Developed interval scale to measure deviation from the normative sequencing of first job, marriage, and birth of first child. Scale scores had predictive utility for marital instability and work interruptions. Use of scale score as independent variable provided more information than that provided by Hogan's (1978) temporal sequence categories as…

Used combined questionnaire and register data on 39,000 Norwegian men and women to show that psychological well-being was strong predictor of subsequent marital dissolution over 2- to 4-year period. Strength of relationship was particularly strong in short run but remained significant throughout period of observation. (Author/NB)

Gives a brief account of recent developments in matrimonial law related to divorce, custody, and visitation to the children of divorcing couples. Discusses the development of mediation, its organizational structure, and its place within the context of the legal system of the United Kingdom. Outlines the principles of conciliation. (Author/ABL)

Examines the Marriage Contract Game which can improve the skills of distressed couples and refocus their attention away from their children and toward their own marriages. Subjects were four distressed couples. Results showed that game play improved couple's problem-solving and positive feeling statements in home discussions of problems. (BH)

This paper explores the influence of marital disruption and family environment on three major events that mark the transition from adolescence to young adulthood for children between the ages of 16 and 25, these being leaving school, entering the labor market and obtaining permanent employment. This is a gender approach, given that the two sexes…

This study examines whether the financial and time pressures associated with spouses' working lives play a role in the relation between work and divorce during the first years of marriage. Using retrospective data from the Netherlands, the results show that divorce is more likely when the husband works on average fewer hours and the wife more…

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)

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.…

Evaluated effectiveness of marital therapy designed to enhance intimacy through self-disclosure of personal constructs. Couples in therapy (n=22) and controls (n=19) showed significant reduction in symptoms of nonpsychotic emotional illness. Couples in therapy subjectively reported improvement. Found significant pattern of improvement for wives in…

Studying the characteristics of attempted suicide is helpful in knowing the background of some completed suicides and improving prevention or intervention strategies. This current study analyzed data of 74 suicide attempters and 92 accident injured patients admitted to 6 hospital emergency rooms in an area of Northeastern China and found both…

Examined 112 distressed and nondistressed Israeli couples' presenting complaints about their relationship, their perceptions of each other's complaints, and perceptual accuracy between actual and perceived complaints, using the Areas of Change Questionnaire. Compared results with a previous study of American distressed and nondistressed couples.…

Studied predictor variables related to the outcome of spouse-aided therapy in 28 married patients with persisting psychiatric disorders. Results showed significant, sustained improvement in couples' ratings of personal and target problems after therapy. Poor response was linked to extrapunitiveness, denial, and adherence to an illness model of…

A nonrandom sample of 86 cases of Israeli separation and divorce cases was compared with a Canadian sample (N=369). Sex-role conflicts were more frequent in Israel, as were violence in separation and divorce. (Author)

Analyzed rules for public and private marital conflicts determined by married couples (N=32) after viewing their videotaped, simulated public and private conflicts. Analyzed rating of rules (how often followed, importance, applicability to different relationships/situations) by married people (N=194). Found five factors influencing rule selection:…

Used survey data from 619 husbands residing in Bangkok, Thailand, to assess their use of physical force against their wives. Results provide strong support for importance of socioeconomic status, marital instability, and verbal marital conflict as predictors of Thai wife abuse. (Author/NB)