of discourses on love and marriage in the lives of people from their childhood uptil this day. Twelve people participated in the study. These participants were defined as being "white, Afrikaans speaking, married couples between 30 and 50 years of age, with or without children and belonging to a church in the RSA of the Reformed tradition". The study sought to discover how people respond to dominent and marginalised discourses on love and marriage and how they portray this in their marital relationship. A further objective was to reflect on some modernistic descriptions of discourses on love and marriage and the deconstruction thereof. Factors such as the marital relationship of the parents, peer groups, church dogma and theological interpretation, sex education at the time they grew up, culture, customs, etc. were related by each participant and contextualised within each life story. Interviews were conducted with each participant / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / The high divorce rate and stress related changes as it appears in South Africa at present has served as motivation to undertake this research. The researcher was further motivated by the possible changes this study could offer, with reference to assist destructive marriage relationships as well as the contribution to couples enriching their relationships.

The purpose of this quantitative and qualitative study was to determine retrospectively marital satisfaction and stability following the near-death experience (NDE) of one of the marital partners, focusing on the role of Gottman's Sound Marital House (1999) in the couple's relationship before and after the NDE. The researcher used the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test (1959), the Weiss-Ceretto Marital Status Inventory (1980), and a modification of Gottman's Shared Meanings Questionnaire (1999). The first group of participants included 26 NDErs. To create as comparable a group as possible, the researcher designed a life-changing event (LCE) group of 26 people who used as their referent the non-NDE-related experience they considered their most life-changing one during their marriage. Sixty-five percent of the marriages in which the NDErs were involved at the time of their NDEs ended in divorce. This number is in contrast to the 19 percent of LCE participants whose marriages ended in divorce. Marital adjustment, marital stability, and meanings in marriage between retrospectively based pre-event and post-event composite scores were statistically significantly different between the NDErs and LCErs. Low effect sizes were identified for each of the instruments except the Weiss-Ceretto Marital Status Inventory, which had a moderate effect size. Strong correlations among the scores were identified. Further analysis of the results indicated strongly that the NDErs were less satisfied in their marriages, their marriages were less stable, and they did not have a strong level of shared meaning in the marriage after the NDE occurred as compared to the LCE participants. This study has serious implications for counselors who may work with NDErs. Findings from this study show that NDErs who were married at the time of their experiences have a strong possibility of experiencing marital problems. Encouraging these couples to seek professional help as soon as possible can provide a forum for them to address the potential numerous changes in their relationship. By having more information about the effects of an NDE on a marriage, counselors will be better prepared to assist those couples who are not well prepared to navigate their way through the aftereffects of the event. Through psychoeducation and the application of counseling approaches, counselors can help their clients address specific issues related to their NDEs.

The marriage and family literature has identified a host of factors that contribute to a satisfactory marital union. For example, research on religious congruency has indicated that the more similar partners are in their religious beliefs the higher their reported marital satisfaction. Another construct studied in conjunction with marital satisfaction is adult attachment style. The attachment literature has consistently shown that secure couples tend to report higher marital satisfaction than couples with at least one insecure partner. The purpose of this study was to examine the combined role of religious commitment and attachment in marital satisfaction. Heterosexual couples (N = 184; 92 husbands, 92 wives) without children and married 1-5 years were administered a background information questionnaire, the Religious Commitment Inventory-10, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory. Results indicated that couples with congruent religious commitment reported higher marital satisfaction than couples with large discrepancies in religious commitment. Religious commitment did not mediate the relationship between attachment and marital satisfaction, but instead was found to moderate this relationship. Results of this study will benefit clinicians working in the field to help newly married couples negotiate the marital relationship.

The purpose of the study was to better understand marital conflict and marital satisfaction among Latina mothers in the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program. Latina mothers living in a marriage or in a committed relationship (n = 91) reported levels of marital conflict and marital satisfaction. Between both groups, non-HIPPY mothers reported significantly less marital satisfaction and more conflict associated with affection than HIPPY mothers. A negative correlation (r = -.495, p <.001, n = 91) indicated that more satisfaction was related to less marital conflict. Out of ten marital conflicts, religion, leisure time, drinking, and other women (outside the relationship) best explained how satisfied mothers were in their relationship with their spouse. In this study, participants who were in the HIPPY program may have more support and higher marital quality. Social service programs such as HIPPY may help families build stronger marriages. Further research on Latino/Hispanic culture and values are important when developing culturally sensitive marriage and couples education.

The present study examined the relationships among similarity, interpersonal perception and communicative behaviors in marriage. It was hypothesized that greater understanding, feelings of being understood, and realization of understanding would be associated with greater self-disclosure, use of more direct person control strategies, and use of less attention control strategies. It was further hypothesized that measuring feelings of being understood and realization of understanding, in addition to measuring understanding, would improve prediction of behavior. Finally, it was hypothesized that the contextual measure of understanding would better predict self-disclosure and interpersonal control than would global measures of understanding.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible relationship between social interest and marital adjustment in a selected group of married couples. Another variable relating to spiritual well-being and religious participation is also considered. In the studies reviewed, the concept of social interest as proposed by Adler has been supported as a psychological construct. It has generally correlated with characteristics that are viewed as social interest components. By contrast, it has generally related negatively with characteristics that are inconsistent with the concept. Of the investigations conducted, most have focused on the relationship between social interest and some aspect of individual functioning, such as psychological well-being, health, mood states, and locus of control. There has been little investigation between social interest and some aspect of individual functioning, such as psychological well-being, health, mood states and locus of control. There has been little investigation between social interest and marital satisfaction and, additionally, the possible relationship to religious participation. The results of this study support a positive relationship between social interest and marital satisfaction, a positive relationship[ between social interest and religious participation, and a positive relationship between marital satisfaction and religious participation.

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