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Previous research suggests that marital problems, inhibited communication, social rejection, and mutual hostility characterize the interpersonal behavior of depressed patients. The specificity and external validity of these results is questionable since most of this research used analogue designs or lacked important control groups necessary to separate the effects of depression from psychological disturbance in general. This study examined interpersonal aspects of depression within the context of the marital relationship. A battery of standardized and original questionnaires was administered to couples in three comparison groups defined by the wife's level of depression and psychotherapy patient status: a depressed patient group, a non-depressed patient group, and a normal control group. Results of planned comparisons revealed that, relative to the married couples with nondepressed patients and normal control wives, the depressed patients and their husbands saw their marriages as more maladjusted with less open communication. Husbands of the depressed patients also reported feeling more anxiety and acting less honestly or supportively specifically when interacting with their spouses. Husbands in the depressed patient group also rated their wives more negatively in terms of their overall interpersonal impact and saw their own actions as more generally negative when interacting with the depressed spouse. Both spouses in the depressed patient group rated themselves as feeling more hostile generally, while the husbands saw the depressed patients as specifically impacting them in a hostile manner. These results were seen as consistent with Coyne's interpersonal model of depression which suggests that depressed behavior and affect may be maintained by the responses it evokes from interacting others. The finding of greater hostility in both the depressed patients and their husbands replicates previous controlled research but contradicts most psychological theories of depression which predict lowered hostility in depression. Implications for further research and therapy with depressed patients are also discussed.

Recent investigations of clinical depression have stressed the role of interpersonal processes in the course of the disorder. In particular, the marital relationships of depressed individuals are thought to be important in the development and maintenance of depression. Several empirical studies have shown that the marriages of depressed individuals are characterized by impaired communication and high rates of interpersonal friction. The present study was a further attempt to assess the nature of the depressed person's marital relationship. Eleven depressed female psychiatric patients, elevel nondepressed female patients and eleven normal controls and their spouses completed several questionnaires and took part in a 10-minute problem solving interaction. Behavioral and self report measures revealed that the depressed women and their husbands were unhappy in their marriages. As predicted, the depressed women engaged in fewer enjoyable activities than did controls. The women and their husbands did not, however, avoid each other during recreational time nor did they verbally express increased levels of negativity. Their nonverbal behavior lacked positive behaviors, e.g., smiles, nods and affectionate touching. These results discussed in terms of behavioral, interpersonal and systems theories of depression and related to relevant empirical studies. Several suggestions for further research were presented.

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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

In response to recent calls in the literature for a more contextual analysis of the influence of social support processes (e.g., Rook, 1997; Sarason, Sarason, & Pierce, 1992), the current study explores the relationships of spousal support, spousal strain, and well-being among husbands and wives, both within the same day and across days. In addition, the moderating roles of interpersonal and situational contexts within which support and strain are provided are examined. One hundred and sixty-six husbands and wives in stepfamilies were interviewed and then asked to complete a structured diary twice daily for a week. Participants reported their stress, supportive and problematic spousal interactions, mood, and dyadic adjustment. A multi-level hierarchical model was used to estimate average within-person relations among the daily variables, while at the same time controlling for the influence of between-person differences in these variables. Lack of daily spousal support and the presence of spousal strain were both significantly associated with increased negative affect across the same day, although the magnitude of the effect of spousal strain was greater. However, these associations were mitigated for participants who perceived their marriages to be well-adjusted. In addition, daily stressors were directly associated with increased same day negative affect, however daily stressors did not interact with support or strain to predict distress. In contrast, the pattern of the findings for the prediction of negative affect across days was quite different. Of the daily variables, only spousal support, but not spousal strain or daily hassles, was a significant direct predictor of negative affect the next morning. Furthermore, spousal support and spousal strain were found to have a multiplicative association with negative affect the next day. Specifically, the presence of spousal strain attenuated the beneficial impact of spousal support on mood. Further, dyadic adjustment was a direct predictor of decreased negative affect the next day. The findings from this study suggest an interplay among social support, social strain, and well-being. In particular, the importance of considering differential influences over time for support and strain, as well as the moderating roles of proximal and distal relationship factors, was highlighted.

The psychological well-being of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and spouses was investigated from a dyadic perspective. The responses of patients and spouses from five groups of couples--illustrating different points in the progression and treatment of ESRD--were compared both across ESRD groups and between patients and spouses. It was hypothesized that those ESRD groups with the highest levels of illness/treatment intrusiveness, i.e. the two dialysis groups, would exhibit the highest levels of marital role strain and concomitantly the lowest levels of psychological well-being. Despite the fact that the ESRD groups did reflect differences in perceived illness/treatment intrusiveness, no significant differences were found between the ESRD groups, or between patients and spouses, in either marital relations or psychological well-being. However, multiple regression analyses did indicate that marital role strain was a significant predictor of psychological well-being. It explained psychological well-being variance above and beyond demographic, physical health, ESRD group membership and psychological defensiveness considerations. Also, the two dialysis groups evidenced significantly greater correlations between marital role strain and psychological distress than the nondialysis groups. These findings were interpreted as being consistent with a General Systems Theory approach to the conceptualization and treatment of chronic illness.

D.Phil. (Educational Psychology) / There is substantial evidence that potential marital partners have difficulty with their decision-making for a marital partner. As a result these potential marital partners often base their decisions of a marital partner on limited awareness. Little or no research has been done on the decision-making process of a marital partner, and that is why the question can be asked: "How did you make the choice for a marital partner?" The purpose of this study is to develop a model as framework of reference for the facilitation of awareness in the decision-making process for a marital partner as integral part of mental health. A theory generative, qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was used to conduct this study. The fieldwork was done by having semistructured phenomenological interviews with marital partners. The results obtained were analysed and categorised. The results obtained from the analysed data reflect the fact that potential marital partners make the choice of a marital partner based on limited awareness. The main concept of facilitation of awareness in the decision-making of a marital partner was identified and defined as creating a safe space wherein people can be assisted in becoming conscious about their inner and outer world. A model was developed as framework of reference to facilitate awareness in the decision-making process of a marital partner as integral part of mental health.