A contextual analysis of the association between demand/withdraw and marital satisfaction

In spite of research connecting the demand/withdraw pattern of marital interaction to marital dissatisfaction, questions remain about its association with marital satisfaction when it is considered in the context of other interpersonal behaviors. We explore the possibility that the correlation between demand/withdraw and dissatisfaction merely reflects the ubiquitous finding that expressions of negative affect are associated with dissatisfaction. We also examine whether the association between demand/withdraw and satisfaction is less strong when spouses have a highly affectionate marriage. Based on the current investigation, the demand/withdraw pattern of communication appears to be empirically distinguishable from the extent to which partners express negativity in their everyday lives, and it seems to account for variation in marital satisfaction over and above partners’ affectionate behaviors and negativity. Moreover, the inverse association between demand/withdraw and marital satisfaction may be less strong when one partner frequently expresses affection in daily life. Together, these results imply potential advantages to further exploring the interdependence among behaviors within marital interaction systems.     

POSTPARTUM PARTNER SUPPORT, DEMAND-WITHDRAW COMMUNICATION, AND MATERNAL STRESS

The weeks following the birth of a child can be stressful for new mothers. Maternal stress may be increased when mothers are dissatisfied with instrumental partner support (e.g., division of childcare duties and family decision-making power). The purpose of the current study was to determine if there is an association between dissatisfaction with partner support and maternal stress in the postpartum period, and to examine whether that association is mediated by demand-withdraw communication between partners. Participants were 49 women who completed questionnaires about satisfaction with partner support, female demand/male withdraw communication in their relationship, and their own perceived stress approximately 8 weeks after giving birth. Findings support the hypothesis that demand-withdraw communication mediates the association between dissatisfaction with partner support and maternal stress. This finding suggests that fathers' withdrawal in the context of mothers' requests for discussion or change appears to be associated with increased levels of maternal stress.     

Linking financial distress to marital quality: The intermediary roles of demand/withdraw and spousal gratitude expressions

This study investigates demand/withdraw communication and spousal expressions of gratitude as intervening variables in the association between financial distress and marital quality. With a sample of 468 married individuals, dual‐mediation models revealed demand/withdraw transmitted the effect of financial distress onto 3 different marital outcomes; in most instances, this indirect effect occurred through total couple demand/withdraw and not one spouse‐specific pattern. In moderated mediation models, spousal gratitude exerted main effects on all marital outcomes and, for a subset of outcomes, protective effects for couples with high levels of demand/withdraw. Results elucidate how demand/withdraw patterns link financial distress to marital outcomes and highlight spousal gratitude expressions as a promising, yet understudied, process within couples that promotes and protects marital quality.     

澳门和东北地区夫妻沟通模式与婚姻满意度研究

采用问卷调查法对澳门（118对）和东北地区（266对）夫妻进行研究,以检验两地夫妻沟通模式的差异,及其对婚姻满意度的主客体效应。结果发现：澳门夫妻双方回避沟通显著少于东北夫妻;两地夫妻报告的妻子要求/丈夫回避行为多于丈夫要求/妻子回避行为;建设性沟通对两地夫妻婚姻满意度正向预测力最强;要求/回避沟通只对澳门夫妻的婚姻满意度有负向预测力。两地妻子的建设性沟通都能显著正向预测丈夫的婚姻满意度,而只有东北地区丈夫的建设性沟通能正向预测妻子婚姻满意度。     

Exploration of a Marital Typology: Implications for Marital Functioning in a Multi-Ethnic Sample

Marital conflict is associated with multiple negative outcomes for couples, including marital dissatisfaction and divorce. Little research, however, has examined conflict in Hispanic/Latino couples or its association with marital satisfaction, which creates an unfortunate knowledge gap for clinicians working with diverse client groups. The present study sought to examine both marital conflict and satisfaction using a sample of 231 European American (EA; n = 108) and Hispanic/Latino (H/L; n = 123) couples. Through observational coding, couples were placed into four groups based on their type of conflict management strategies: Harmonious, Withdrawn, Conflictual-Expressive, or Conflictual-Hostile. For both ethnic groups, couples in the Harmonious group were nondistressed and couples in the Conflictual-Hostile group were in the distressed range of marital satisfaction. Cross-ethnic differences emerged. EA couples experienced distress when both hostile (Conflictual-Hostile) and nonhostile conflict (Conflictual-Expressive) communication types were observed, while only hostile conflict was associated with distress for the H/L group. H/L couples reported similar levels of satisfaction in both the Harmonious and Conflictual-Expressive groups. H/L couples also fell within the distressed range when withdrawn communication patterns were observed; however, this was not the case for EA couples. These differences suggest that both types of conflict are associated with marital distress for EA couples, whereas hostile conflict and withdrawn behavior appear to be more negatively associated with marital satisfaction in H/L couples. Results provide support for the use of an observational coding system with H/L and EA couples and also suggest the importance of understanding how differences in expressions of conflict across ethnicities may relate to marital satisfaction.     

Marital Satisfaction and Child Adjustment: Direct and Mediated Pathways

We explored whether there is a direct association between marital satisfaction and children's psychological adjustment. We also investigated a competing model to assess whether marital satisfaction is indirectly related to child outcomes through its associations with parents' depression and involvement in childrearing. Analyses of data from 1,101 participants in the National Survey of Families and Households indicated that mothers' and fathers' reports of marital satisfaction were significantly associated with child symptomatology. Moreover, mothers who experienced marital dissatisfaction were less involved with their children, which in turn was associated with greater child psychological distress. This mediated pathway was not significant for fathers.     

Neuroticism and marital satisfaction: the mediating role played by the sexual relationship

Why is Neuroticism so harmful to marriage and other intimate relationships? Given that such relationships generally involve a sexual component, the current longitudinal study explored whether the apparent negative impact of own and partner's Neuroticism on marriage could be explained by dissatisfaction with the sexual relationship. Just after their weddings, 72 couples reported their marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and Neuroticism. One year later, they again reported their marital and sexual satisfaction. Own Neuroticism predicted lower levels of concurrent marital and sexual satisfaction among husbands and wives, declines in sexual satisfaction among husbands and wives, and declines in marital satisfaction among wives. Partner's Neuroticism predicted lower levels of concurrent marital satisfaction among husbands and wives, lower levels of concurrent sexual satisfaction among husbands, and declines in sexual satisfaction among husbands. Consistent with predictions, sexual satisfaction mediated every effect of own and partner Neuroticism on marital satisfaction. Results highlight the prominent role played by the sexual relationship in accounting for marital outcomes and thus suggest specific processes through which Neuroticism may affect the marriage.     

Examining changes in relationship adjustment and life satisfaction in marriage

The current study examined the association between relationship adjustment and life satisfaction before marriage to 6 years into marriage in a sample of 126 couples. Results showed that both premarital relationship adjustment and premarital life satisfaction uniquely predicted marital adjustment 6 years into marriage. Premarital life satisfaction, but not premarital relationship adjustment, predicted life satisfaction 6 years into marriage. While premarital relationship adjustment scores were not uniquely associated with future life satisfaction scores, changes in relationship adjustment were positively associated with future life satisfaction. These findings are supportive of the idea that helping people to improve their relationships may increase overall life satisfaction. The findings also suggest that, while an individual's base level of life satisfaction may set some parameters for the course of relationship adjustment, changes in life satisfaction over time impact marital adjustment. Starting marriage with higher life satisfaction may increase chances for a happier marriage. Overall, the findings suggest that life satisfaction plays a role in marital adjustment over time, and that it is important to consider life satisfaction as not only an outcome associated with relationship adjustment but also as a predictor of relationship adjustment.     

Body dissatisfaction in married women: the role of spousal influence and marital communication patterns

Family factors and the media have been established as determinants of body satisfaction, yet little research has looked at the contribution of spousal influence in body dissatisfaction. Marital quality and satisfaction can be a protective factor in the health of women, while high rates of criticism have been associated with poorer health outcomes. The present study investigated the relationship between perceptions of family and spousal factors and body dissatisfaction in married women. Additionally, the impact of marital communication was investigated. Seventy-seven married women completed self-report questionnaires assessing familial body-focused comments, spousal evaluation of a wife’s body, marital communication patterns, and body dissatisfaction. After controlling for weight status, women’s perceptions of familial body-focused comments and spousal evaluation emerged as significant predictors of body dissatisfaction. It was also found that more destructive communication patterns moderated the effect of perceived spousal evaluation on body dissatisfaction. This study provides some context for understanding the impact of specific influences on women’s body dissatisfaction.     

How does personality matter in marriage? An examination of trait anxiety, interpersonal negativity, and marital satisfaction

Although trait anxiety and its aliases (negative affectivity, neuroticism) have frequently been found to be associated with marital dissatisfaction, few efforts have been made to identify the processes through which trait anxiety exerts its influence. This study reports findings from a 13-year, 4-phase longitudinal study in which trait anxiety, measured when spouses were newlyweds, consistently predicted marital negativity which, in turn, was associated with partner's marital dissatisfaction. Some support was also found for effects of trait anxiety on partner's marital satisfaction, independent of marital negativity, as well as for the idea that trait anxiety is directly related to spouses' own marital satisfaction. Trait anxiety did not distinguish couples who divorced from those who remained married, and it generally did not predict declines in marital satisfaction. The disagreeable impact of trait anxiety on marriage was evident at the outset of marriage and was stable over time.     

Sexual Dissatisfaction in a Sample of Married Iranian Women

This article investigates the sexual relationships of dissatisfied couples from the viewpoint of the female spouse. There are two basic approaches toward sexual dissatisfaction: the first regards sexual dissatisfaction as the cause of marital dissatisfaction; the second asserts that marital dissatisfaction leads to sexual dissatisfaction. This study aims at an understanding of the causes and mechanisms of women’s sexual dissatisfaction and its relationship to marital dissatisfaction. The research was organized using the Grounded theory for a holistic and deep understanding of the phenomenon. Findings drawn from the interviews with 20 severely sexually dissatisfied women indicated a discrepancy between the attitudes of men and women toward sexual relationships. This difference builds a sense of sexual inequality amongst women. This is accompanied by an increased importance of sexual satisfaction compared to the past, or “sexualization” of marital relationships and the resulting sexual dissatisfaction within women. Our study suggests that marital dissatisfaction may precede and cause sexual dissatisfaction and that this link ultimately becomes reciprocal.     

教师期望对初中生心理特点的影响

本研究以31名初中教师及其所教的1438名初中生为被试,运用多层线性模型(HLM)从个体和班级两个层面探讨了教师期望对初中生的学业、同伴接纳和学校满意度等心理发展指标的影响。结果表明:个体层面,教师对学生的期望影响该生的学校满意度、同伴接纳和学业成绩;班级层面:教师对班级的平均期望影响班级的学校不满意感和同伴接纳水平,但不影响班级的学业成绩。     

A longitudinal study of “we-talk” as a predictor of marital satisfaction

We-talk, the use of first-person plural pronouns over the use of singular pronouns when describing relationship events, is regarded as a linguistic indicator of marital relationship functioning. A meta-analysis revealed that we-talk is positively associated with relationship satisfaction. However, this literature is based mostly on cross-sectional studies. This study tested the hypothesis that we-talk would be associated with greater marital satisfaction over time. The sample comprised 77 couples enrolled in a longitudinal study of parents of preschool-aged children. We-talk was assessed at baseline during a marital discussion task about parenting challenges. Couples completed a measure of marital satisfaction at baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-ups. An actor–partner interdependence model examined the effects of spouses' we-talk on their own marital satisfaction (actor effects), and their partners' marital satisfaction (partner effects). Results indicated a positive partner effect of we-talk at baseline, but not over time. Moreover, there was an actor effect of we-talk on changes in marital satisfaction over time, whereby low actor we-talk was associated with a reduction in marital satisfaction, but high actor we-talk was not associated with such a decrease. These findings suggest that greater cognitive interdependence, as indicated by we-talk, may protect from declines in marital satisfaction over time.     

Marital dissatisfaction and incidence of major depressive episode in a community sample

The association between marital dissatisfaction at baseline and 12-month incidence of major depressive episode (MDE) was examined in a community sample of married individuals from the New Haven Epidemiologic Catchment Area program (N = 904) who did not meet criteria for MDE at baseline. Results indicate that marital dissatisfaction was associated with increased incidence of MDE, with a significant risk ratio of 2.7 and an attributable risk of 29.5%. Thus, dissatisfied spouses were nearly 3 times more likely than nondissatisfied spouses to develop an MDE during the year, and nearly 30% of the new occurrences of MDE were associated with marital dissatisfaction. The association between marital dissatisfaction and risk of MDE (a) remained significant when controlling for demographics and depression history and (b) was not moderated by sex or by depression history. Findings suggest that marital dissatisfaction may be etiologically related to major depression.     

The Meta Marriage: Links Between Older Couples' Relationship Narratives and Marital Satisfaction

Drawing upon a relatively understudied population and a unique observational task, the current study sought to examine how older couples' interactional behaviors during a relationship narrative task were associated with marital satisfaction over time. Using observational data from a sample of 64 older, higher‐functioning married couples, we analyzed a series of Actor–Partner Independence Models (APIM) to explore how couples' interactional behaviors during a relationship narrative task were associated with spouses' marital satisfaction both concurrently and one year later. Analyses revealed that spouses' behaviors (e.g., expressions of positive affect, negative affect, communication skills, engagement) were associated with their self‐reported marital satisfaction both at the time of the narrative and with changes in marital satisfaction. We found particularly robust evidence for the role of husbands' negative affect during the narrative task in predicting changes in both spouses' marital satisfaction over time. Our results indicate that researchers and clinicians should carefully consider the influence of development on the associations between spouses' behaviors and marital satisfaction. Further, those seeking to improve marriages in later life may need to consider the meaningful role that gender appears to play in shaping the marital experiences of older couples.     

Pronouns in marital interaction

Recent studies in social psychology have found that the frequency of certain words in people's speech and writing is related to psychological aspects of their personal health. We investigated whether counts of "self" and "other" pronouns used by 59 couples engaged in a problem-solving discussion were related to indices of marital health. One spouse in each couple had a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder or panic disorder with agoraphobia; 50% of the patients and 40% of their spouses reported marital dissatisfaction. Regardless of patients' diagnostic status, spouses who used more second-person pronouns were more negative during interactions, whereas those who used more first-person plural pronouns produced more positive problem solutions, even when negative behavior was statistically controlled. Moreover, use of first-person singular pronouns was positively associated with marital satisfaction. These findings suggest that pronouns used by spouses during conflict-resolution discussions provide insight into the quality of their interactions and marriages.     

The tendency to forgive in dating and married couples: The role of attachment and relationship satisfaction

Given the positive benefits associated with interpersonal forgiveness, the current investigation examined the tendency to forgive in romantic relationships. Two studies tested the hypothesis that the tendency to forgive mediates the association between attachment models of self and other and relationship satisfaction in dating (n = 184) and marital relationships (n = 96). In addition, the extent to which the tendency to forgive predicts forgiveness of an actual transgression was examined among married couples. The tendency to forgive partially mediated the relation between model of other (relationship partner) and satisfaction for those in dating relationships and for husbands. For those in marital relationships, the tendency to forgive partially mediated the relation between model of self and satisfaction. In addition, for wives, endorsing a greater tendency to forgive was related to forgiveness of an actual transgression, regardless of the severity of that transgression. For husbands, endorsing a greater tendency to forgive was related to forgiveness of an actual transgression, but only for more severe transgressions. Results are discussed in terms of who is more likely to forgive and the role that the tendency to forgive plays in romantic relationships.     

Children,traditionalism in the division of family work,and marital satisfaction: “What's love got to do with it?”

This research examines several of the factors related to the frequently cited finding that the presence of children in the home is related to lower marital satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to test whether the number of children at home and the length of marriage predicted traditionalism in the division of family work, which, in turn, was differentially associated with erotic, ludic, friendship-based, and agapic love as well as marital satisfaction for 530 married men and women. For both men and women, the greater the number of children at home and the longer the marriage, the more traditional the division of family labor. Traditionalism predicted lower levels of erotic and friendship-based love for women, which ultimately were related to lower marital satisfaction. For men, however, traditionalism was associated with stronger erotic and friendship-based love, a phenomenon linked to higher marital satisfaction. These findings clarify the connection between the number of children at home and reduced marital satisfaction for the women in the sample and suggest that, for both men and women, it is how family work is divided, rather than the presence of children per se, that has meaning for the affective quality of the marriage.     

Longitudinal Test of Forgiveness and Perceived Forgiveness as Mediators between Religiosity and Marital Satisfaction in Long-Term Marital Relationships

Abstract

Substantial research has found relations between religiosity and martial satisfaction. More longitudinal studies are needed to understand the inner-workings of this relationship. Over a four-year period, dyadic data from 331 married couples was used to test the longitudinal mediating effects of spousal forgiveness and partners’ perceptions of spousal forgiveness between religiosity and marital satisfaction. Husbands’ religiosity was associated with increases in wives’ marital satisfaction but the measures of forgiveness were not significant mediators in this relationship. Wives’ religiosity was predictive of lower levels of wives’ perceptions of spousal forgiveness, which led to decreases in both wives’ and husbands’ marital satisfaction.     

依恋内部工作模型与老年人婚姻满意度的关系：基于夫妻成对数据的分析

依恋内部工作模型反映了个体在关系中对自我和他人的认知,虽然有很多研究证实了依恋风格与关系质量存在紧密关联,但自我和他人两个工作模型是否在预测关系质量上存在差异性尚未得到明确回答。本研究以老年群体为研究对象,直接考察自我模型与他人模型分别以怎样的方式预测婚姻满意度。研究使用问卷法对112对老年夫妻的内部工作模型、夫妻依恋取向、婚姻满意度等进行了测量,采用中介模型、交叉互倚模型以及方差分析分别从被试个体、夫妻主客体效应、以及夫妻匹配模式三个分析视角考察了依恋的两种内部工作模型与婚姻满意度的关联性。结果发现,相比他人模型,老年人自我模型与婚姻满意度的关联更为密切,且可以通过夫妻依恋双维度对其产生影响。但同时也发现,老年人依恋的内部工作模型与婚姻满意度的关联受到夫妻角色差异的影响：对于丈夫而言,自我模型与婚姻满意度的关联更为紧密,这可能与中国传统文化中的男性主导地位有关;而对于妻子而言,他人模型与婚姻满意度的关系更为紧密,这可能与女性在社会互动中更倾向于关系导向有关,也可能是传统文化中的“夫为妻纲”对老年女性的影响使然。