Surveyed 575 newly married couples in 1972 and 425 divorced couples in 1975 to examine risk factors leading to divorce in Estonia, USSR. Found risk factors included an unstable parental home, unsuitable age at marriage, and duration of courtship. Incompatibility of value orientation and role expectation were other factors. (JAC)

Applied a behavioral model of marriage to premarital couples to assess predictive validity of an exchange measure. Results provide evidence that unrewarding communication patterns precede development of relationship distress. Implications for the behavioral model of marriage and development of programs designed to prevent marital distress are…

Found that: (1) male refugees married in Cuba and females married in the U.S. after the revolution have stable marriages; and (2) nearness of residence to culture of origin or to kin and extent of assimilation are insignificant predictors of marital instability. Notes the relative modernity of Cuban marriages in the U.S. (Author/GC)

Demonstrated the effect of a contingency contracting treatment package for treating a distressed couple. A multi-method assessment package was used. The treatment package was responsible for producing behavior change and changes in levels of satisfaction. Multi-assessments provided the therapist with concrete data on a couple's progress in…

Minimal differences were found in the amount, and direction, of changes. Differences in dissolution rates were found, as expected, but court-ordered counseling did appear to have a positive effect with some couples. (Author)

The no-fault provisions of the California Family Law Act of 1969 recognized the reality of marital breakdown by removing from the substance and language of the law its strong overtones of moral condemnation. The divorce rate itself remained unaffected. The frequency of spousal support awards declined significantly. (Author/JAC)

Refines the concept of attachment by distinguishing it from generalized distressed responses to divorce. Among separated adults, characteristics of the marital situation account for feelings of loss of attachment but do not contribute to the explanation of generalized distress. (Author)

The reinforcers that are most potent in affecting the day-to-day satisfaction levels of married couples differ according to the level of distress. Marital distress is characterized by a tendency to react strongly to the delivery of punishers and to respond in kind. (Author)

Considers variations in use of social supports among persons in the process of divorcing. Most frequently turned to for help were friends, spouse, and counselors. Perceptions of the degree of stress evoked by the divorce appeared to be a major force behind use of social supports. (Author)

Examined the relationship of instrumental and affectional behavioral events to short- and long-term marital satisfaction. Results showed a significant negative relationship between frequency of displeasurable instrumental events and ratings of marital satisfaction. The most important finding was the degree to which wives' self-esteem correlated…

Responses to a questionnaire pertaining to discrepancies between an individual's ideal and actual marital role behaviors and level of sexual satisfaction indicated lower levels of role strain in nonpatient couples. A higher level of role strain correlated with increased sexual dissatisfaction. (Author)

Examined marital noncohabitation for reasons other than marital discord. Percentage of currently married persons living apart was highest for ages 18-24 and for Blacks. Two most common reasons for living apart were military service and incarceration. Spouses living apart in 1976 were nearly twice as likely as cohabiting spouses to experience…

In a study of 1,000 New Zealand children from birth to 10 years, risks of family breakdown were found to vary inversely to the number of preschool children in the family. These results persisted when many fixed and time-dependent variates were controlled, suggesting that the presence of preschool children reduces risks of family breakdown.…

Assessed predictive validity of telephone version of Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test in couples (N=120) who varied in marital happiness, social class, and other demographic characteristics. Found Locke-Wallace scores predictive of husband/wife marital adjustment scores and distressed/nondistressed marital status. (Author/CM)

Examined perspective-taking differences among 259 individuals in high- and 43 individuals in low-adjustment marriages. Four hypotheses were tested that demonstrated that females in high- and low-adjustment marriages did not differ in their perspective-taking ability with others in general. Males and females in high- and low-adjustment groups did…