Using questionnaires administered to 566 unmarried students at the University of South Carolina, a comparison was made between reported premarital sexual behavior and projected extramarital sexual behavior. Individuals who were premaritally sexually active were found more likely to project that they would be extramaritally sexually involved.…

Presents a contract and rationale for use with couples who recognize that their marriage is on the edge of divorce. The couple can choose to live separately under controlled and structured conditions. The counselor plays an active part as mediator and facilitator. (Author)

Relates a follow-up study of newlywed couples nine months after marriage to determine the couple's appraisal of the most frequent causes of discord and unhappiness. (MH)

Twelve couples in marital counseling were studied during 12 months on the basis of their biorhythms. For each couple a compatibility percentage was obtained. It was found that difficulties in their interaction correlated highly with dissonance in their biorhythms. (Author)

Divorce rates in North America have increased sharply during the last century. Though this fact may best be understood as the result of many factors, one of them is the law. This paper provides a brief history of Canadian divorce laws and their relationship to divorce rates. (Author)

Presents a Marital Instability Index (MII) designed to detect the "peaks and valleys" of intact marriages and the relative severity of their instability. Discusses the development of the scale, its administration, reliability, and indicators of its validity. Concludes that the MII appears to have considerable utility for diagnostic and…

Presents flow chart of the process of psychotherapy with couples as way for practitioners to integrate various models of marital therapy into their treatment. Discusses sequentially basic steps and questions to be addressed; resolution of each stage is considered important for movement to following stages. Notes flow chart allows intervention…

Discusses coverage of relevant treatment areas for dual-career couples described in the literature. Includes a case example and analysis. Recommends an integrated multilevel approach because of the structural complexities and intricate psychological and interpersonal adaptations inherent in dual-career relationships. (ABL)

Mothers' perceptions of family stress and ways of coping with autistic (N=36) or mentally retarded (N=36) adolescents were compared. Mothers of the autistic perceived more family stress than did mothers of the mentally retarded. Marital adjustment did not differ. (Author/DB)

Describes a two-year treatment of a case of marital abuse. Used psychoanalytic and family systems theory to understand the processes contributing to the emergence of violence. Documents resistances to total change. (Author/ABB)

ASSIST is a self-help program for spouses whose partners are employed in stressful occupations. Describes ASSIST from a practitioner's viewpoint, discusses emergent issues among spouses, and suggests using ASSIST as a helping resource. (Author)

Presents typical reactions of adolescents to parental divorce. School based groups for adolescents of divorce can ameliorate the stress and act as a container for reactive impulsive behavior. Educators with a family studies/home economics background are ideally suited to lead such school-based groups. Techniques for establishing and developing…

Analyzes data on the marital stability of young parents from the 1972 National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. Reports that the birth of the first child strengthens the short-run stability of marriages: disruption rates of 5 to 8 percent were lower than estimated rates had the child not been born. (KH)

Describes structured marital separation, an intervention method designed to assist distressed marital couples during their critical period of decision making either to divorce or maintain the marriage. Presents a brief review of separation models and addresses separation counseling including: assessment, contracting, initial adjustment to…

Assessed separated women's (N=49) communication with their social network members--family, friends, clergy, attorneys, and therapists--pre- and postseparation. Results showed women seemed to communicate with therapists before they seriously considered separation and after making the decision but not during the decision-making process. (JAC)