Assessment of perceptual discrepancy: utility of the Primary Communication Inventory

The Primary Communication Inventory was factor-analyzed in order to validate the subscales of this instrument. These subscales were derived by Navran (20) on the basis of face validity and were labeled verbal and nonverbal communication subscales. The analysis yielded two factors. However, they could not be labeled verbal and nonverbal. Instead, the factors were interpreted as: (a) the individual's perceptions of own communication ability, and (b) the spouse's perceptions of the individual's communication ability. The scoring of the Primary Communication Inventory was revised and used as a measure of perceptual discrepancy between husbands and wives. Interestingly, discrepancy within the marital dyad was greater for the nondistressed participants than for the distressed participants. The results illustrate the potentially adaptive nature of positive perceptual distortion within the marital dyad and the potential utility for future research of calculating perceptual discrepancy scores for each spouse using the Primary Communication Inventory.     

MARITAL SATISFACTION AND DEPRESSION:

Abstract— A sample of 150 recently married couples provided data egarding marital satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Approximately 18 months later, 116 of these couples provided complete information on marital satisfaction and depression once again. The data were examined using three sets of causal models, which yielded converging results. For men, causal paths emerged from depression to marital satisfaction, whereas for women causal paths were from satisfaction to depression. The results are discussed in relation to the marital discord model of depression.     

Forgiveness in Marriage: Implications for Psychological Aggression and Constructive Communication

Two studies examined whether forgiveness in married couples predicted partner reports of psychological aggression and constructive communication. Study 1 found that forgiveness of hypothetical acts of psychological aggression predicted partner reports of psychological aggression. Study 2 examined actual transgressions and found two underlying dimensions of forgiveness (positive and negative). The negative dimension predicted partner reports of psychological aggression, and, for husbands, the positive dimension predicted partner reports of constructive communication. All findings were independent of both spouses’ marital satisfaction. The implications for understanding marital interaction and future research on forgiveness are discussed.     

Skills Training for Spouses of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: Outcomes of an Intervention Study

The effects of a 12-week intervention on a patient-focused skills training group and a caregiver-focused skills training group were compared with those on a control group that received comparable attention, but no training. Intervention effects were monitored at the completion of the treatment phase and at 3- and 6-months postintervention. Treatment implementation was documented in a comprehensive fashion to ensure replicability. Both training groups acquired skills that enabled them to improve targeted behaviors (patient problem behaviors and caregiver mood, respectively). Weaker effects were found for more distal outcomes, such as depression, perceived stress, caregiver strain, and self-efficacy.     

Change in caregiver depression as a function of the Strong African American Families Program.

A randomized prevention trial contrasted families who participated in the Strong African American Families Program (SAAF), a preventive intervention for rural African American parents and their 11-year-olds, with control families. This article focuses on the program's effect on primary caregivers' depressive symptoms. Among the 167 caregivers with elevated scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, SAAF participation was associated with reduced depressive symptoms, enhanced parenting, and perceived improvements in youth behavior. Change in parenting (consistent discipline, youth monitoring, and open communication) but not change in youth intrapersonal competencies significantly mediated intervention effects on caregivers' depression. Results support the link between reduced depressive symptoms and stronger family relationships, particularly the importance of enhanced parenting efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms.     

Testing the Compatibility Test: How Instructions, Accountability, and Anticipated Regret Affect Prechoice Screening of Options

Subjects screened a set of jobs, retaining those for which they wished to apply and rejecting those that were no longer under consideration. In Experiment 1, subjects who indicated the jobs for which they would apply/not apply screened out fewer jobs than those with instructions to reject/not reject or those with instructions simply to screen (control). There were no differences between the reject and control conditions. Experiment 2 used a design similar to that of Experiment 1, but subjects were made accountable for their screening judgments. The reject-apply discrepancy remained, but the accountability manipulation made the subjects more stringent in their screening compared to those who were not accountable for their judgments. In Experiment 3, subjects were told to consider either the regret resulting from retaining a bad option (regret bad) or the regret from rejecting a good option (regret good). Subjects in the regret bad condition rejected more jobs than did subjects in the regret good condition, but not more than subjects in the control condition. As predicted by image theory, the normal screening process appears to be to screen out the bad options rather than screen in the good options. This is demonstrated by screening in the control condition being similar to screening under the reject instructions (Experiment 1) and under regret bad instructions (Experiment 3), since these conditions were shown to focus attention on the bad options. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Self-Reported Depression Is Taxonic

Using the Sample-specific simulation method proposed by J. Ruscio, A. M. Ruscio, and T. M. Keane (2004), the S. R. H. Beach and N. Amir (2003) data are re-analyzed. The results for the MAXEIG and MAMBAC procedures are compared across simulated dimensional, simulated taxonic, and original distributions. The comparison indicates that depression is taxonic in the S. R. H. Beach and N. Amir (2003) sample but has a lower base (.06) than previously reported. This result indicates the need to use a relatively high cut point on total Beck Depression Inventory (i.e., BDI>21; A. T. Beck, 1978) when creating groups using the BDI. That is, the data support the presence of a discontinuity between “depressed” and “nondepressed” undergraduates at a relatively high level of depressive symptomatology. At the same time, it is noted that researchers should remain cautious about the interpretation of taxometric procedures used with low base rate taxa until they have been further investigated using Monte Carlo simulations.

Older spouses' perceptions of partners' chronic arthritis pain: implications for spousal responses, support provision, and caregiving experiences

This study of older patients with osteoarthritis and their spouses examined concordance between patients' and spouses' reports of patients' pain severity and the association of concordance with support and caregiving outcomes. Patients and spouses independently viewed videotapes of the patient performing simulated household tasks and provided ratings of patients' pain. Spousal overestimation of patients' pain was the most common type of nonconcordance. Spouses who were accurate in their perceptions of their partner's level of pain during a log-carrying task responded less negatively and provided emotional support that was more satisfying to patients. In addition, spouses who were accurate in their perceptions of their partner's pain during the log-carrying task reported less stress from providing support and assistance. Future research that uses such observational methods may be highly useful for understanding the effects of chronic illness on older couples.     

Does Spousal Support Moderate the Association Between Perceived Racial Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms among African American Couples?

Social stress theory proposes that stress resulting from one's social position in society leads to fewer coping resources, and subsequently causes an increase in mental health problems. Guided by this framework, we investigated whether the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms was moderated by spousal social support in a sample of 487 African American heterosexual couples. Using the actor‐partner interdependence model, findings suggested that female partner's perceived racial discrimination was predictive of her depressive symptomology irrespective of spousal support and male partner's perceived racial discrimination was predictive of depressive symptomology only among men with low levels of spousal support. No partner effects were present. The results demonstrate the need to examine variability in social stress and mental health outcomes for those in close relationships.