Predicting marital satisfaction from behavior: Do all roads really lead to Rome?

The concurrent and longitudinal associations between spousal communication and marital satisfaction were investigated using two systems of observation (rating and coding) and two statistical methods. A coding system and a rating system were used to assess the amount of positive, negative, and avoidant behavior exhibited by 30 couples engaged in a 15-minute discussion about a marital problem. Change scores as well as regression methods were used to calculate correlations between communication behaviors and one-year change in Marital Adjustment Test (MAT) scores. Positive behavior by both spouses predicted an increase in wives' satisfaction, and negative behavior by both spouses predicted a decrease in wives' satisfaction. None of the variables consistently predicted changes in husbands' satisfaction. The two systems of observation and the two methods of analysis produced similar though not identical results. The article discusses the constructs of negative and avoidant behavior, reviews limitations of standard marital research methods, and offers theoretical and methodological recommendations for future research.     

JOB SAMPLE VS. PAPER-AND-PENCIL TRADES AND TECHNICAL TESTS: ADVERSE IMPACT AND EXAMINEE ATTITUDES1

The adverse impact of a content-valid job sample test of metal trades skills was compared to that of a well-constructed content-valid written achievement test for the same technical area. The adverse impact of the former was considerably less. In addition, both minority and majority examinees saw the job sample tests as significantly fairer, clearer, and more appropriate in difficulty level. These differences were not only statistically significant but also quite large. These were no significant differences between minority and majority attitudes toward either test. In light of these results, it is suggested that industrial psychologists should explore more fully the potential of performance testing.     

A QUANTIFIED APPROACH TO MEASUREMENT OF JOB CONTENT: PROCEDURES AND PAYOFFS1

Procedures used for developing a quantified job analysis system for 1710 exempt employees in a power utility firm are described. Factor analysis of these data yielded 60 job dimensions which were used to describe position and job profiles. These job profiles then served as the basic input into the development of job clusters, defined as jobs at the same organizational level which have similar job content. The usefulness of information in this format for selection, promotion, transfer, compensation and training decisions is discussed.     

Treating the Doll's House Marriage

The Doll's House, a common pitfall for family therapists, is an extremely unequal relationship in which one spouse's incompetence is required or encouraged by the other. This pattern of marriage is common in a sick population and is chosen by people with clear individual pathology. It may be stable and satisfying, but it is crisis prone. Doll's Houses are likely to be disrupted by the arrival of children, financial reverses, and, most important, the intrusion of another person upon whom the Doll is dependent and who sets out to equalize the marital relationship. A well-intentioned therapist with an intolerance for pathology can destroy the marriage. Therapy seems more successful when the therapist respects the basically unequal framework the couple has chosen and works toward greater understanding and respect for unique individual needs within that framework.     

Uncertainties about the new Strong Interest Blanks

Many SVIB materials were published in 1969, and the new men's and women's revisions are now largely complete. Because these inventories are such fundamental instruments for vocational counseling, the revisions merit careful examination at this point. Consideration is given to necessary technical information, the Basic Interest Scales, new occupational scale reference groups, scale development and validation, an illustrative scale, and other factors. Because the SVIB's are more complex than ever, and involve uncertainties yet to be resolved, they need to be approached with caution.     

Children's Social Skills: Assessment and Classification Practices

After defining social skills, the authors review recent advances in the assessment and classification of children's social skills. Social skills have been demonstrated to be critical prerequisites to academic and interpersonal success. Therefore, knowledge of recent advances in the evaluation of social skills is essential to the functioning of counselors in schools.     

An A-B-C-D-E Worksheet for Promoting Beneficence When Considering Ethical Issues

An A-B-C-D-E worksheet has been prepared to promote beneficence when considering ethical issues. The components of the worksheet are derived from ethical principles and ethical decision-making models. The worksheet makes abstract concepts of decision-making models concrete and practical. In addition, it provides a shorthand for remembering key elements necessary to good ethical decision making. It is systematic and useful and can aid students of ethics and mental health professionals to think more critically about ethical dilemmas.