Men and women were randomly chosen from courthouse divorce files. After initial contact by mail and by phone, those who agreed were mailed questionnaires developed to assess adjustment to divorce and to obtain information about the nature of divorce. Of those sent questionnaires, 44% completed and returned the assessment; the total sample…

This article examines the four options a couple has upon reaching the conclusion that their present marriage is at an end. The options are staying together as they are "for the children", divorcing with "blame's the game", a "re-built" marriage, or a "victimless" divorce. (Author)

Notes that except for black males, a greater transmission effect is found among respondents from childhood homes disrupted by divorce or separation rather than by death. Also suggests that the role model rationale for the transmission of marital instability be elaborated upon. (Author/AM)

The marital histories of 203 young women who became premaritally pregnant in their early teens and 90 of their classmates most of whom married before pregnancy show that disruption in the courtship process and limited economic resources are the most important factors in marital dissolution. (Author/AM)

Clinical research shows that children have emotional investments in stepfamilies and are negatively affected by marital conflict, which can actually be greater than between couples without stepchildren. Stepchildren's perceptions of conflict heightens their need for affection. Views of parents and children about conflict do not necessarily…

Longitudinal data, comparing couples who had a child with those who did not, showed related changes in questionnaire measures of "marriage satisfaction." The clearest finding was that women who have a child become more likely to report that their husbands are not paying enough attention to them. (Author)

This paper discusses the role of income in altering the risk of unstable marriages among white and nonwhite men. A causal model in which education and occupation are seen as causes of income is examined but research concluded that income rather than other indicators has the direct effect on marriage stability. (Author/CG)

Investigated the perceptions of 42 abused wives about their husbands and marital situations during counseling immediately following incidences of wife abuse. Results showed wives generally perceived their husbands as extremely possessive and often irrational. Wife abuse was often symptomatic of other marital problems. (JAC)

Data from a sample of 2,143 adult men and women were used to explore the relationship between wives' dependency on marriage, and wife abuse. Results indicated that it is economic and not psychological dependency which keeps women in severely abusive marriages. (Author)

The dual career couple is forced to make a series of choices and compromises that impact the realms of marriage and career. The dilemmas that confront dual career marriages can be overcome only by compromise, accommodation, and mutual understanding on the part of the individuals involved. A revamping of human resources and recruitment programs is…

Stages of adjustment for children and adolescents trying to cope with their parents' divorce are delineated, and the emotional processes involved with divorce itself are discussed. (LH)

Two marriage counseling approaches were explored: (1) couples received counseling one hour per week for an indefinite time period; (2) couples were seen two hours biweekly for five visits. Couples receiving biweekly counseling reported more satisfaction and optimism and tended to be more committed to the counseling relationship. (DS)

Examined cognitive and emotional reactions to family discussions as experienced by 8- to 11-year-old sons (n=35) and their mothers from homes with physically aggressive (PA), verbally aggressive (VA), and low-conflict (LC) marital relationships. Sons of PA couples demonstrated more self-interference, self-distraction, and arousal and less…

Couples whose early wounds cause narcissistic and borderline defenses may benefit from treatment with a psychodynamically oriented couples therapist. This article presents a treatment method that helps partners become attuned to each other's underlying injuries and vulnerabilities. The goal is to rebuild damaged structures of the self and to…

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to investigate the effects of parental separation on adolescent delinquency and depression. Parent-adolescent relationship prior to marital dissolution moderated the effects of parental separation on adolescent delinquency. Opposite-sex parents had a significant influence on…