Related individual experiences of shame, inferiority, alienation, self-esteem, and gender to perceptions of equity, intimacy, and competency in marital relations. Found no significant gender-based differences in shame intensity. Findings suggest that shame is a different experience from low self-esteem and is influential in perceptions of marital…

Examines the use of the couple relationship to address the effects of childhood sexual abuse of one or both of the partners, discusses the issues facing couples, and presents therapeutic guidelines for working with such couples. Reviews related work in the field and methods for treating couples facing other traumas. Reviews available resources.…

Describes a self-report scale measuring levels of disaffection toward one's spouse. A questionnaire containing the Marital Disaffection Scale (MDS) and other disaffection measures of marital happiness was administered to 76 spouses. Results indicated good criterion-related validity, discriminant validity, and interitem reliability. Findings…

Emotion work refers to efforts made to enhance emotional well being and provide emotional support in a relationship. Data were collected from 63 couples seeking therapy to determine the relation between emotion work balance and relationship satisfaction. Results indicate both men and women are most satisfied with their relationship when levels of…

This paper summarizes the research on the factors influencing marital satisfaction, selected research on locus of control, research on the measurement of locus of control, and the recent research on locus of control and marital satisfaction. It analyzes this research from the standpoint of criticisms of the research on locus of control and makes…

A child with a serious disability can have an extensive emotional impact on the family. A case study of the parents of a disabled child describes the demands imposed on them by therapeutic programs and the use of counseling to focus on their marriage and their problem-solving styles. (JDD)

The study of causal attributions at the interpersonal level has been an integral part of attribution research. Unfortunately most attribution research has involved persons unfamiliar with each other. The marital relationship is an example of the need for understanding causal attributions among intimates. A striking feature of marital interaction…

American family life is being transformed by the trend toward two paycheck families, yet most people have not been socialized to live in this way, and social institutions have been slow to accommodate the needs of two paycheck families. Accordingly, this paper presents a package of therapeutic techniques designed to help members of two paycheck…

Describes approach to marriage counseling based on cognitive behavioral therapy and structural and strategic marital therapies aimed at Christian couples. Uses shared Christian values between counselor and clients to promote increased marital commitment, marital satisfaction, and personal spiritual growth. Maintains marital satisfaction might be…

Seventeen depressed, married women were assigned to marital therapy or a waiting list control group. Couples received 10 sessions of Enhancing Marital Intimacy Therapy (EMIT), a structured technique involving the self-disclosure of personal constructs. Comparisons revealed a significant reduction in the experimental group's depressive…

Marriage mentorship is one of the most effective methods through which a couple can enrich their marriage. A good mentorship relationship is based on feelings of warmth and affinity between mentors and mentees. When a relationship of trust is established, the mentees feel more freedom to express their deeper feelings and to explore new paths of…

Examined marital and child factors in predicting divorce potential and divorce occurrence. Participants included 140 adolescents and their parents. For both parents, lower levels of marital satisfaction predicted higher levels of divorce potential. In turn, divorce potential predicted greater likelihood for divorce up to seven years later. No…

A family experiences difficulty dealing with a 20-year-old daughter who establishes a pattern of criticizing her parents' lifestyle, their relationship with each other, and their relationship with their 15-year-old learning-disabled son. (JDD)

Examined whether spouses' attributions for partner behavior are related to their behavior by assessing their attributions and observing the problem-solving discussions of cohabitating couples (n=52) in which neither spouse was depressed or distressed, the wife was depressed and both spouses were distressed, and the wife was not depressed and both…

At mid-life, almost every marriage undergoes a crisis, but most people are looking for a way to get through this crisis, and not for a way out of the marriage. This monograph examines the basic issues surrounding mid-life divorce. Several different perspectives are represented in this collection of articles as various clinicians discuss the…