Explores the usefulness of "marital alternatives" as a dimension in explaining marital stability, using longitudinal data from a panel of married, White, urban couples from 16 urban areas. Results indicated the dimension of marital alternatives appeared to be a better predictor of marital disruption than marital satisfaction. (Author/RC)

Describes the development of a scale specifically designed to measure marital instability among intact couples. Data from a telephone survey of 2,034 married men and women showed the Marital Instability Index to be a reliable and valid indicator. An abbreviated form of the index is presented. (Author/JAC)

An inventory with five subscales was developed to identify major kinds of coping used in dealing with recurring marital problems, based on 368 subjects. The final scale of 64 items was studied to determine the scale-score attributes of subjects sorted for age, sex, education, and years married, and for aspects of validity. (Author/TE)

Recently more attention has been focused on elder abuse, with laws enacted requiring reporting of this crime. Since service providers often do not recognize elder abuse, a validated screening tool for elder abuse is needed. A screening tool called the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Protocol has been developed and is currently being…

The breakdown of marriage within American society is a serious problem as evidenced by high divorce rates and numerous separations and family problems. A Marriage Values Questionnaire, developed to determine reasons for marrying and staying married and the impact of religion on marital stability, was completed by 305 subjects, ranging in age from…

Stresses which accompany graduate education are often a source of marital conflict and disruption for students and their families. To investigate the effects of the graduate experience on intra- and inter-family relationships among married doctoral student couples, and to discover how these students cope with the dual student/spouse role, 16…

Factors associated with the speed and level of difficulty with which individuals adjust to separation and divorce were investigated. A scale was developed to analyze these factors, and included items dealing with the subdimensions of stress and the perception of the persons involved. Factor analysis of the scale items as well as additional tests…

A study was conducted of the effectiveness of marriage counseling with respect to marital status and the long-term stability of relationships. Data were gathered from clients of approved Australian marriage counseling agencies (n=540) who took a pre-counseling survey during a 4-week period in October-November 1987 and a post-counseling survey 8…