The literature concerning marital adjustment among couples with a physical disability present in the marriage is reviewed. The stress induced by the physical handicap and the variables associated with such marital stress are explored. Role flexibility was found to be of major importance, although the outcomes were different for men and women.…

Statements representing specific communication skills were derived from a review of the literature. Instruments were completed by 111 married couples. Scores on the Marital Adjustment Test were used to identify criterion groups as most satisfied and least satisfied. Findings suggest skills identified may be effective for marriage counselors.…

Although the counselor has a crucial role to play in helping the battered woman make decisions and gain some control over her life, large-scale community change is necessary to alter the abused wife's situation. (Author)

This study was designed to analyze the extent to which different observers coded examples of communication positiveness in couple interactions. Husband's communication positiveness, wife's communication positiveness, and relationship adjustment were the multiple targets of observation. The data were collected from 27 couples who sought marital…

Reports the situational and psychological reasons why parents have just one child. The situational reasons include biological factors and marital stability. Psychological reasons concern factors in the decision-making process that lead individuals to have an only child. (Author/MA)

A recently developed theory of marital dissolution that utilizes a systems perspective is briefly presented. The theory was derived from almost 1,300 propositions in extant literature, and is readily understandable to layman, practitioner, and academician. Implications contained within the theory for those concerned with saving floundering marital…

The efficacy of training as a mode of treatment has been tried in many settings with a variety of populations. This study utilizes assertive training as a mode of treatment. Results indicate assertive training as having both positive and negative effects as perceived by trainees and their spouses. (Author)

It was hypothesized that unhappily married couples would show a deficit in problem solving by indicating significantly more unresolved problems and would indicate less involvement with one another in both elective free-time activities and shared sexuality. All hypotheses were confirmed. (Author)

Compared couples with alcoholic husbands and maritally conflicted and nonconflicted couples without alcohol problems. The alcoholic and maritally conflicted couples showed greater relationship distress than nonconflicted couples of measures of marital stability, change desired, and positive communication behaviors. Alcoholic husbands reported less…

The first of two parts of a bibliography on battered wives from the literature of the past 10 years, this bibliography lists books, dissertations, ERIC documents, and federal and state documents. The second part appears in the next issue of "Catholic Library World." (CLB)

Examines problem of marital quality not being defined or readily distinguishable from other relevant constructs such as communication. Explores implications of treating marital quality as the global evaluation of one's marriage, for the association between empirical and conceptual dependence, the interpretation of responses to self-report…

Religious commitment is found to differentiate levels of both communication and physical violence for both wives and husbands in Quaker families. High levels of peace activism are associated with low levels of marital violence for wives but with high levels for husbands, which suggests that commitment to Quaker principles is confounded with…

Parents of a premature infant with possible developmental problems were having marital difficulties stemming from different attitudes and approaches towards the professionals treating their child. (CL)

Generated and assessed an empirical taxonomy of symptom profiles or types among 335 divorcing adults. Cluster analysis yielded a provisional classification of respondents into nine types. Results indicated three types were relatively well off despite the potentially stressful conditions inherent in divorce. The Overwhelmed and the Somatic…

Examined cognitive personality and sociodemographic factors associated with thoughts of separation. When spouses' marital satisfaction was controlled, four groups were identified as "unhappy stable,""unhappy unstable,""happy stable," and "happy unstable." The first three groups were examined further, and the…