Several previous studies suggest, that early life environment influences partner choice and quality of romantic relationship in adulthood. One of the significant factors influencing individuals in their childhood is the presence of siblings. There were numerous investigations executed whether the number and the sex of partner's siblings has any significant impact on their relationship. For the past few decades the duplication theorem was used as the stepping stone into this field of research. This theorem states that duplication of interpersonal patterns that spouses come from (e.g. couple consisting of firstborn and lastborn) is desired in a romantic relationship. However, nowadays there are some studies implying that in fact homogamy of the sibling positions could be beneficial. We collected data about sibling constellations and romantic relationships of the participants (2537) and their parents (838) through web-based questionnaires. We tested both of the theories listed above considering representation of pairs in the population, their stability and self-report questionnaire-based compatibility. Taking into account also the sex of the siblings we created new categorization of pair based on the degree of common childhood experience; experience that is rooted − as a counterpart to duplication...

This correlational study attempted to determine if the Outcome Questionnaire can be used to collect the same information as the Revised Dyadic Adjustment scale in marital assessment. Both measures are common pretreatment assessments and have relational components. The study used secondary data from the Utah State University Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic. Reliability and correlational tests were performed and the results indicate that the assessments measure different constructs. There also were no statistically significant correlations when comparing the measures by gender, marital distress, and marital satisfaction. Implications are discussed including the formulation of new clinical cut-off scores and the importance of using both measures to perform better assessments.

Prostate cancer (PC) affects one in eight men in North America and continues to be the most common site of cancer in males, especially among older men in Europe and the United States, and the second most common cancer worldwide. Prostate cancer is, after lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related deaths among men with an estimated 27,540 deaths in 2015. The well-being of patients diagnosed with PC is a largely unexplored research area. Numerous factors likely impact men’s psychological well-being as they progress through the experience of managing PC. Among the various factors that may predict psychological well-being for these men, social support, marital adjustment, and emotional expressiveness seem to warrant investigation based on the research literature. “Psychological well-being” as described by Ryff offers a unique way of measuring psychological functioning of men diagnosed with PC and appears to be a multidimensional view of positive psychological functioning. Little research has been conducted to examine how various factors influence psychological well-being in men with PC. The purpose of the study was to examine correlates and predictors of overall psychological well-being in a sample of men diagnosed with PC. Independent variables included three psychological factors-social support, marital adjustment, and emotional expressiveness. The design of the study was descriptive and cross-sectional. Measures used included: a demographic questionnaire, Scales of Psychological Well-Being, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Expression of Emotion Scale, and a Visual Analog Scale of Social Support. Data analyses examined three predictors and the dependent variable–total psychological well-being. Findings show that marital adjustment significantly predicts total psychosocial well-being scores in men diagnosed with cancer in a positive direction. Implications for therapeutic practice and future research are discussed. Lack of support may place men diagnosed with prostate cancer at risk for poorer psychological well-being. Identification of at-risk men and referral to support services may improve overall psychological well-being

The current study examined differences in intracultural and intercultural relationships. In this study, data were collected from 139 individuals currently in intracultural romantic relationships (same ethnicity and country of origin) and 120 individuals currently in intercultural romantic relationships (different ethnicity or country of origin) through MTurk. Participants completed measures for personality (20-item Mini-IPIP), individualism and collectivism (Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale), ethnic identity (Multi-group Ethnic Identity Measure), implicit relationship theory (Relationship Theory Questionnaire), relationship satisfaction (DAS: Dyadic Adjustment Scale and RAS: Relationship Assessment Scale), relationship commitment (Commitment Level Items of the Investment Model Scale), one question to address whether the individuals' partners are seen as one's soul mate, and demographics. Participants were compensated $0.85 for completing the survey. MANOVA analyses indicated that individuals in intracultural and intercultural relationships differ significantly in terms of RAS, DAS, and Commitment Level Item scores, with those in intercultural relationships scoring significantly lower on all three measures. Regression analyses indicated that the significant predictors for RAS, DAS, and Commitment Level items differ for individuals in intracultural and intercultural relationships. These findings suggest the type of relationship (intracultural versus intercultural) is an important factor to consider. Research on intracultural relationships may not translate to individuals in intercultural relationships.

Relationship functioning in couples has been linked to numerous health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between 1) marital functioning and sleep dimensions, 2) marital functioning and cortisol, and 3) sleep dimensions and cortisol. The sample consisted of 108 heterosexual, married couples and was part of a larger marital intervention study. As predicted, poor marital functioning was related to negative sleep outcomes. However, these effects were only significant for wives. There was also evidence to suggest that poor marital functioning was associated with increased cortisol levels in husbands. These effects were independent of age and BMI. Contrary to our hypotheses, cortisol was not linked to sleep outcomes and, therefore, not a mediator of effect between marital functioning and cortisol. However, we did find evidence to suggest that stress and depressive symptomology could mediate the association between dyadic adjustment and sleep. Together, these findings provide evidence for how marital functioning can affect both physical and psychological health.

Predicting divorce potential has been of interest to researchers and clinicians. The Marital Status Inventory (Weiss & Ceretto, 1980) was developed to provide information about clients' perceived divorce potential. The MSI has been widely used but there have been complaints about the negatively worded items from clients, therapists, and researchers. Therefore, this study compared a revised form of the MSI (MSI-R has no negatively worded items) with the original format. There were three purposes of the study. The first was to assess the reliability and validity of the MSI-R. The second purpose was to see if the MSI-R continued to distinguish between types of therapy couples attended (marital versus other therapy). The third and final purpose of the study was to assess the ability of the MSI-R to assess divorce potential with a remarital sample. It was found that the MSI-R is on face value equally as valid as the original MSI. There was a lack of support for discriminate validity. The MSI-R was found to be internally consistent (alpha = .83), therefore reliable. Clients found the revised items to be more easily understood and readable than the original items. The MSI and MSI-R were significantly correlated indicating that they apparently measure the same concepts. Results showed that both groups scored on the low end of the scale indicating that the sample was not a very divorce prone group. There did not appear to be any difference with regards to mean scores on the MSI and MSI-R between marital and remarital groups. While the MSI-R appears to be a promising replacement for the MSI, further research is warranted to provide sufficient evidence of validity.

La presente investigación de tipo descriptivo-correlacional tiene el objetivo de determinar la relación entre ajuste diádico y soledad en parejas adultas limeñas. La muestra está compuesta por 195 participantes en una relación de pareja heterosexual, seleccionados a través de una técnica no probabilística de muestreo intencional y de participación voluntaria. Los instrumentos aplicados son la Escala de Ajuste Diádico de Spanier (1976) y la Escala de Soledad De Jong-Gierveld (1985), para luego establecer la relación existente entre ambas variables. El análisis y procesamiento de los datos aplicó técnicas de estadística descriptiva e inferencial. Las correlaciones más significativas, en sentido negativo, se hallaron entre cohesión y las dimensiones de soledad, y expresión de afecto y las dimensiones de soledad. En ambas escalas no se hallaron diferencias significativas con relación al sexo y al estado civil. La soledad sería un factor que influye en el nivel de ajuste diádico de la pareja. / The present descriptive-correlational research aims to determine the relationship between dyadic adjustment and loneliness in Lima adult couples. The sample was made up of 195 participants in a heterosexual couple relationship, selected by a non-probabilistic technique of intentional sampling and voluntary participation. The instruments used for this research were the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (1976) and the De Jong-Gierveld Solitude Scale (1985), both investigations helped to establish the relationship between both variables. The analysis and processing of the data applied descriptive and inferential statistics techniques. The most significant correlations, in a negative sense, were found between cohesion and the dimensions of loneliness, and expression of affection and the dimensions of loneliness. In both scales, no significant differences were found in relation to sex and marital status. Loneliness would be a factor that influences the level of dyadic adjustment of the couple. / Tesis

Cette étude transversale a investigué le lien entre le regard conditionnel négatif perçu, le stress et l’ajustement dyadique durant la transition à la parentalité, une période caractérisée par des difficultés au niveau du couple. Après avoir été recrutés, des couples de parents primipares québécois (n=137) ont répondu à un questionnaire en ligne. Des analyses d’équations structurelles avec le modèle « Actor-Partner Interdependance Mediation Model » ont été conduites afin d’investiguer les influences dyadiques et réciproques du regard conditionnel négatif perçu sur l’ajustement dyadique du couple. Au niveau des effets acteurs, les résultats démontrent que pour les deux partenaires, le stress est un médiateur partiel dans la relation entre le regard conditionnel négatif perçu et l’ajustement dyadique. Cependant, au niveau des effets partenaires, il n’y avait pas d’effet de médiation entre ces variables. Néanmoins, certains effets partenaires intéressants ont été trouvés: 1) le regard conditionnel perçu par les mères biologiques avait une influence sur l’ajustement dyadique de leur partenaire et 2) l’ajustement dyadique des mères biologiques était influencé par le regard conditionnel négatif perçu par leur partenaire. Pour conclure, ses résultats informent la littérature de deux façons importantes : 1) le regard conditionnel négatif perçu par un des partenaires a des effets sur son propre ajustement dyadique et sur celui de son partenaire et 2) le stress est un des mécanismes par lequel le regard conditionnel négatif perçu par un des partenaires diminue son propre ajustement dyadique. / This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between perceived conditional negative regard (a behavior that thwarts basic psychological needs), stress, and dyadic adjustment during the transition to parenthood. Primiparous couples (n=137) of 6-months old babies were recruited to fill out an online questionnaire. Structural equation model analysis with an Actor-partner interdependence mediation model were conducted. Results show that for each partner, stress partially mediated the link between perceived conditional negative regard and dyadic adjustment (actor effects). For the partner effects, stress was not a mediator between these variables. However, some partner effects were found: 1) Bearing mothers’ perceived conditional negative regard was associated with partners’ dyadic adjustment, and 2) Partners’ perceived conditional negative regard was associated with bearing mothers’ dyadic adjustment. Overall, the findings shed light on the dyadic influences of conditional negative regard and the mechanisms through which it decreases dyadic adjustment during the transition to parenthood.

Self-enhancement is a process by which individuals misperceive themselves by viewing themselves in a positively biased manner. Past research indicates that self-enhancement can have both positive and negative effects on romantic relationships. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the role of self-enhancement in unmarried dating couples (N = 124 couples; 248 individuals) with respect to conflict, dyadic adjustment, causal and responsibility attributions, and possible moderators between self-enhancement and dyadic adjustment. The results are organized in four sections. First, I found a curvilinear relationship between participant self-enhancement and conflict. At very low and very high levels of self-enhancement there were increased levels of conflict. Second, participant self-enhancement was positively associated with positively associated with increased participant dyadic adjustment, but there was no relationship between participant self-enhancement and partner dyadic adjustment. Third, there was no relationship between participant self-enhancement and causal and responsibility attributions. Fourth, forgiveness and commitment did not moderate the relationship between self-enhancement and dyadic adjustment; however, there were main effects for both forgiveness and commitment - both forgiveness and commitment were positively associated with dyadic adjustment. I conclude by discussing limitations, areas of future research, and implications for counseling.

L’objectif général de cette thèse est d’examiner le lien entre l’attachement amoureux des conjoints, la satisfaction conjugale, le mandat thérapeutique et le résultat de la thérapie conjugale telle que conduite en milieu naturel. Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, des couples se présentant en thérapie conjugale ont d’abord complété une batterie de questionnaires comprenant l’Échelle d’ajustement dyadique (Spanier, 1976) et le Questionnaire sur les expériences d’attachement amoureux (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998). Les thérapeutes ont par la suite indiqué le mandat thérapeutique poursuivi avec chaque couple (réconciliation ou résolution de l’ambivalence), suivant la classification de Poitras-Wright et St-Père (2004). À la fin de la consultation, le jugement du thérapeute a été utilisé pour classer chacun des cas comme ayant abandonné ou complété le traitement. Les couples ayant complété la thérapie ont rempli l’Échelle d’ajustement dyadique au post-traitement. Dans le premier des articles composant cette thèse, le lien entre l’attachement amoureux et la satisfaction conjugale a été examiné auprès d’un échantillon de 172 couples en détresse débutant une thérapie conjugale, de même qu’auprès de 56 couples non en détresse débutant également une thérapie conjugale, pour fins de comparaison. Les résultats ont démontré que l’évitement de la proximité semble être une caractéristique distinctive des couples en détresse et que cette dimension de l’attachement est fortement liée à l’insatisfaction conjugale de ce même groupe. Dans le deuxième article, le mandat thérapeutique, l’attachement amoureux et la satisfaction conjugale ont été examinés en tant que prédicteurs de l’abandon de la thérapie conjugale, auprès de 141 couples. Les résultats ont notamment démontré qu’un mandat de résolution de l’ambivalence augmente les probabilités d’abandon de la thérapie conjugale. De plus, les prédicteurs du résultat de la thérapie ont également été examinés dans ce second article. Les résultats obtenus au moyen d’analyses acteur-partenaire ont démontré que la satisfaction conjugale pré-traitement apparaît comme le meilleur prédicteur de la satisfaction conjugale post-traitement, et ce, malgré l’inclusion de l’attachement amoureux parmi les variables investiguées. Considérés dans leur ensemble, les résultats de cette thèse suggèrent que l’insécurité d’attachement serait fortement associée à l’insatisfaction des couples en détresse, mais ne nuirait pas pour autant à l’obtention d’un résultat positif en thérapie conjugale. En somme, cette thèse contribue à l’avancement des connaissances en se penchant sur l’utilité de la théorie de l’attachement en thérapie conjugale et en soulignant la nécessité de tenir compte des mandats thérapeutiques dans les futures études en thérapie conjugale. Les implications cliniques des résultats et des recommandations pour la recherche clinique sont présentées dans la conclusion de l’ouvrage. / The aim of this thesis was to elucidate the link between adult romantic attachment, relationship satisfaction, therapeutic mandates and couple therapy outcome. Couples seeking therapy in a natural setting completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976) and the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) at intake. Therapists classified the therapeutic mandate pursued in each case (i.e., alleviation of couple distress or ambivalence resolution) according to the Classification of Therapeutic Mandates Questionnaire (Poitras-Wright & St-Père, 2004). When treatment ceased, couples were classified as dropouts or completers according to therapists’ judgment, and completers were further assessed using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. In the first of two articles, the association between adult romantic attachment and pre-treatment marital satisfaction was investigated in a sample of 172 distressed couples seeking therapy, as well as in a comparison sample of 56 nondistressed couples seeking therapy. Results showed that attachment avoidance was a distinctive characteristic of distressed couples and that it was a strong predictor of marital dissatisfaction among distressed couples seeking therapy. Based on a series of 141 couple therapy cases, the second article examined therapeutic mandates, romantic attachment orientations, and pre-treatment marital satisfaction as predictors of premature disengagement from couple therapy. The most striking result was that an ambivalence resolution mandate was strongly associated with increased chances of treatment discontinuation. Predictors of couple therapy outcome were also examined: actor-partner analyses revealed that the strongest predictor of post-treatment marital satisfaction was pre-treatment marital satisfaction, despite the inclusion of romantic attachment among the predictor variables. Overall, these results indicate that attachment insecurity is strongly related to distressed couples’ marital dissatisfaction, but that it might not impede the attainment of a positive outcome in couple therapy. In sum, this thesis contributed to the field of couple therapy by investigating the pertinence of attachment theory in couple treatment, and highlighting the need for further study of therapeutic mandates in couple therapy. Clinical implications for couple therapy are discussed, and recommendations for clinical research offered.