Little research has examined the process by which parents decide about the custody of their children during divorce. Data were obtained from divorcing couples with minor children: 40 couples had decided that sole custody would go to the mother (traditional); 7 couples had decided on joint custody, and 1 couple had decided on split custody…

While an increasing number of clinical reports and descriptive studies have documented stress-related dysfunction in family caregivers of older adults with chronic dementia, little is known about specific factors that place members at risk for negative outcomes. This study examined the relative effects of psychological and social characteristics…

This paper reviews the literature on the role of mediating cognitive factors in marital functioning and satisfaction. Types and patterns of causal attributions of distressed and nondistressed couples are compared and the effectiveness of various intervention models is discussed. The materials also discuss the role of unfulfilled expectations as a…

Special characteristics of action-oriented approaches to therapy, cautions and tips for using these approaches, and sample activities are provided in this guide. An introductory section explains the relationship of action-based counseling to the traditional action-oriented methods and principles of Adlerian psychology and emphasizes the merit of…

Although the problems facing dual-profession couples are almost universally acknowledged, studies on dual-profession couples have only recently emerged from those on dual-worker or dual-career families. To explore the perceptions that women in dual-profession marriages have of their roles, conflicts, and coping strategies, focus group interviews…

Interactions between husbands and wives are often assessed in terms of power distribution, based on decision-making outcomes. To examine the association of the dominance of "spouse" over "parents" and "peers" orientation with perceived behavioral and affective mutuality in the couple's financial management, couples…

Social scientists have been studying marriage for several decades and have identified many factors related to the quality of marriage. A longitudinal study of 57 engaged couples was conducted while they were college students and after they were married to test parts of Lewis and Spainer's recently proposed theory of marital quality. It was…

A study analyzed the verbal interactions of married couples in high, moderate, and low marital satisfaction groups to determine whether (1) the interaction processes within the three satisfaction groups differed and (2) there were different communication patterns that characterized the interaction processes of the groups. Subjects were 34 young…

This paper introduces a structural model of multigenerational relationships including the adolescent-parent relationship. The model, which perceives generational role relationships as falling within a five dimensional span includes the following: (1) intra (within the same generation); (2) direct (one generation distant); (3) bi (two generations…

As more women choose to reenter college or seek employment, marital and family systems undergo change. From an initial sample of 251 women who participated in a reassessment series conducted between 1973 and 1977, 24 women who had chosen to reenter college or initiate careers were selected for follow-up interviews. Women (N=12) who had divorced…

Although alcohol is frequently cited by battered wives and the general public as a cause of marital violence, few researchers actually propose a direct causal relationship between alcohol and marital violence. Interviews were conducted to investigate the role of alcohol in the violent marriages of 185 women and the nonviolent marriages of 89…

Relocation caused by employment transfers may favorably affect the attainment of career and financial goals; however, it is experienced as a stressful situation by many families and may create traumas for individual family members. If variables can be isolated that contribute to a family's adjustment to a new community, coping strategies may be…

The major purpose of this project was to determine the need for and the development of curriculum and instructional materials for members of young farm wives chapters. Young farm wives advisors, young farm wives officers, and young farm wives members were surveyed using a needs assessment questionnaire. The list of instructional areas identified…

Both male and female respondents to a survey of dual-career couples in psychology indicated a moderately high degree of satisfaction with their current employment (the majority in academic or applied positions in clinical psychology). Males indicated a higher degree of personal involvement with their job. Neither group felt that their spouse's job…

One- and two-career married couples, though existing on comparable total family incomes, may be experiencing very different marital situations. The marital agreements of one- and two-career couples were compared to examine the relationship between marital adjustment and the one- versus two-career situation. Married college students and their…