The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes, participation in, and potential effectiveness of premarital education as a vehicle to promote more satisfying marriages. A retrospective survey instrument, including existing measures of religious values, willingness to invest in marriage, and marital satisfaction, was used to gather data to answer research questions related to couples' participation in, and attitudes about premarital education, and their influence on marital adjustment and satisfaction. Information about the amount of Time spent in premarital education, breadth of Topics covered, Training of the provider, and whether or not Testing was performed also was gathered and called Four T's of premarital education. Sample couples were identified by comparing marriage license information to current telephone listings from Cache County, Utah. One hundred forty-five couples returned usable surveys. Statistical analysis revealed that most couples participated in little or no premarital education even though most couples had favorable attitudes towards such marriage preparations. Further, no significant relation was found between participation in any type of premarital education and marital adjustment or satisfaction. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Widowhood is an inevitable phase of the life cycle for three out of every four married women. It is apparent by the lack of research about widowhood that it has been neglected as a developmental phase in the life cycle. Presently there are ten million widows in this country and their numbers are increasing each year. It is appalling that with a population this large, little attention has been directed towards research about widowhood. Other than recognizing that the widow may have financial problems for which Social Security provides assistance, few people realize what it means to be widowed. For these reasons, we decided to study the problems of widowhood. The purpose of this study is to examine the problems involved in widowhood and what might be helpful in dealing with them. In addition, another goal of this study is to increase public awareness about the plight of the widow.

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The efficacy of marriage preparation education (MPE) continues to be demonstrated through participant outcome research. However, understanding the elements that make MPE effective is still unclear and standards for quality have not been established. In an effort to address these deficits and promote improvement in the field of MPE, currently available and widely recognized marriage preparation education programs were examined according an evaluative model created by Hughes (1994). The four components of the Hughes model (content, instructional process, implementation process, and evaluation) outline research-supported elements that are essential in the development of quality family life educational programs. Eight MPE programs that had undergone previous outcome research and been included in meta-analytic studies or reviews were selected for evaluation in the current study. An evaluation team of three researchers rated the components and elements of each program. Evaluators also included qualitative comments associated with the utilization of the programs. Quantitative rating scores were summed for all members of the evaluation team. Results in this study showed that programs varied between the measured components in the extent to which they adhere to research-supported factors that are essential for a quality educational experience, and that none of the selected programs scored consistently high, or low, on the all of the program elements measured . Quantitative and qualitative results illuminated strengths and weaknesses within individual programs, as well as deficits common among current MPE programs. Recommendations are offered for improving MPE programs and professionalism in the field of marriage preparation education.

Decades of researchers have found that exposure to aggressive content in multiple forms of media is associated with both physically (Bushman & Anderson, 2001) and relationally (Coyne, Nelson, Graham-Kevan, Keister, & Grant, 2010) aggressive behavior. Similarly, other researchers have found that exposure to prosocial content in multiple forms of media is associated with increased prosocial behavior (Mares & Underwood, 2008). While these associations have been studied in a variety of media, books as a form of media have received less research attention. The current study examined the associations between the content of adolescents' favorite novels and their normative beliefs about aggression, physical, relational, and romantic relational aggression, and prosocial behavior. Associations were found between reading relationally aggressive material in novels and romantic relationally and peer-directed relationally aggressive behaviors. Similar associations were found between reading prosocial content in novels and prosocial behavior. Implications of the results are discussed.

Using coded data from parent-child interaction tasks and questionnaires, this longitudinal study examined the relationship between observed mother and father optimism and self-reported and observed optimism of their adolescent child one year later with mother and father involvement as mediators. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that while there was not a direct association between maternal optimism and child optimism, that father involvement mediated that relationship, and that father involvement further mediated the relationship between father involvement and child optimism.

For this research, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with primary caregivers that have adult children with disabilities. These interviews explored the lived experience of caregiving of primary caregivers. Three main themes surrounding care were found, all falling within the larger context of tensions in care. The first theme captures tensions in policy that promote empowerment but also produce disablement. Second, tensions exist between service agencies and lived experience of care. Lastly, tensions exist between were between the burdens and rewards of caregiving. It is these three themes and tensions that impact caregiving experiences at a personal level with the participants. These tensions are explored at a qualitative level and are illuminated by the lived experiences of the participants. Through this research the complex and understudied world of disability and care are explored. This research has implications for future policy development of support services for families that have an adult child with developmental disabilities. Further, these tensions illuminate the complex world of caregiving for those with disabilities in a way that examines life course impacts on caregivers themselves. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

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