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The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of family-of-origin quality, adult regulation of negative affect, and marital stability with the extent to which couples report they drink similarly and the extent to which they report that the husband drinks more than the wife. It was hypothesized that these two types of couple drinking patterns would be impacted by each individual spouse's context as well as by the interaction of those contexts. A national sample of 1498 couples or 2996 individuals (1498 wives and 1498 husbands married to each other) participated in this study. This study sought to understand the family-of-origin influences when there was not an alcoholic parent in the home. Therefore, adult children of alcoholics were excluded from the sample. The results of this study suggested that wives family-of-origin quality and both spouses' regulation of negative affect were highly predictive of a husband drinking more than the wife, and moderately to highly predictive of couple drinking similarity. The husband's family-of-origin had only indirect effects on both alcohol use patterns. His family-of-origin had moderately significant effects on drinking similarity through the mediating variable of the husband's regulation of negative affect. His family-of-origin had moderate to highly significant effects on whether or not he drinks more than his wife through two indirect paths, with regulation of negative affect and marital stability as mediating variables. When examining partner effects on couple alcohol use patterns, findings suggest the contributions of husband and wife are not entirely equal. Findings suggest that the wife's family-of-origin influences the pattern of the ‘husband drinking more than his wife’, through the mediating variable of the husband's regulation of negative affect, and this relationship was found to be stronger than his own family-of-origin. The wife's family-of-origin and her regulation of negative affect were more predictive of whether or not the couple drank similarly than the husband's family-of-origin or his regulation of negative affect. The most poignant conclusion drawn from this study is the importance of recognizing not only individual contributors to later alcohol use, but also the influence of the interacting couple contexts when examining couple alcohol use patterns.

Understanding the contingencies that explain whether divorce has positive or negative long-term effects for adult children is at the heart of this study. Although previous studies suggest an association between parental divorce and the divorce of adult offspring, less known is about whether the timing of divorce influences the relationship outcomes of adult children. Using a large nationally representative sample in terms of race (N=6,066), eight groups of individuals (males and females from intact homes, males and females who experienced divorce during adolescence, males and females who experienced divorce during middle childhood, and males and females who experienced divorce during preschool years) were analyzed to examine the impact of divorce and its timing on family impact, emotional regulation, and relationship quality. Findings indicate that divorce, in general, negatively influences family impact, emotional regulation, and relationship quality. However, the developmental timing of divorce does not appear to significantly alter the impact of these variables on relationship quality.

This study examined possible factors that may influence parental approval for their adult child's engaged relationship. A total of 4,175 individuals completed the RELATE inventory. Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of parental approval, parents' marital quality, autonomy from family-of-origin, and relationship quality. Individuals also reported age, education, length of relationship, parents' marital status, and parents' socioeconomic status. Results from the linear regression analysis indicate that age, parental marital quality, autonomy from family-of-origin, and couple relationship quality all influence parental approval. What is interesting about these findings is the difference in the predictive power of males versus females. The female models accounted for much more variance than the males models, suggesting that approval may be more important to females among other possibilities which are discussed in depth. Length of the relationship and parental marital status did not influence parental approval. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

[pt] A presente dissertação teve como objetivo investigar as motivações envolvidas no processo de escolha amorosa na conjugalidade contemporânea. Está sendo apresentada em formato de dois artigos. No primeiro, analisou-se como as dimensões da individualidade e da conjugalidade repercutem na satisfação conjugal; no segundo, foram discutidos os resultados referentes às repercussões da família de origem na escolha do cônjuge. Participaram deste estudo oito sujeitos (quatro homens e quatro mulheres), com idades entre 22 e 49 anos, casados ou em união estável, coabitantes, há pelo menos dois anos, sem filhos, pertencentes às camadas médias da população carioca. Os sujeitos foram escolhidos de forma independente e são de primeiro casamento. Para a avaliação das entrevistas, foi utilizado o método de análise de conteúdo, em sua vertente categorial, tal como proposto por Bardin (2011). Da avaliação do material emergiram duas categorias de análise: escolha amorosa e satisfação conjugal. Constatou-se que a conjugalidade dos pais serve de modelo para o casamento dos filhos. Observou-se, também, que a valorização da liberdade individual, a vivência da intimidade conjugal, abarcando aspectos relativos à amizade e ao afeto, e a flexibilidade em lidar com as dimensões individuais e conjugais são promotoras de satisfação conjugal. / [en] The present dissertation aimed to investigate the motivations involved in the process of love choice in contemporary conjugality. It is being presented in the form of two articles. In the first one, we analyzed how the dimensions of individuality and conjugality affect marital satisfaction; in the second, the results concerning the repercussions of the family of origin in the choice of the spouse and in the conjugal interaction were discussed. A qualitative research was carried out, in which four men and four women, with ages between 22 and 49, married or in a stable union, for at least two years, without children, were interviewed. To analyze the data the content analysis method was used in its categorial aspect, as proposed by Bardin (2011). From the evaluation of the material two categories of analysis emerged: love choice and marital satisfaction. It was found out that the results point to the conjugality of the parents as a model for the marriage of the offsprings. The study also observes that the appreciation of individual freedom, the experience of conjugal intimacy and the flexibility to deal with individual and conjugal dimensions are promoters of conjugal satisfaction.

This study compares three groups of undergraduate college males in heterosexual dating relationships: those who are physically and psychologically abusive (n=39), those who are solely psychologically abusive (n=44), and those who are non-abusive (n=34). These three groups are compared along the following variables: self-reported history of experiencing family of origin violence; self-reported history of witnessing family of origin violence; level of self-reported impulsivity; level of self-reported satisfaction with life; level of self-reported alcohol use; level of self-reported relationship satisfaction; and amount of self-reported anger management skill. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant main effects among the three groups of males along several of the variables examined (Wilks' Lambda F = 4.80, df = 10, 220, p <.001). Post hoc tests revealed significant differences among the three groups of males. This study revealed that these three groups differ significantly along their levels of alcohol use (F = 10.16, p <.001), their reported levels of relationship satisfaction (F = 4.23, p <.05), and their levels of anger management skills (F = 14.56, p<.001). This information can be helpful to clinicians and educators who are working with college populations. It would seem that psychoeducation might be useful for some of these men so that they might develop alternatives to violence, and may hopefully decrease the risk factors associated with the perpetration of relationship violence. Intervening early and effectively with these dating relationships can be a substantive step towards preventing the escalation and maintenance of violence in relationships. / Master of Science

Although addiction is treated by means of different treatment programmes in South Africa, the researcher discovered that the level of self-actualization and changes in addicts relationships, are questionable. A preliminary literature review indicated that the family of origin could be the cause of addiction. The above prompted the researcher to compile a treatment programme that addresses the family of origin as a cause of addiction. The treatment programme was divided into three phases. Phases one and two were included to provide therapists with guidelines on how to assist clients to reach abstinence, as well as how to function effectively in their life-worlds, while phase three addressed the family of origin as a cause of addiction. The family systems and relations theories served as the theoretical framework of the study. Phase three of the treatment programme was implemented by therapists during an empirical investigation to determine the effectiveness of the treatment programme. / Teacher Education / D Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Although addiction is treated by means of different treatment programmes in South Africa, the researcher discovered that the level of self-actualization and changes in addicts relationships, are questionable. A preliminary literature review indicated that the family of origin could be the cause of addiction. The above prompted the researcher to compile a treatment programme that addresses the family of origin as a cause of addiction. The treatment programme was divided into three phases. Phases one and two were included to provide therapists with guidelines on how to assist clients to reach abstinence, as well as how to function effectively in their life-worlds, while phase three addressed the family of origin as a cause of addiction. The family systems and relations theories served as the theoretical framework of the study. Phase three of the treatment programme was implemented by therapists during an empirical investigation to determine the effectiveness of the treatment programme. / Teacher Education / D Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The purpose of the present study was to gain more knowledge about single individuals with specific premarital risk factors for later marital problems (e.g. neuroticism or low emotional readiness, family-of-origin dysfunction, poor communication skills, and hostile conflict resolution style). The sample (N=39) completed the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) and were selected for the study based on the presence of one or more risk factors. Participants were contacted via email and asked to complete an online version of the Relationship Follow-up Questionnaire (RFQ) to determine their knowledge or awareness of their risk factor(s) after taking RELATE, their motivation for premarital interventions after taking RELATE, their perceived roadblocks or barriers hindering participation in premarital interventions, and their post-RELATE marriage preparation behaviors including their post-RELATE relationship breakups. The results showed that the RELATE increased an at-risk individual's knowledge or awareness of risk factors, increased their motivation for premarital interventions, and had little to no effect on the break-up of relationships. At-risk individuals reported the major roadblocks or barriers to participation in premarital interventions as being time, money, being uninformed, and the perceived distance/inconvenience of interventions. At-risk individuals' post-RELATE behaviors included discussing the RELATE results with their partner and friends and utilizing books and articles related to marriage. They did not report utilizing individual or couples counseling. Practitioners can use this information to make premarital interventions more appealing to at-risk individuals and encourage the use of the RELATE to increase participation in premarital interventions and help prevent later marital problems.

The effects of perceived mental/emotional problems (psychopathology) in the family-of-origin on adult offspring marital satisfaction was tested in a model considering the mediating variables of parental marital satisfaction, mother-child relationship quality, father-child relationship quality, and resolution of issues from the family-of-origin. The nationally representative sample (n = 802) drawn from the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) database included mostly college educated, lower-middle-class individuals in their first marriage. This sample was used to test a structural equation model that results showed fit the data well. Results showed that historical (distal) factors (such as psychopathology in the family-of-origin) explain only a small portion of the variance in adult offspring marital satisfaction and suggest that more contemporary (proximal) factors (such as individual characteristics) have a stronger relationship to adult offspring marital satisfaction. Results showed that 56% of the variance in achieving resolution of issues from the family-of-origin was explained by the other variables in the model with the best predictor being parental marital satisfaction. Direct, indirect, and total effects of each of the independent variables were examined. Results showed no direct effect of perceived mental/emotional problems (psychopathology) in the family-of-origin on adult offspring marital satisfaction. Only the mother-child relationship quality had a direct effect on adult offspring marital satisfaction. Clinical implications for practitioners are discussed. This study helps practitioners know how to help a client find resolution to issues stemming from perceived family-of-origin mental/emotional problems. This study also shows that focusing on current interpersonal processes and skills that may be part of achieving resolution is more likely to help a couple with marital problems than focusing on negative effects from the family-of-origin. Future research should focus on exploring the applicability of this model to different variables such as gender, race, income levels, etc. Future research models should also incorporate both historical and contemporary factors to help determine the direct effects of these variables on adult offspring relationship satisfaction.