Commitment

SUMMARY

This article addresses the issue of commitment and its importance in developing and sustaining an enriching relationship. The author describes commitment, its dynamics, and its implications for treating couples in conflict. The author also describes the conditions in which the issue of commitment is addressed in therapy and treatment interventions that can be used to help couples resolve their differences.     

《战国策·齐策》蕴涵的东夷文化

由战国时期各国史官或策士辑录而成的《战国策》,折射出各国传统文化的特征并显现出一定的地域文化特色。《齐策》中体现的地域文化也鲜明地异于它策,然而这种有其深厚的文化渊源的地域文化蕴含着多种文化元素。齐国乃东夷族世代居住之地,在意识形态领域保留了东夷文化的基础,东夷文化是它的源头。在《齐策》中东夷文化主要体现为：尚武的风习;古老的婚恋习俗以及占卜的遗风等。     

Stress,achievement, marriage and social support: Effects on the psychological well-being of physicians entering midlife/mid-career

Abstract

The major aim of this study was to examine the relative contribution of stress, professional achievement, personality, quality of marriage and family life, social support satisfaction, work satisfaction, average hours worked and family responsibilities to the psychological well-being (life satisfaction and psychological symptoms) of medical practitioners entering mid-life/mid-career. Fifty-nine female and 57 male physicians completed interviews, questionnaires, and daily stress records. The results confirm the central role that stress plays in the well-being of physicians. Pearson correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions showed other major variables examined did not explain additional variance in psychological symptoms, but did in some instances (professional achievement, quality of marriage, social support satisfaction for work issues) contribute to life satisfaction. A path model indicating a direct and independent effect of professional achievement on life satisfaction and a specific causal sequence of stress, quality of marriage and social support satisfaction for work issues is suggested.     

Associations Between Participant Ratings of PREP for Strong Bonds and Marital Outcomes 1 Year Postintervention

After completing a relationship education program, collecting participant evaluations of the program is common practice. These are generally used as an index of “consumer satisfaction” with the program, with implications for feasibility and quality. Rarely have these ratings been used as predictors of changes in marital quality, although such feedback may be the only data providers collect or have immediate access to when considering the success of their efforts. To better understand the utility of such ratings to predict outcomes, we evaluated links between participant ratings and changes in self-reported marital satisfaction and communication scores 1 year later for a sample of 191 Army couples who had participated in a relationship education program delivered by Army chaplains (PREP for Strong Bonds). Overall ratings of general satisfaction with the program and the leader did not predict changes in marital outcomes 1 year later, whereas higher ratings of how much was learned, program helpfulness, increased similarity in outlook regarding Army life, and helpfulness of communication skills training predicted greater change in communication skills 1 year later. Higher ratings of items reflecting intent to invest more time in the relationship, and increased confidence in constructive communication and working as a team with the spouse predicted greater increases in both marital satisfaction and communication skills 1 year later. The constructs of intention and confidence (akin to perceived behavioral control) suggest that the Theory of Planned Behavior may be particularly useful when considering which Army couples will show ongoing benefit after relationship education.     

Moderating Effect of Marital Status on the Association Between Combat Exposure and Post-Deployment Mental Health in Canadian Military Personnel

For military personnel, there are positive and negative aspects of marriage, which may contribute to mental health during times of high stress. The present study investigated the relationship of marital status with three mental health outcomes (general mental health, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression) among 14,624 Canadian military personnel recently deployed in support of the mission in Afghanistan. Greater combat exposure was associated with poorer postdeployment mental health, but marital status was, on its own, only slightly associated with PTSD. Marital status significantly moderated the relationship between combat exposure and mental health: For both single and married participants, mental health declined as combat exposure increased, but this association was stronger for married members. This association could be due to the additional familial demands that married personnel may face upon their return from deployment or to the stresses associated with poor marital satisfaction. Overall, results suggest that the relationship between marital status and mental health after deployment is complex and may vary according to other factors.     

Facilitating forgiveness in the treatment of infidelity: an interpersonal model

This article presents a unique clinical model of forgiveness developed specifically for use in the treatment of infidelity. The model focuses on forgiveness as a central component of the process of healing for couples who desire relationship reconciliation following an affair. Infidelity causes significant damage for couples and results in a loss of trust and relationship stability. However, couples can become reunified and trust may be restored as couples work through the process of forgiveness. Forgiveness is facilitated as therapists and clients focus on four unifying factors: empathy, humility, commitment and apology. Specific steps are outlined for therapists to help them guide clients through the process of forgiveness. The clinical application of the model is illustrated with a brief case example.     

Relationship aggression,violence and self‐regulation in Australian newlywed couples

Research in the United States shows that relationship violence occurs in a substantial minority of newlywed couples, and is associated with a range of risk factors such as family‐of‐origin violence. Few of the associated risk factors, however, are potentially modifiable through early intervention to prevent violence. In the current study self‐reported aggression and violence were assessed in 379 Australian newlywed couples. Consistent with US‐based research, >20% of newlywed Australian couples reported at least one incident of relationship violence in the past year. A range of correlates of relationship violence and aggression was assessed, including the construct of relationship self‐regulation, which is the extent that partners report being able to enhance their relationship with their partner. Low relationship self‐regulation was correlated with relationship aggression and violence. It was concluded that the aggression and violence are common problems in Australian newlywed couples, and that enhancing relationship self‐regulation might help reduce the prevalence of aggression.     

Relational aggression in marriage

Drawing from developmental theories of relational aggression, this article reports on a study designed to identify if spouses use relationally aggressive tactics when dealing with conflict in their marriage and the association of these behaviors with marital outcomes. Using a sample of 336 married couples (672 spouses), results revealed that the majority of couples reported that relationally aggressive behaviors, such as social sabotage and love withdrawal, were a part of their marital dynamics, at least to some degree. Gender comparisons of partner reports of their spouse's behavior revealed that wives were significantly more likely to be relationally aggressive than husbands. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that relational aggression is associated with lower levels of marital quality and greater marital instability for both husbands and wives. Implications are drawn for the use of relational aggression theory in the future study of couple conflict and marital aggression Aggr. Behav. 36:315–329, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

基于心理控制源视角的女公务员婚姻质量研究

目的:研究女公务员心理控制源和婚姻质量的关系。方法:采用《Olson婚姻质量问卷》和《控制圈量表》对551名女公务员进行调查。结果:不同职级的女公务员心理控制源差异显著,其婚姻质量差异不显著;不同年龄的女公务员心理控制源和婚姻质量差异不显著;影响女公务员婚姻满意度的主要因素是性生活、与亲友的关系、子女和婚姻、业余活动、信仰一致性、经济安排、夫妻交流、人际控制。结论:不同职级的女公务员心理控制源差异显著,其婚姻质量差异不显著;影响女公务员婚姻满意感的主要因素是婚际因素和外界因素,个人因素贡献不显著;基于控制源的视角,人际控制对女公务员婚姻满意度贡献显著,个人实力和社会政治控制对其婚姻满意度贡献不显著。     

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.