Examination of the Validity of a Stages of Exercise Change Algorithm

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of a stages of exercise change questionnaire with self-reported exercise, age, and body mass index (BMI) in 1,034 male and female community residents. It was found that the maintenance stage participants reported more strenuous exercise than did individuals in the other stages; and participants in the action stage reported more strenuous exercise than did individuals in the preparation and contemplation stages. There were no significant group differences among participants in the preparation, contemplation, and precontemplation stages for strenuous and moderate exercise. The maintenance stage participants engaged in more moderate exercise than did the preparation, contemplation, and precontemplation individuals; and the action stage participants reported more moderate exercise than did individuals in the preparation and precontemplation stages. The participants in the maintenance stage were older than were those in the action stage. No significant stage differences were found for mild exercise or BMI. Knowing an individual's stage of exercise change may provide researchers and practitioners with a mechanism for developing, testing, and delivering stage-matched exercise interventions.     

A Review of Research-Based Interventions on Marriage Preparation

This review concentrates on three widely used marriage preparation inventories and a group of smaller, well-researched couple questionnaires used by an extensively researched marriage preparation program. The three inventories included are Facilitating Open Couples Communication Understanding and Study, Premarital Preparation and Relationship Enhancement, and Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire. The review describes the context in which the tools were developed, their similarities and differences and psychometric properties, and research regarding their relation to relationship outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the effect of using a pre-marriage inventory, alone or in conjunction with facilitated discussion and/or other marriage preparation activities, on long-term marital stability and satisfaction.     

Developing skills and credibility in marriage preparation ministry

Resources for the constitutent parts of marriage preparation ministry are reviewed. The difference between marriage preparation and premarriage counseling is delineated. Skills are suggested to increase the pastor's effectiveness and credibility.Dr. Rolfe was previously Program Coordinator, Marriage Preparation Programs, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He has led seminars for clergy of many denominations in Great Britain, Canada and the United States.     

Effects of parental divorce on marital commitment and confidence

Research on the intergenerational transmission of divorce has demonstrated that compared with offspring of nondivorced parents, those of divorced parents generally have more negative attitudes toward marriage as an institution and are less optimistic about the feasibility of a long-lasting, healthy marriage. It is also possible that when entering marriage themselves, adults whose parents divorced have less personal relationship commitment to their own marriages and less confidence in their own ability to maintain a happy marriage with their spouse. However, this prediction has not been tested. In the current study, we assessed relationship commitment and relationship confidence, as well as parental divorce and retrospectively reported interparental conflict, in a sample of 265 engaged couples prior to their first marriage. Results demonstrated that women's, but not men's, parental divorce was associated with lower relationship commitment and lower relationship confidence. These effects persisted when controlling for the influence of recalled interparental conflict and premarital relationship adjustment. The current findings suggest that women whose parents divorced are more likely to enter marriage with relatively lower commitment to, and confidence in, the future of those marriages, potentially raising their risk for divorce.     

Education and preparation for marriage: New approaches

The crisis in marriage suggests a need to move from a remedial to a preventive approach in dealing with marital failure. The profound change marriage is undergoing indicates a transition from a hierarchical, institutional form to the companionship form described by Burgess thirty years ago. The new style is difficult and requires special preparation. A shift from the knowledge-oriented approaches to marriage preparation characteristic of previous efforts is desirable. Primary attention should be given to personal and interpersonal dynamics and the facilitation of behavior change. Five procedures are described to facilitate the realization of this goal.     

Marriage preparation and marriage enrichment: The preventive approach

Premarital counseling and marriage enrichment are viewed as two areas of a life continuum prevention program. Premarital counseling is seen as the first step in preparation for marriage, to be followed six months to a year after marriage by a neomarital counseling experience. Content and process for the counseling are elaborated. Marriage enrichment groups are recommended at various points during the life of a marriage. Three models for enrichment are presented. Prevention programs are viewed as vital experiences for personal and relationship maintenance and growth.He is also a member of the faculty of Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo, Ontario.     

Relationship (in)congruency may differently impact mental health

BackgroundBeing involved in romantic relationships has historically been related to better mental health compared to being single. However, research exploring heterogeneity within these status groups is still understudied. Our study examined the role of (in)congruency between relationship desire, dismissal, satisfaction with relationship status, and current relationship status on the mental health measured in terms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and romantic loneliness.MethodThe online questionnaire survey included 790 participants aged 18 – 40 (M = 26.51, SD = 5.60) at baseline and 421 at a 1-month follow-up. Participants represented five relationship statuses (single, casual dating, LAT relationships, cohabitation, and engagement/marriage).ResultsOur results suggest that greater relationship desire and dismissal at baseline were associated with higher anxiety and depression in casual daters one month later, while greater relationship desire was linked to lower anxiety for individuals in living apart together relationships (LATs). Higher relationship dismissal in casual daters and engaged/married individuals was associated with lower insomnia. Higher satisfaction with relationship status was associated with lower depression in single individuals and lower romantic loneliness in cohabitors and engaged/married individuals.ConclusionsThis study highlights that relationship (in)congruency may operate differently across various relationship status subgroups on mental health outcomes.     

Same-Sex Marriage: A Dilemma for Parish Clergy

Same-sex marriage within churches is an ongoing, highly contentious, and contested topic. A rich literature depicts dichotomised views, reflecting those of academics at denominational level, and addresses theological substance or denominational policies. Significantly less is known about the perspectives held on the issue by individual clergy at parishioner level. This paper provides a background on the subject of Christian clergy who support same-sex marriage. A review of the literature in this area reveals few sociological studies pertaining to clergy who are supportive of gay rights. No known studies in the combined sociological and psychology scholarship have yet exclusively examined clergy’s perspectives on same-sex marriage. While previous study offers some understanding on religious attitudes toward gay individuals, it should not be assumed that attitudes of religious individuals toward same-sex marriage necessarily follow the same pattern. For many religious people it is more problematic to accept same-sex marriage than same-sex partnerships, as this challenges the definition of the institution of marriage. This paper presents a literature review which identifies a gap in knowledge regarding perspectives of clergy who support same-sex marriage. These perspectives are important to understand, as clergy hold influential positions as opinion leaders impacting both at individual and social level, and influence discourses within religion and beyond.     

Marriage Matters But How Much? Marital Centrality Among Young Adults

Marriage, once a gateway to adulthood, is no longer as widely considered a requirement for achieving adult status. With declining marriage rates and delayed marital transitions, some have wondered whether current young adults have rejected the traditional notion of marriage. Utilizing a sample of 571 young adults, the present study explored how marital centrality (the expected importance to be placed on the marital role relative to other adult roles) functioned as a unique and previously unexplored marital belief among young adults. Results suggested that marriage remains an important role for many young adults. On average, young adults expected that marriage would be more important to their life than parenting, careers, or leisure activities. Marital centrality profiles were found to significantly differ based on both gender and religiosity. Marital centrality was also associated with various outcomes including binge-drinking and sexual activity. Specifically, the more central marriage was expected to be, the less young adults engaged in risk-taking or sexual behaviors.     

Attitudes toward marriage: Embeddedness and outcomes in personal relationships

This study examines marriage attitudes, attitude embeddedness, personal relationship outcomes, and parental marital status and conflict using 400 undergraduate students. In a conceptual replication of Prislin and Ouellette (1996) , more embedded marriage attitudes are more predictive of evaluations of general marriage issues and relationship scenarios than less embedded attitudes. Consistent with findings that marriage attitudes influence relationship quality ( Amato & Rogers, 1999 ), more embedded attitudes predict relationship conflict, commitment, desirability of alternatives, and expectations of relationship success. Recollections of high parental conflict are associated with greater relationship conflict, and individuals with divorced parents report more negative marriage attitudes. Future research on relationship attitudes, their strength, and consequences of parental divorce and conflict for offspring marriage attitudes is discussed.     

Premarital affect as a predictor of postnuptial marital satisfaction

Although well established with newlywed couples, studies examining the association between affective communication during conflict and later relationship satisfaction yield inconsistent results with premarital samples. The current study reexamined this association with a different method of coding affect observed during discussions of separate male‐ and female‐selected problem topics and contemporary methods for modeling dyadic data. The sample included 32 engaged couples assessed across the transition to marriage. Premarital affect correlated with concurrent and postnuptial relationship satisfaction. Men's and women's premarital affect also predicted changes in women's relationship satisfaction across the transition to marriage when controlling for cohabitation, length of the assessment interval, and age. Implications are discussed in the context of prominent developmental models of marriage and current premarital interventions.     

Using REBT in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Couples Counseling in the United States

This article addresses how marriage functions within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Case studies of couples within these three religions are used to demonstrate how rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) can help address marital issues within couples counseling of religious individuals in a manner that supports the couples’ religious values but decreases disturbance associated with religious issues within marriage.     

What God has Joined Together: Family Formation and Religion among Young Adults

This study considers how family transitions influence future religiosity among young adults and demonstrates that both marriage and parenthood can serve to reinforce religious commitment among those who are religiously engaged. Drawing on data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, we look at religious change between Wave 3 (18–24 years old) and Wave 4 (23–28 years old) and how this varies across six family statuses: Married with Children, Married without Children, Cohabiting with Children, Cohabiting without Children, Single with Children and Single without Children. We find greater future religious engagement among married individuals compared to those who are single or cohabiting, regardless of the presence of children. Among single and cohabiting parents, however, the presence of children is associated with greater religious salience, though not with attendance at religious services. The findings demonstrate a continued link between the institutions of family and religion at a time when ties to both institutions are loosening.     

Mate Selection,Meaning of Marriage and Positive Cognitive Constructs on Younger and Older Married Individuals

The purpose of this research was to examine the role of mate selection, meaning of marriage, meaning of life, quality of life, hope and perceived social support in being married, based on age, gender, ethnicity and educational status. The sample consisted of 632 Iranian individuals who were young or older married individuals. The participants were selected through a purposive sampling method. A demographic questionnaire and six inventories were used. Resulting data demonstrated that individuals who were young had a significantly greater overall scores than individuals who were older married in the areas of mate selection criteria, meaning of marriage, meaning of life, quality of life, hope and social support. Findings did not indicate an influence of gender on these constructs. Significant effects were found with regards to ethnicity and educational level in the meaning of marriage and hope respectively.     

Neuroticism, marital violence, and the moderating role of stress and behavioral skills

Do high levels of neuroticism predict intimate partner violence (IPV)? Although neuroticism may predispose partners to increased risks of IPV perpetration, the extent to which it predicts such perpetration is likely to depend on the broader context of the relationship. Consistent with this prediction, the current longitudinal study of 169 community couples revealed that the effects of neuroticism on IPV perpetration over the first 4 years of marriage were moderated by observations of problem-solving behavior and objective ratings of chronic stress. Specifically, although husbands and wives who scored higher on a measure of neuroticism at the outset of marriage engaged in more IPV throughout the marriage on average, those who possessed more effective problem-solving skills or experienced lower levels of stress were significantly less likely to engage in IPV. Results highlight the importance of considering the broader relationship context when examining predictors of specific interpersonal processes.     

Premarital precursors of marital infidelity

Premarital precursors of infidelity were evaluated in a sample of 72 couples (N = 144) who were taking part in a longitudinal study of marriage. Premarital self-report and observational data were compared for couples who experienced infidelity and those who did not experience infidelity in the first years of marriage. Couples in which the male engaged in marital infidelity were characterized, premaritally, by significantly lower male sexual satisfaction, lower male positive communication, and higher female invalidation, whereas couples in which the female went on to engage in infidelity were characterized, premaritally, by significantly lower levels of female positive communication, higher levels of male and female negative communication, and higher levels of male and female invalidation. Implications of the findings for future research on the prediction and prevention of infidelity are discussed.     

Long-Term Psychological Health Among Individuals Pursuing Emerging Adulthood-Type Pathways in the 1950s and 1960s

We analyzed data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (N?=?6390) to investigate how common an emerging adulthood-type lifestyle (e.g., delayed marriage and childbearing, pursuit of higher education) was in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and what the long-term psychological-health correlates were of such a lifestyle. Cluster analyses of marital, childbearing, educational, and occupational variables from 1957 (high school graduation) to 1964 generated six clusters that we labeled: fast-starters (early marriage and childbearing, little education beyond high school, virtually all employed), very-educated/partnered (mean educational attainment well into graduate school and among the earliest to get married), moderately educated/family-oriented (mean years of education somewhat shy of a bachelor’s degree, early marriage and childbearing), educated singles (late marriage and childbearing, if at all, averaging a bachelor’s degree; most prototypical of emerging adulthood), work/military-first (little education past high school, late marriage and childbearing), and military/professional-aspiration (envisioning career requiring college education and pursuing one). The clusters were then compared on health and well-being measures from 1992 to 1993 and 2003 to 2005, controlling for family-of-origin socioeconomic status. In general, individuals whose life pursuits combined higher education, professional career aspirations, and marriage exhibited the best long-term psychological health. Results are discussed in terms of historical conditions when these individuals transitioned to adulthood.