Traditionally, research findings on family problem solving have been based on observational data from vignettes provided by the researcher. To examine problem solving in couple relationships from a participatory perspective, 27 married couples discussed a mutually relevant domestic problem, while being videotaped. Subsequently, each partner completed a questionnaire about his or her experience of the process and outcomes. Then each partner separately viewed the videotape and gave a free-flowing commentary about the interaction. An analysis of the results showed significant positive correlations between partners' satisfaction with the discussion of a specific problem and general satisfaction with "who does what," marital satisfaction, and low depression scores. The data also highlighted the remote connections, both in time and in partners' conceptions, between problem talk and finding or implementing problem solutions. The extent to which the partners felt able to express their point of view and felt understood by their spouse during the discussion were both significantly correlated with higher satisfaction and greater optimism. These findings suggest that working on day-to-day problems takes time, and the form the discussions take may affect partners' feelings about themselves and their marriage. (BL)