Browsing by Subject "Marriage"
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Item A comparison of marital cohesiveness among farm and nonfarm marriages(Texas Tech University, 1985-08) Friemel, Elizabeth AnneThe purpose of this study was to examine possible differences in dissolution potential among farm and nonfarm respondents. A conceptual model of marital cohesiveness and dissolution which categorizes variables into attractions, barriers, and alternative attractions was tested. The findings of the study were based upon subjects who were visiting the 1984 Tri-State Fair in Amarillo, Texas. The sample consisted of 612 respondents, with 172 farm respondents and 440 nonfarm respondents. Subjects completed a questionnaire which included demographic data, background information, and attitude questions as well as the Marital Status Inventory, which measured dissolution potential. Stepwise multiple regression was implemented to test the six hypotheses. The hypothesis that proposed an inverse relationship between attraction variables and dissolution potential was partially supported, as was the hypothesis which suggested an inverse relationship between barrier variables and level of dissolution. Barrier variables were found to explain a greater proportion of variance in dissolution potential for farm respondents, while attraction variables were more predictive of dissolution potential for nonfarm respondents. The variables which indicated significant relationships to dissolution potential for the farm group were disjunctive kin affiliations and religiosity of couple, while affection. Catholic religion, disjunctive kin affiliations, home ownership, and respondent's education were significantly related to dissolution potential for nonfarm respondents. Suggestions are made for further research using the model with the added attraction variables self-esteem and coping with stress so it might better explain marital cohesiveness and dissolution potential for farm respondents.Item A comparison of the antecedents of early marriage and singlehood(Texas Tech University, 1982-12) Turner, Martha Janelle AllenNot availableItem A dynamic systems exploration of affective self-organization processes during marital interaction: attractors, perturbations, and phase transitions(Texas Tech University, 2004-12) Gardner, Brandt CraigThis study utilized a dynamic systems perturbation experiment to explore the self-organization properties of 23 married couples' continuous self-reports of their affective experience during a marital interaction episode. According to dynamic systems theory, patterns are hypothesized to emerge and stabilize as a result of the reciprocal interactions between elements ofa complex system. The affective climate generated by two spouses was hypothesized to be such a system. Participant spouses were asked to identify and discuss for 10 minutes a recent incident where they felt hurt or offended by their partner. At 10 minutes, the marital affective system was perturbed when spouses were signaled to open an envelope which invited them to share with their partner a time when they felt cared-for or supported. This conversation continued for seven minutes. Immediately following their conversation, spouses engaged in a recall procedure where they were seated at a television monitor and computer and, as they watched the split-screen video of their conversation, provided a continuous rating of their affective state during that conversation. Using a recent graphical development in dynamic child development research, each spouse's affect data were plotted on a 5 x 5 state space grid. Pre-perturbation and post-perturbation graphs were developed for each couple. Eight naive raters individually sorted the resulting 46 graphs by shape into homogenous groups. From this sorting a proximity matrix was developed and cluster analysis applied in order to establish group assignment for all graphs. The cluster analysis was partitioned at five clusters, which were labeled as "disorganized," "neutral," "male positive," "female positive," and "positive." The results suggest that, for the majority of these couples, their affect patterns resembled an attractor state, localized in a specific region of the state space. Furthermore, the perturbation was successful in moving all but six couples into a different affect pattern during the final seven minutes of their conversation, suggesting that the affective climate in marital relationships is a complex, dynamic system that has self-organizing properties. However, additional analyses indicated that no significant relationship between mean marital satisfaction scores and group assignment. The results are discussed in terms of their fit within a dynamic systems conceptual framework as well as the established marital interaction literature. Implications for researchers and clinicians are also discussed.Item A multivariate comparison of dimensions of family functioning for first married and remarried families(Texas Tech University, 1986-05) Waldren, Terry EdwardNot availableItem A new perspective on trust in marital relationships: how trust in specific areas of the relationship relates to marital satisfaction and attachment style(Texas Tech University, 2001-08) Korinek, Alan W.Trust is a multifaceted construct, one that may not be useful unless attending to the complex and unique aspects of the given individuals and their relationship. Current conceptualizations of trust are limited to a single dimension, the dimension of depth (i.e., how much global trust a person has). The goal of this dissertation was to expand the conceptualization of trust by exploring the dimension of breadth. For the purposes of the study, the Trust in Specific Areas Scale (TSAS) was created. The TSAS is an 11-item scale that assesses an individual's level of trust in 11 important areas of the relationship (Sager, 1981). A panel of experts reviewed the items as to their content validity and a pilot-test of the TSAS provided preliminary support for its internal consistency.Item A study of marital satisfaction in graduate student marriages(Texas Tech University, 1995-08) Sokolski, Dawn MA number of empirical studies have examined how variables such as communication, intimacy, dissimilar expectations, financial and personal stress, social support, and the presence of children affect satisfaction in marriage. Chronic stress, like that found in graduate education, has a profound impact on marital satisfaction, and may also be related to other variables such as intimacy and financial concerns. The purpose of this study was to examine marital satisfaction in graduate student marriages and the variables that relate to marital satisfaction. At a large southwestern university, some 161 married couples in which at least one partner was a student in medical school, law school, or other graduate program were assessed. The student and his or her spouse were asked to complete separate questionnaires which consisted of demographic information, and measures of social support, self-disclosure, marital expectations, and love styles. Satisfaction was correlated with marital commitment, physical intimacy, self-disclosure and passionate love. Greater marital satisfaction was found in marriages where both partners were students than in marriages with only one partner in school. However, no differences in marital satisfaction were found between male and female graduate students. It had been assumed that female graduate students, in addition to school responsibilities, would have greater parental and home responsibilities than male graduate students and would feel less satisfied. However, this was not the case. Regression analyses also showed the importance of personal happiness, marital commitment, physical intimacy, and a spouse doing his or her fair share of the housework for marital satisfaction. The implications of these findings are discussed.Item A system approach to marital training evaluation(Texas Tech University, 1976-08) Cotton, Marcia CooperNot availableItem Adjustment, Communication, and Empathetic Ability in Marriage(Texas Tech University, 1974-05) Hargrave, Larry DeanNot Available.Item Adolescent-parent interaction and parental marital happiness(Texas Tech University, 1978-08) White, Dana TaylorNot availableItem African American couples : socio-cultural factors impacting marriage trends, reflections on marriageability, and a systematic review of culturally grounded couple and marriage relationship intervention(2016-05) Mikle, Krystallynne Shanielle; Gilbert, Dorie J.; Franklin, Cynthia; Luquet, Wade; Padilla, YolandaRacial and ethnic minority couples experience unique relationship discord factors; yet, marriage and couple approaches have not intentionally targeted racial/ethnic minorities, especially African American couples who are disproportionately impacted by relationship dissolution. Research shows African American couples persevere through marital discord by relying on protective factors unique to their culture; these factors are a strong sense of community, supportive family, kinship, and ideals focused around spirituality and culture. Although this is true, few studies have systematically analyzed the extent to which current relationship intervention programs integrate cultural components unique to African Americans to effectively reduce relationship discord for African American couples. This dissertation forms a comprehensive body of literature by examining the socio-cultural factors impacting African American relationships, exploring African American women’s reflections about marriageability, and evaluating the cultural components of interventions to reduce African American relationship discord. The first article utilizes a historical-ecological perspective to review the scholarly discourse on marriage and relationship trends among African American couples, and delineates socio-cultural factors which collectively have contributed to declining marriageability rates for African American couples over the past 12 decades. The second article is a phenomenological study of young, African American female students’ blogs about the current marriage/relationship trends. The women expressed frustration about the low marriageability rates and suggested culturally relevant marriage and relationship interventions as instrumental to fostering healthy African American marriages. The third article presents a systematic review of African American couples relationship education (CRE) and marriage relationship education (MRE) programs incorporating Africentric theory or cultural factors as a theoretical underpinnings. Seven studies of four curriculum-based interventions used with African American couples demonstrated that inclusion of Africentric or culturally grounded components contribute to the effectiveness of CRE/MRE programs with African American couples by promoting culturally- relevant healthy relationship skills. Further, the impact of socio-cultural-historical factors on African American relationships was an integral component to the effectiveness of the CRE/MRE programs. This dissertation contributes to a virtually untouched research area by delineating the decades-long socio-cultural-historical factors impacting African American marriages, uncovering the insights of African American women, and systematically examining how Africentric and other culturally-grounded components foster effective couples interventions for African American couples.Item The baby will come, the ring can wait : differences between married and unmarried first-time mothers in Chile(2010-12) Salinas, Viviana; Potter, Joseph E.; Osborne, Cynthia; Hopkins, Kristine L.; Regnerus, Mark D.; Roberts, Bryan R.The proportion of children born outside of marriage in Chile increased from 15.9 percent in 1960 to 64.6 percent in 2008. Similar increases have been taken elsewhere as indicative of a Second Demographic Transition (SDT). In this dissertation, I study differences between married and unmarried mothers in Chile and the reasons why such a large proportion of children are born outside of marriage, with the goal of understanding whether the demographic changes we are observing in the country are part of a global movement towards the SDT. The data comes from a postpartum survey implemented in Santiago, the capital city. I analyze differences between women according to the family arrangement they live in, including married women in nuclear households, married women in extended households, cohabiters in nuclear households, cohabiters in extended households, visiting mothers, and single mothers. I consider women’s socioeconomic wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, social support, attitudes and values, and reproductive health. The results show large demographic and socioeconomic differences, marking the socioeconomic advantage of married women in nuclear households, who are the oldest, and the disadvantage of cohabiters in extended households, visiting and single mothers, who are the youngest women in the sample. Married women in extended households and cohabiters in nuclear households are between these two poles. Differences in emotional wellbeing exist, benefiting married women in nuclear households, but they are not so large. Differences in social support continue delineating married women in nuclear households as a privileged group, but visiting mothers appear as a highly supported group too. There are not large differences in attitudes and values, as most women continue holding conservative attitudes on family issues, and most unmarried mothers plan to marry. Differences in reproductive health are large, showing that unplanned births and contraceptive failure are high in the underprivileged and youngest groups. Unmarried women seem to accept their pregnancies with no pressure to marry, and to give priority to other goals, such as their careers and homeownership, before the wedding, which they do not discard for the future. Under these circumstances, it is hard to interpret recent demographic changes in Chile as a SDT.Item Behavioral reciprocity in marriage: a study of within-day similarity in affection and negativity(2002) Smith, Shanna Elise; Huston, Ted L.The current study uses behavioral data gathered from marital partners across a sample of days to estimate the extent of each couple’s reciprocity in both affectionate and negative behavior, as measured via an index of within-day similarity. Analyses explore the extent of within-day similarity in both positive and negative behavior for a sample of married couples, describe the degree to which within-day similarity changes over the first two years of marriage, and investigate how those patterns relate to both concurrent and long-term marital satisfaction and stability. Results indicate that within-day similarity in neither affection nor negativity is a strong predictor of concurrent satisfaction or long-term marital quality or stability. Furthermore, neither class of within-day similarity systematically increases or decreases over the first two years of marriage (neither across the entire sample of couples nor within specific long-term marital outcome groups). Some marginal effects for within-day similarity on marital satisfaction, however, indicate that: (1) affectionate within-day similarity tends to have little or no positive relationship with marital satisfaction across the first several years of marriage, but gains an inverse relationship with marital satisfaction after thirteen years of marriage; and (2) within-day similarity in negativity has a direct but weak relationship with marital satisfaction for wives who have been married for two years. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of assessing marital reciprocity using a variety of temporal frames.Item Chasing prince charming : partnering consequences of holding unrealistic standards for a spouse(2012-08) Bredow, Carrie Ann Barth; Huston, Ted L.; Loving, Timothy J.; Neff, Lisa A.; Anderson, Edward R.; Vangelisti, Anita L.Although social scientists studying mate selection have generally assumed that people’s standards for a marriage partner shape their marital behavior, systematic investigations of the role of mate standards in partnering have been rare. Using survey data collected from 502 unmarried individuals and their peer informants, the present study used a novel, residual-based approach to quantify the attainability (rather than the absolute stringency) of people’s standards for a spouse. Regression analyses using this index of the attainability of people’s standards revealed that holding less realistic standards for a marriage partner was associated with greater difficulty establishing satisfying romantic relationships, lower expectations to marry one’s current partner, and lower levels of psychological and behavioral investment in finding a suitable partner and marrying. Curiously, the attainability of people’s spousal standards did not predict their general beliefs about whether they will eventually marry. Overall, these findings strongly support the idea that holding less realistic standards for a spouse shapes people’s partnering experiences in ways that may deter their future entry into marriage.Item Clinical utility of the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Evaluation Scales III (FACES III)(Texas Tech University, 1996-12) Smith, Susan GreyPresenting problems should be clarified for the family which enters MFT treatment. The act of delineating the problems of a dysfunctional family often can be the first therapeutic intervention (Brock & Barnard, 1988). The definition of the problem as either marital (i.e., existing within the dyad) or family (i.e., located within another subsystem or the family system as a whole) leads to the clarification of goals and the decision about who will be included in the therapy sessions. Several models of systems change incorporating the above ideas are available to clinical practitioners working within the GST framework. One of the most commonly recognized is Structural Family Therapy.Item Close friend activity and marital quality(Texas Tech University, 1995-08) Camp, Brian D.Within the close relationships literature there are two divergent opinions of the association that an extramarital friendship may have with marital quality and each has empirical support. The presence of or interaction with close friends is sometimes associated with more satisfying marriages while other times is associated with less satisfying marriages. This current study provides some insight into how distressed and nondistressed spouses may interact differentially with close others. An adaptation of the Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model was used in this current investigation to help in predicting how marital quality might be associated with same-sex -extra-marital friendship activity. The SEM model suggests that a person's marital relationship could receive either benefit or detriment from the activities a spouse might engage in with a friend, depending upon the person's opinion of the spouse/friend activity.Item Cohabitation among non-legal couples: an attitudinal exploratory study(Texas Tech University, 1973-08) Schoenrock, Carol JeanNot availableItem Comparison of marital satisfaction, social support network, social support composition, and conflict communication between interfaith and same-faith marriages(2008-05) Lord, Ashley Michelle; Hughes, Patrick C.; Scholl, Juliann C.; Williams, David E.This is a descriptive study that compares interfaith and same-faith married couples’ reports of intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation, social network composition, social support, conflict communication, and marital satisfaction. Same-faith participants were recruited through a church in a large, metropolitan city in the south. There was an announcement placed a local church’s weekly mail-out asking for volunteers. In addition, there were announcements made within the church during services. Couples who expressed interest in participating were asked if they were involved in a same-faith marriage. Interfaith participants were recruited in three ways. First, area churches, church organizations, synagogues, and mosques were contacted. Second, an advertisement that requests research participants was published in religious organization newsletters as well as three local newspapers. Finally, networking procedures allowed for the researcher to obtain more participants (N= 197). The results suggest several conclusions. First, intrinsic religious orientation is associated with more mutually constructive communication and is present more so with same-faith couples than interfaith couples. In contrast, extrinsic religious orientation is associated with more demand/withdraw communication and less mutually constructive communication. Furthermore, when religious orientation was compared to the communication variables in combination with couple type, it was concluded that extrinsic interfaith partners reported using more demand-withdraw communication than do intrinsic interfaith partners and extrinsic same-faith partners reported using less demand-withdraw communication than intrinsic same-faith partners. Finally, extrinsic same-faith partners reported more satisfaction in their marriage than did extrinsic interfaith partners and intrinsic same-faith partners reported more satisfaction than intrinsic interfaith partners. Thus, it is concluded that same-faith partners report more marital satisfaction overall.Item Emotional climate, sex, and satisfaction in marriage : does sex really matter?(2006-12) Hartzell, Allyson Camille; Huston, Ted L.This study examined sexual frequency, sexual satisfaction, and marital satisfaction in connection with the emotional climate within which it exists, using data from a 13-year longitudinal study about marriage. First, affection and negativity were used to predict sexual frequency. Second, affection, negativity and sexual frequency were used to predict spouses' sexual satisfaction. Third, sexual frequency and spouses' sexual satisfaction were used to predict marital satisfaction. A positive association was found between affection and sexual frequency, whereas no association was found between negativity and sexual frequency. Affection was found to be associated with higher sexual satisfaction for husbands in the early years of marriage and negativity was associated with lower sexual satisfaction for both spouses. An association was also found between one's own sexual satisfaction and marital satisfaction. No association was found between sexual frequency and marital satisfaction when the emotional climate was considered.Item Enhancing marital sexuality: an evaluation of a program for enriching the sexual relationship of normal couples(Texas Tech University, 1982-05) Nathan, Eileen PechterNot availableItem Essays of Educational Attainment(2010-10-12) Wang, YingningOne of the very interesting demographic features in the US over the last several decades is the persistent racial educational gap between blacks and whites and the reverse gender education gap as a result of the rapid rise in women's educational attainment. This dissertation is to investigate the reasons behind it. I first investigated the educational gap between blacks and whites. I propose a new model to identify if and how much the educational attainment gap between blacks and whites is due to the difference in their neighborhoods. In this model, individuals belong to two unobserved types: the endogenous type who may move in response to the neighborhood effect on their education; or the exogenous type who may move for reasons unrelated to education. The Heckman sample selection model becomes a special case of the current model in which the probability of one type of individuals is zero. Although I cannot find any significant neighborhood effect in the usual Heckman sample selection model, I do find heterogeneous effects in our type-consistent model. In particular, there is a substantial neighborhood effect for the movers who belong to the endogenous type. No significant effects exist for other groups. On average, I find that the neighborhood variable, the percentage of high school graduates in the neighborhood, accounts for about 37.7% of the education gap between blacks and whites. This dissertation sheds some insight about women?s educational attainment by studying the motivations of education for women: to pursue higher wages and to find highly educated spouses. The identification strategy is that the college education is exogenous to the partner choice if education is driven by pursuing higher job market return (the type of marry-for-romance), and is endogenous if the education decision is driven by marriage market return (the type of marry-for-money). I find that the marry-for-romance type has higher education than the other type and given everything else the same, with the same education level, the women who marry for money have a higher probability of finding a highly educated husband than those marrying for romance. Therefore, the reversal educational gap could be the result of more marry-for-romance women.