No abstract available. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The present study examined the effect of family of origin characteristics on current marital satisfaction, within a sample of newlywed couples, using dyadic and mixed methods approaches to conceptualization, data collection, and data analysis.The data used to investigate this process--sometimes called intergenerational transmission--was collected in two phases. First, quantitative data in the form of close-ended questions was collected separately from each member of 190 newlywed couples via hard-copy questionnaires. These questionnaires included measures of family of origin characteristics (e.g., interparental conflict), current marital processes (e.g., conflict resolution style), and marital outcomes (e.g., marital satisfaction). Second, in-depth and open-ended questions were asked of 18 couples in semi-structured couple interviews. The 18 couples who were interviewed in phase two of the data collection represent a purposive sub-sample of the original 190 couples from phase one of data collection.Results of structural equation modeling of a conceptual model based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Cook & Kenny, 2005) indicated that the family or origin characteristics measured predicted a decrease in marital satisfaction, especially for wives. In addition, mixed evidence was found for the potential meditational role of conflict resolution style. Results of thematic coding of the interview data revealed that: a) families of origin serve as marriage role models in complex and multifaceted ways; b) there are other important models of marriage, aside from families of origin, that influence marital outcomes; c) it is likely that couples use a combination of different marriage role models to form their ideas of marriage (and therefore their marital outcomes); and d) it is possible that in some cases families of origin do not provide a marriage role model at all.Finally, results of a configural comparative analysis utilizing both the quantitative and qualitative data revealed that couples negotiate the pathway from their families of origin to their own marriages in diverse ways. Three distinct pathways were identified, including a "modeling" pathway, a "modified modeling" pathway, and a "compensation" pathway. Interpretations and implications of these findings are discussed. In addition, future directions for research in this area are suggested.

This study examined the mediating impact of couples' attachment behaviors on the relationship between poor quality family-of-origin experiences and marital communication quality. The couple data for this study was collected from the Relationship Evaluation (RELATE) database (see www.relate-institute.org). An Actor Partner Interdependence Model using structural equation modeling was used to evaluate 261 marriage relationships. Results indicated that the relationships between family-of-origin experiences and communication quality are significantly related, with more family-of-origin problems associated with poorer positive communication skills. When attachment behaviors (accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement) were added to the model, it significantly mediated the relationship. Implications for clinicians treating couples who present with communication problems are discussed, as are directions for future research.

Decades of research have shown that family-of-origin experiences are generally important predictors of individuals' later relationship/marital quality. On average, the healthier these experiences are, the healthier adult children's relationships and marriages tend to be. The focus of this study was to investigate how coming to terms with difficulties experienced in the family of origin may enhance adult children's ability to create high quality relationships and marriages. The study employed a sample of 6423 U.S. couples, 18-45 years old, who were dating, cohabitating, engaged or married. This study showed that individuals in couple relationships who reported healthier family-of-origin experiences and those who had come to terms with difficult experiences in their families had higher relationship/marital quality than those who reported less healthy experiences and had not come to terms with them. Males in this sample were more likely than females to have come to terms with difficulties experienced in their families of origin, while females were more likely than males to believe that there was still something from their family experience that they were struggling with. Results showed that individuals may have utilized several factors to help them come to terms with difficulties in their families. Some of these factors may have been: being autonomous from the family of origin, being agreeable, extroverted, flexible, mature, spiritual, loving, having high self-esteem, being able to be empathetic and send clear messages while communicating with partners, spouses, or parents. Some vulnerabilities associated with coming to terms may have been: showing symptoms of depression, neuroticism, contempt, stonewalling, flooding, and being negative in relating to others. Results of this study suggest that the ability to come to terms with difficulties in the family of origin is related not only to the resource factors available for the individuals struggling but also to the resources utilized by their partners/spouses.

The purpose of this study was to examine how sexual satisfaction in older marriages (marriages with at least one spouse between the ages of 55 and 75) was affected by family-of-origin distress (recent measure of recollection of childhood experiences) and marital distress (measure of current marital relationship) for husbands and wives. The hypotheses of this study were that both family-of-origin distress and marital distress would have negative effects on sexual satisfaction for older couples, with marital distress having a direct, negative effect on sexual satisfaction and with family-of-origin distress having an indirect, negative effect on sexual satisfaction through its influence on marital distress. The sample consisted of 614 older couples (approximate average age of 65 for husbands and 62 for wives) who participated in the Project Couple Retire research project which provided the data for this study. Each participant completed the Project Couple Retire questionnaire which included the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (MSI-R) (1997), the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR) (1981), and other instruments measuring various factors relating to older marriages. A conceptual model was created consisting of three latent variables: sexual satisfaction, family-of-origin distress, and marital distress. The latent dependent variable, sexual satisfaction, was measured by the MSI-R sexual dissatisfaction (SEX) scale and the sexual intimacy scale of the PAIR inventory. One of the latent independent variables, family-of-origin distress, was originally measured by both the MSI-R family history of distress (FAM) scale and an additional instrument from the Project Couple Retire questionnaire measuring history of abuse. However, the history of abuse measure was eventually dropped from the study due to poor measurement fit. The other latent independent variable, marital distress, was measured by the affective communication (AFC) and time together (TTO) scales of the MSI-R. The data in this study was dyadic, with each variable including data from both husbands and wives. Therefore, both actor and partner effects were examined. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the conceptual model. Findings indicated that both family-of-origin distress and marital distress negatively affected sexual satisfaction in older marriages for both husbands and wives when considering both indirect and direct effects.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Amber V. Vennum / The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how emerging adults (18-29 year olds) define commitment in romantic relationships and have created meaning from the positive and negative examples of commitment they have witnessed. Twenty (10 men, 10 women) unmarried emerging adults were interviewed individually. Through the use of grounded theory four themes emerged to explain how emerging adults have constructed their understanding of commitment: complete loyalty, investment in the relationship, continual communication, and parental influence. From observing negative and positive examples of commitment, emerging adults learned to discern healthy and unhealthy characteristics of romantic relationships, are working to be different, and have learned what to do to make a committed relationship work long term including the sub-themes of unitedly persevere, prioritize the relationship, consider your partner, give substantial effort, have fidelity. These results extend our knowledge about the model of resilient commitment, and the critical purpose of meaning making. Implications for intervening with emerging adults to strengthen future romantic relationship stability are discussed.

A pertença estendida de adultos na família de origem é um fenômeno multideterminado, que envolve fatores econômicos, culturais, familiares e psíquicos, gerando insatisfação e sofrimento em adultos que estão nessa situação. O objetivo desta dissertação é a compreensão de motivos, intenções e sentidos que determinam essa pertença estendida. Para isso, utilizamos o referencial teórico psicanalítico, tanto para nos ajudar no método que fundamenta esta pesquisa quanto na discussão das informações obtidas no estudo de campo. Entender como percebem, vivem e quais sentidos esses adultos atribuem para a convivência familiar, além de identificar suas perspectivas para o futuro, como percebem a si mesmos e a sua família, foram os interesses que construíram este objeto de estudo. Pesquisamos esse fenômeno através de sete entrevistas semiestruturadas com adultos da classe média da cidade de São Paulo, entre 26 e 37 anos, cinco do sexo feminino e dois do sexo masculino, que estavam morando com suas famílias de origem em 2010. Da análise das entrevistas, alguns temas emergiram: família: cultura, tradição, história e estrutura; ser adulto; expectativas para o futuro; trabalho e remuneração: vida profissional; e relações fora da família. Constatamos nas dinâmicas familiares de alguns dos entrevistados uma relação do tipo simbiótico com a figura materna, como também uma situação financeira precária para possibilitar a saída da casa da família. A perspectiva de futuro, para alguns, inclui a saída da casa da família mediante novo rumo profissional ou casamento e, para outros, não há sentido em deixar a casa dos pais; há alguns benefícios por estar na casa dos pais, mas há, em todos os entrevistados, desconforto e um sentimento de fracasso, por não corresponderem às expectativas familiares e pessoais / The adults who remain with their original families are a multifactorial phenomenon, involving economic, cultural, familial and psychological factors, which generates discontentment and suffering for those who find themselves in this situation. The objective of this dissertation is the understanding of the motives, intentions and rationales that determine the prolonged stay of adults within their original families. In order to accomplish this, we used psychoanalytical theory both to aid our research design and to inform our analysis of the data collected through our fieldwork. Our interests in understanding how such adults perceive, attribute meaning to and live their everyday lives alongside their original families, and in identifying their perspectives on the future, themselves and their families have built the objectives of this study. We studied this phenomenon via semi-structured interviews with seven middle class adults from the city of São Paulo, aged between 26 and 37 years old, five women and two men, who lived with their original families in 2010. Some themes have emerged from the analysis of the interviews: family: culture, tradition, history and structure; being an adult; expectations about the future; work and salary: professional life; and relationships outside of the family. We ascertained in the family dynamic of some of our interviewees a symbiotic relationship with the mother figure, and also a precarious financial situation that hindered leaving the family home. The perspective of the future, to some, include leaving the family home in the case of a new professional/career path or marriage and, to others, it makes no sense to leave the parental home; there are some benefits in staying in the parental home, but in all interviewees there are a discomfort and a sense of failure, for not meeting familial and personal expectations

Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-05-19T19:52:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 conjugalidade_anos.pdf: 1781303 bytes, checksum: cbedcc42bf2f9f8cdaa2aa219988cc28 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-19T19:52:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 conjugalidade_anos.pdf: 1781303 bytes, checksum: cbedcc42bf2f9f8cdaa2aa219988cc28 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Nenhuma / As experiências na família de origem impactam a trajetória do sujeito em vários aspectos de sua vida futura, dentre eles a formação da conjugalidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi compreender como as experiências na família de origem se refletem na vivência da conjugalidade nos anos inicias do casamento. Mais especificamente, objetivou identificar como jovens casais descrevem seu relacionamento conjugal; como se caracterizam as famílias de origem de cada um dos cônjuges; quais experiências vivenciadas na família de origem são consideradas relevantes pelo casal para a construção do seu relacionamento e como o casal integra as experiências trazidas de cada família. Para atingir os objetivos propostos, foi realizado um estudo de casos com três jovens casais, em primeira união, com no máximo dois anos de relacionamento estável. Os achados revelaram que o relacionamento com a família de origem é bastante significativo para a vivência do jovem casal, sendo os primeiros anos de casamento uma etapa crucial no desenvolvimento da identidade conjugal, a partir do processo de separação-individuação com relação às famílias de origem. O estudo possibilitou compreender a importância da família de origem na formação da conjugalidade, na perspectiva dos casais, evidenciando dificuldades no processo de separação-individuação e sofrimento psíquico de alguns membros da família em relação ao distanciamento promovido pelo casamento. A presente dissertação está constituída por dois artigos, um deles teórico, sobre a transgeracionalidade nas relações familiares, com base nas abordagens psicanalítica e sistêmica, e outro empírico, relatando o resultado do estudo realizado com três jovens casais sobre a formação da conjugalidade a partir das experiências nas famílias de origem / Experiences in family of origin impact the trajectory of the subject in various aspects of your future life, including the formation of marriage. The aim of this study was to understand how experiences in the family of origin are reflected in the experience of marital initial years of marriage. More specifically, it aimed to identify how young couples described their marital relationship, how to characterize thefamilies of origin of each spouse, which experiences in the family of origin are considered relevant by the couple to build their relationship and how the couple integrates experiences brought each family. To achieve the proposed objectives, a study of cases with three young couples at first marriage, with a maximum of two years of steady relationship. Findings revealed that the relationship with the family of origin is significant to the experience of the young couple, and the first years of marriage a crucial step in the development of marital identity, from the separation-individuation process in relation to families of origin. The study enabled us to understand the importance of family of origin in the formation of a marital status of couples in perspective, highlighting difficulties in the process of separation-individuation and psychological distress among some family members in relation to the distance promoted by marriage. This dissertation is composed of two articles, one theoretical, transgenerationality about family relationships, based on psychoanalytic and systemic approaches, and other empirical, reporting the results of the study of three young couples on the formation of conjugal from experiences in families of origin.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:39:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PCL - Carla Teresinha Cramer.pdf: 665580 bytes, checksum: f669cfe1b24806a78f128139ad2108d3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-10-25 / Family Therapy as a field of work has undergone diverse changes over its 50 years of existence, in relation both to the body of theories it comprises and the process entailed until it effectively evolved into a family-oriented therapy. Until the late twentieth century, during the 80s, the most common approaches in that area were intervention-based and those supported by modern paradigms, which employed the application of theories as a tool and the acquisition of techniques. The therapist would take on the role of a specialist. It was finally considered a dialogic activity when Second-Order Cybernetics, Social Constructivism and Constructionism concepts were brought into the therapy as such, and the therapist became the focal point of the subject at hand. Contributions made by scholars of Gender and Culture emphasise the importance of self-reflection, which should be practiced by the therapist to assure that his or her own life experiences, past or present, do not have a negative influence when counselling their patient-clients. The purpose of this study was to understand how the therapist s life experience acquired within the environment of his or her family of origin could influence their family counselling practice. The case study method was employed. The tools used to obtain relevant material were semi-structured interviews and genogram assessment of the mental health professional. Information yielded was analysed and divided into the following body of themes: Parentality, Conjugality, Fraternal Relationships, Gender and Culture. Another significant finding from this study is the current challenge posed by this field, e.g. the integration of different concepts originating from diverse approaches that comprise what is known as Family Therapy / O campo da Terapia Familiar, em seus pouco mais de 50 anos de existência, passou por várias modificações em seu corpo teórico e no processo envolvido em tornar-se um terapeuta de famílias. As abordagens que dominavam o campo até os anos 80 do século XX eram intervencionistas e embasadas em paradigmas modernos; voltavam-se à instrumentalização e à aquisição de técnicas. Ao terapeuta, cabia o papel de especialista. Com a incorporação dos conceitos provenientes da Cibernética de 2ª Ordem, do Construtivismo e do Construcionismo Social, a terapia passou a ser considerada uma atividade dialógica, e a pessoa do terapeuta tornou-se alvo de atenção nessa disciplina. Os aportes efetuados por estudiosos de Gênero e Cultura reforçaram a importância do terapeuta desenvolver auto-reflexividade, a fim de que conteúdos de sua história de vida, passada e presente, não venham a repercutir negativamente no atendimento prestado a seus clientes. O objetivo da presente pesquisa consistiu em compreender de que modo as experiências que o terapeuta vivenciou em sua família de origem fazem-se presentes em sua prática clínica atual com famílias. O método escolhido baseou-se em um estudo de caso. Os instrumentos utilizados para a obtenção de material relevante foram a entrevista semi-estruturada e o levantamento do genograma do profissional. As informações obtidas foram analisadas e vieram a compor os seguintes eixos temáticos: Parentalidade, Conjugalidade, Relações Fraternas, Gênero e Cultura. Outro achado significativo e proveniente dessa pesquisa refere-se ao desafio atual e presente no campo que é a integração dos diversos conceitos oriundos das diferentes abordagens que compõem o que se denomina Terapia Familiar

Family-of-origin aggression (FOOA) is an established risk factor for adult partner aggression. The research presented in this thesis tested a model proposing that (FOOA) is mediated through attachment and attributions to influence male and female partner aggression and withdrawal in early stage couple relationships. Study 1 tested the influence of FOOA, attachment, and attributions on partner aggression in a sample of 73 newlywed couples. FOOA was associated with male-to-female aggression, but not female-to-male aggression. Therefore the hypothesis that the influence of FOOA on partner aggression was mediated through attachment and attributions was tested only for men. Attachment was significantly associated with attributions, but there was no association between FOOA and attachment or between attributions and male partner aggression. Study 2 tested the influence of FOOA, attachment, and attributions on partner aggression and withdrawal in a sample of 101 dating couples. Structural equation model analyses found different results for men and women. For male partner aggression, the influence of FOOA was partially mediated through attachment and attributions. For male withdrawal, the influence of FOOA on withdrawal was fully mediated through attachment and attributions. The association between FOOA and withdrawal was also mediated through attachment independent of attributions, and through attributions independent of attachment. For female partner aggression and female withdrawal, the predicted associations were found for the attachment anxiety models but not for the attachment avoidance models. The current findings suggest that attachment and attributions should be intervention targets for improving relationship outcomes. The gender differences in model fit emphasise the importance of investigating risk factors for partner aggression and withdrawal separately for men and women.