Journal of Family Psychology

Publications in this journal

• Article: Factors Associated With Child Custody Evaluators' Recommendations in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence.

  Daniel G Saunders, Richard M Tolman, Kathleen C Faller
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  ABSTRACT: Although child custody evaluations can lead to unsafe outcomes in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV), little is known about factors associated with evaluators' recommendations. In this study of 465 child custody evaluators, we investigated the association between evaluators' beliefs, background, and knowledge and their custody and visitation recommendations in cases involving IPV. We hypothesized that evaluators' belief in false allegations by the mother and their recommendations that perpetrators have custody or unsupervised visits would be positively associated with (a) being a male evaluator, (b) patriarchal norms, (c) not knowing a survivor of IPV, and (d) less knowledge of IPV. In addition, we hypothesized that evaluators' belief in false allegations by mothers would be related to their recommendation that perpetrators have custody or unsupervised visits. Results supported most of the hypothesized relationships. Multivariate analysis revealed that belief variables explained more of the variance in custody-visitation outcomes than demographic and knowledge variables. Implications of the findings for IPV training, evaluator selection, and evaluation guidelines are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 05/2013;
• Article: Filial responsibility, perceived fairness, and psychological functioning of Latino youth from immigrant families.

  Gabriel P Kuperminc, Natalie J Wilkins, Gregory J Jurkovic, Julia L Perilla
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  ABSTRACT: The contributions of filial responsibility to psychological functioning were examined longitudinally among Latino young adolescents from immigrant families. Participants included 199 7th and 8th Grade Latino boys and girls (M age = 13.8) who were either immigrants (79%) or children of immigrants (21%). The term, filial responsibility, refers to children's family caregiving efforts (e.g., household chores, caring for siblings). Perceived fairness, which refers to perceptions of equity, reciprocity, and acknowledgment, was examined as an important corollary describing the familial context in which youths' responsibilities are enacted. Over the course of this 1-year longitudinal study, a significant decline was observed in mean levels of caregiving, whereas a significant increase was observed in perceived fairness. Consistent with a conceptualization of filial responsibility as contributing to psychological development in positive and, in some contexts, negative ways, caregiving activities predicted increases in cooperative behavior and interpersonal self-efficacy, whereas perceived fairness predicted declines in psychological distress. Implications for practitioners and policymakers working with this population are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):173-82.
• Article: Alexithymia and marital quality: The mediating roles of loneliness and intimate communication.

  Nick E Frye-Cox, Colin R Hesse
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  ABSTRACT: This study examined the mediating roles of loneliness and intimate communication in the association between alexithymia and marital quality. Guided by a personality-behavioral approach to loneliness and affection exchange theory (AET), two actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) were examined to test the associations among the variables. Path models (N = 155 couples) indicated that, for both spouses, loneliness and intimate communication fully mediated the association between alexithymia and marital quality. More specifically, higher alexithymia was associated with greater loneliness, which predicted lower intimate communication, which was related to lower marital quality. Multiple specific indirect effects were also significant, suggesting that the association between alexithymia and marital quality may be explained through divergent intrapersonal and interpersonal pathways. Although the magnitude of the intrapersonal associations was similar for both spouses, the results revealed gender differences in spousal interpersonal associations. For husbands, consistent differences were found between intrapersonal and interpersonal associations. Conversely, for wives, no significant differences were found between intrapersonal and interpersonal associations, suggesting that their marital quality was most strongly predicted by their own and their spouse's alexithymia, loneliness, and perceptions of intimate communication. Theoretical implications and future directions for research are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):203-11.
• Article: Correction to curtis et Al. (2009).

  Nicola M Curtis, Kevin R Ronan, Naamith Heiblum, Kylie Crellin
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  ABSTRACT: Reports an error in "Dissemination and effectiveness of multisystemic treatment in New Zealand: A benchmarking study" by Nicola M. Curtis, Kevin R. Ronan, Naamith Heiblum and Kylie Crellin (Journal of Family Psychology, 2009[Apr], Vol 23[2], 119-129). Errors were noted in Tables 2 and 3 having to do with effect size (ES) calculations for original and benchmarking analyses. The published ESs were not calculated using the appropriately weighted formula listed in the article. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-04780-001.) The transportability of Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for the treatment of juvenile offenders in a community-based context was examined in the current study. Results of this New Zealand study showed that significant pre- to posttreatment improvements occurred on most indicators of ultimate (i.e., offending behavior) and instrumental (i.e., youth compliance, family relations) treatment outcomes. Reductions in offending frequency and severity continued to improve across the 6- and 12-month follow-up intervals. In comparison to benchmarked studies, the current study demonstrated a more successful treatment completion rate. Additionally, overall treatment effect sizes were found to be clinically equivalent with the results of previous MST outcome studies with juvenile offenders and significantly greater than the effect sizes found in the control conditions. The findings of this evaluation add to the growing body of evidence that supports MST as an effective treatment for antisocial youth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):342.
• Article: Ex-couples' unwanted pursuit behavior: An actor-partner interdependence model approach.

  Olivia De Smet, Tom Loeys, Ann Buysse
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  ABSTRACT: Unwanted pursuit behavior (UPB) refers to a wide range of repeated, unwanted, and privacy-violating intrusions that are inflicted to pursue an intimate or romantic relationship. These behaviors most often occur when partners end their romantic entanglements. Despite the fact that UPB is grounded in relationships, psychological explanations for postbreakup UPB perpetration have been restricted to actor effects assessed in samples of separated individuals. For that reason, the present study aimed to identify feasible partner effects that additionally explain UPB perpetration using a Flemish sample of 46 heterosexual divorced couples, beginning with the notion of interdependence. Using actor-partner interdependence models, we explored actor, partner, and gender main and interaction effects of anxious attachment, satisfaction, alternatives, investments, and conflict in the previous marriage on the perpetration of postdivorce UPBs. The significant Partner × Gender interactions of anxious attachment and satisfaction, Actor × Partner interactions of anxious attachment and quality of alternatives, and the marginally significant partner effect of relational conflict underline the important role of the dyad in studying UPB perpetration. These findings shed new light on the nature of UPB perpetration that go beyond the individual and support the use of a systemic approach in clinical practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):221-31.
• Article: Correction to beach et Al. (2013).

  Steven R H Beach, Gene H Brody, Man Kit Lei, Frederick X Gibbons, Meg Gerrard, Ronald L Simons, Carolyn E Cutrona, Robert A Philibert
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  ABSTRACT: Reports an error in "Impact of child sex abuse on adult psychopathology: A genetically and epigenetically informed investigation" by Steven R. H. Beach, Gene H. Brody, Man Kit Lei, Frederick X. Gibbons, Meg Gerrard, Ronald L. Simons, Carolyn E. Cutrona and Robert A. Philibert (Journal of Family Psychology, 2013[Feb], Vol 27[1], 3-11). Figure 2 was printed with correlations between dependent variables misplaced. The correct version of Figure 2 appears in the correction. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2013-05310-002.) Genetic, environmental, and epigenetic influences and their transactions were examined in a sample of 155 women from the Iowa adoptee sample who had been removed from their biological parents shortly after birth and assessed when participants were an average of 41.10 years old. We observed an interactive effect of child sex abuse (CSA) and biological parent psychopathology (i.e., genetic load) on substance abuse as well as a main effect of CSA on substance abuse in adulthood. We also observed main effects of CSA and genetic load on depression and on antisocial characteristics. As predicted, CSA, but not genetic load or later substance abuse, was associated with epigenetic change. In addition, the interaction between genetic load and CSA predicted epigenetic change, indicating a potential genetic basis for a differential impact of CSA on epigenetic change. Finally, epigenetic change partially mediated the effect of CSA on antisocial characteristics. The results suggest the relevance of genetic and epigenetic processes for future theorizing regarding marital and family precursors of several forms of adult psychopathology. Implications for preventive intervention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):329.
• Article: Attachment insecurity and infidelity in marriage: Do studies of dating relationships really inform us about marriage?

  V Michelle Russell, Levi R Baker, James K McNulty
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  ABSTRACT: Attachment theory provides a useful framework for predicting marital infidelity. However, most research has examined the association between attachment and infidelity in unmarried individuals, and we are aware of no research that has examined the role of partner attachment in predicting infidelity. In contrast to research showing that attachment anxiety is unrelated to infidelity among dating couples, 2 longitudinal studies of 207 newlywed marriages demonstrated that own and partner attachment anxiety interacted to predict marital infidelity, such that spouses were more likely to perpetrate infidelity when either they or their partner was high (vs. low) in attachment anxiety. Further, and also in contrast to research on dating couples, own attachment avoidance was unrelated to infidelity, whereas partner attachment avoidance was negatively associated with infidelity, indicating that spouses were less likely to perpetrate infidelity when their partner was high (vs. low) in attachment avoidance. These effects emerged controlling for marital satisfaction, sexual frequency, and personality; did not differ across husbands and wives; and did not differ across the two studies, with the exception that the negative association between partner attachment avoidance and own infidelity only emerged in 1 of the 2 studies. These findings offer a more complete understanding of the implications of attachment insecurity for marital infidelity and suggest that studies of unmarried individuals may not provide complete insights into the implications of various psychological traits and processes for marriage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):242-51.
• Article: Curvilinear associations between neuroticism and dyadic adjustment in treatment-seeking couples.

  Marie-Ève Daspe, Stéphane Sabourin, Katherine Péloquin, Yvan Lussier, John Wright
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  ABSTRACT: Among personality traits, neuroticism has been shown to be the most significant predictor of dyadic adjustment. Despite some propositions arguing that low, as well as high levels of personality traits are maladaptive tendencies, only the negative linear relationship between neuroticism and couple satisfaction has been addressed in past research. The aim of this study was to examine the nonlinear association between neuroticism and dyadic adjustment for both partners of a clinically distressed sample of couples. The sample included 472 couples seeking couple therapy who completed the NEO-FFI (P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992, NEO PI-R professional manual, Odessa, FL, Psychological Assessment Resources) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (G. B. Spanier, 1976, Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38, pp. 15-28). Results showed, for actor and partner effects, a significant nonlinear, inverted U-shaped relationship between neuroticism and dyadic adjustment. In particular, both very low levels and high levels of neuroticism were associated with lower dyadic adjustment for both the individual and his or her partner. This finding is in contrast with the traditional negative linear association between neuroticism and dyadic adjustment observed in previous research. Openness and agreeableness also positively predicted self and partner dyadic adjustment. Findings bear important clinical implications for therapists assessing and working with distressed couples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):232-41.
• Article: Hazardous drinking and family functioning in National Guard veterans and spouses postdeployment.

  Adrian J Blow, Lisa Gorman, Dara Ganoczy, Michelle Kees, Deborah A Kashy, Marcia Valenstein, Sheila M Marcus, Hiram E Fitzgerald, Stephen Chermack
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  ABSTRACT: The current study examined rates of alcohol misuse among National Guard (NG) service members and their spouses/partners, concordance of drinking behaviors among couples, and the effects of alcohol misuse, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on three measures of family functioning. This study is important because it addresses the topics of heavy drinking and family functioning in an at-risk population-NG service members returning from a combat zone deployment. We surveyed NG service members (1,143) and their partners (674) 45-90 days after returning from a military deployment. Service member rates of hazardous drinking were 29.2% and spouses/partners 10.7%. Of the 661 linked couples, 26.2% were discrepant where only one member met the criteria for hazardous drinking and 5.4% were congruent for alcohol misuse where both members met hazardous drinking criteria. Service members belonging to either congruent or discrepant drinking groups were more distressed in their marriages/relationships than those in the nonhazardous group. In dyadic analyses, an unexpected partner effect was found for parenting outcomes; that is, when service members drink more, their spouses/partners are less stressed when it comes to parenting. Importantly, both service member and spouse/partner depression was significantly associated with negative family outcomes. Results from this study suggest that when working with these families, it is important to understand the drinking status of both soldier and spouse and to treat depression in addition to alcohol misuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):303-13.
• Article: Delinquent-oriented attitudes mediate the relation between parental inconsistent discipline and early adolescent behavior.

  Linda C Halgunseth, Daniel F Perkins, Melissa A Lippold, Robert L Nix
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  ABSTRACT: Although substantial research supports the association between parental inconsistent discipline and early adolescent behaviors, less is understood on mechanisms underlying this relation. This study examined the mediating influence of delinquent-oriented attitudes in early adolescence. Using a longitudinal sample of 324 rural adolescents and their parents, findings revealed that inconsistent discipline in sixth grade predicted an increase in adolescent delinquent-oriented attitudes by seventh grade which, in turn, predicted both an increase in early adolescent antisocial behaviors and a decrease in socially competent behaviors by eighth grade. Therefore, it appears that accepting attitudes toward delinquency may in part develop from experiencing inconsistent discipline at home and may offer a possible explanation as to why early adolescents later engage in more antisocial and less socially competent behaviors. Findings may inform family-based preventive intervention programs that seek to decrease behavior problems and promote social competence in early adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 04/2013; 27(2):293-302.
• Article: Perceived Economic Strain Exacerbates the Effect of Paternal Depressed Mood on Hostility.

  Ben T Reeb, Katherine J Conger, Monica J Martin
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  ABSTRACT: Depression in fathers has been associated with impaired parenting, which, in turn, may function as a central environmental mechanism underlying the adverse effects of paternal depression on children's development. Despite this, evidence suggests that many depressed fathers are able to maintain positive relationships with their children, and little is known about factors associated with better or worse parenting outcomes when fathers experience depression. Using two waves of prospective, longitudinal data from a community sample of fathers and their high school-aged adolescent offspring (N = 324), perceived economic strain was examined as a moderator of the effect of fathers' depressive symptoms on subsequent observer ratings of hostile parenting behaviors. Among fathers experiencing high levels of economic strain, depressive symptoms at offspring age 15 were a significant predictor of hostility toward their adolescent sons at age 18, controlling for family demographics and previous hostile parenting behaviors. Findings and directions for future research are discussed in relation to contemporary models of intergenerational psychopathology transmission. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 03/2013;
• Article: Stress in Latino Families Following an Adolescent's Childbearing: Effects on Family Relationships and Siblings.

  Patricia L East, Nina C Chien
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  ABSTRACT: This study examined how increased stress in Latino families following an adolescent's childbearing impacts family relationships and the adolescent's siblings. Participants were 243 Mexican American youth (mean age: 13.7 years; 62% girls), or 121 youth who had a pregnant adolescent sister and 122 youth who had an adolescent sister who had never been pregnant. Youth and their mothers were studied at 4 time points across 15 months: The families of pregnant adolescents were studied when the adolescent sister was in her third trimester of pregnancy, and at 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months postpartum; the families of never-pregnant adolescents were studied at like intervals. Individual fixed-effects structural equation models were computed, which control for earlier measures of study constructs and thereby reduce omitted variable bias from preexisting family group differences. Results showed that an adolescent's childbearing was related to increases in family stress, which were related to increases in mothers' harsh parenting and mother-sibling conflict, which, in turn, were related to subsequent increases in siblings' problem behavior. Multiple group analyses revealed that the pathways through which a teenager's childbearing influences siblings operate similarly for girls and boys. Tests of an alternate ordering of model variables indicated a poor fit with the data. Findings provide evidence that the accumulation of stressful family changes following an adolescent's childbearing can negatively impact siblings. Findings also elucidate how family-level stress and disruption experienced across a family transition trickle down to affect family relationships and, in turn, child family members. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 03/2013;
• Article: Collateral Benefits of the Family Check-Up in Early Childhood: Primary Caregivers' Social Support and Relationship Satisfaction.

  Amber D McEachern, Gregory M Fosco, Thomas J Dishion, Daniel S Shaw, Melvin N Wilson, Frances Gardner
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  ABSTRACT: This research investigated potential collateral benefits of the Family Check-Up (FCU) intervention, namely, primary caregivers' perceived social support and couple relationship satisfaction. A subsample of 435 low-income families with a 2-year-old child was recruited to participate in a randomized controlled trial assessing preventative effects of the FCU. Longitudinal growth models were used to evaluate intention-to-treat effects of the FCU on increases in primary caregivers' ratings of social support satisfaction with perceived social support and significant-other relationships, and indirect effects on primary caregivers through improvements in children's behavior problems. Support was found for a model in which reductions in child problem behavior from ages 2 to 4 predicted positive change in caregiver-rated social support and relationship satisfaction over a 3-year period. This indirect effects model is discussed with respect to implications for early childhood prevention research focused on improving family functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 03/2013;
• Article: Fundamental Frequency During Couple Conflict: An Analysis of Physiological, Behavioral, and Sex-Linked Information Encoded in Vocal Expression.

  Sarah Weusthoff, Brian R Baucom, Kurt Hahlweg
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  ABSTRACT: The human voice is one of the sounds most frequently experienced by human beings. During couple conflict, higher fundamental frequency (f0), a physical property of human speech, has been linked to an increased risk of divorce, less beneficial response to couple therapy, and higher levels of dysfunctional communication behavior. F0 is generally considered to be a measure of emotional arousal, but it is not currently clear whether this interpretation is appropriate for understanding spouses' f0 during couple interaction. The goal of the current article is to clarify what forms of information are encoded in f0 during couple conflict by examining the relations between f0 range, physiological variables, and communication behavior during the conflict discussions of 67 German couples. In line with evolutionary models of speech production, associations emerged in the expected directions between f0 and: (a) physiological variables (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol); (b) self-reported communication behavior; and (c) observationally coded communication behavior. Additionally, simultaneous examination of physiological variables and observationally coded communication behaviors revealed that associations between both sets of variables and f0 range were largely independent of one another. Furthermore, women's range of f0 was significantly greater than men's range of f0. With regard to social signaling theories, f0 range can be understood as a nonverbal transmission of distress. Implications for future research on and use of f0 are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 03/2013;
• Article: Longitudinal Relations Between Marital Aggression and Children's Sleep: The Role of Emotional Insecurity.

  Ryan J Kelly, Mona El-Sheikh
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  ABSTRACT: To gain a better understanding of relations between marital aggression and children's sleep problems, we examined children's emotional insecurity as a process variable and a moderator of effects using 3 waves of data spanning 5 years. Participants were 176 children at Time 1 (T1; M age = 8.68 years), 141 children at Time 2 (T2; M age = 10.70 years), and 113 children at Time 3 (T3; M age = 13.60 years) and their parents. Parents reported on marital aggression, children reported on their emotional insecurity about the parental marital relationship, and children's sleep was measured via self-reports and actigraphy. After controlling for autoregressive effects, marital aggression predicted increases in emotional insecurity 2 years later (T2), which in turn predicted an increase in sleep problems 3 years later (T3). Moderation analyses indicated that a higher level of emotional insecurity was a vulnerability factor for sleep problems in the context of greater marital aggression. Findings add to this emerging literature and illustrate the importance of considering sleep in the family context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 03/2013;
• Article: The Moderating Role of Child Callous-Unemotional Traits in an Internet-Based Parent-Management Training Program.

  Jens Högström, Pia Enebrink, Ata Ghaderi
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  ABSTRACT: Although parent management training (PMT) is generally considered the treatment of choice for children with conduct problems, some specific adaptations might be essential for various subgroups of parents or children to benefit well from PMT. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of child callous-unemotional (CU) traits on the outcome of an Internet-based PMT program for parents of children with conduct problems (n = 57; mean age 6.65). Within a randomized controlled trial of PMT, children assigned to the intervention group were categorized and compared as either "high-CU" (n = 8) or "low-CU" (n = 49) based on a cut-off score on the CU subscale of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001). CU traits in children were associated with more severe conduct problems at baseline, as well as more hyperactivity and peer-related problems. Treatment outcome, in terms of conduct-problem reduction, was poor in the high-CU group compared with the low-CU group, despite the fact that parents in both groups improved equally in parenting skills. The same pattern of results emerged after controlling for initial difficulties of conduct problems and other pretreatment differences between the groups. Elevated levels of CU traits in children seem to contribute to an inferior treatment response in PMT. These findings call for more attention on empathy and emotional patterns in the assessment of children with conduct problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 03/2013;
• Article: Assessment of Parental Discipline in Daily Life.

  Christina Moses Passini, Sandrine Pihet, Nicolas Favez, Dominik Schoebi
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  ABSTRACT: The use of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) for studying parenting has been rare. We examined the psychometric properties and structural validity of an EMA Parenting Scale based on 32 mothers' reports of their parenting over a period of 10 consecutive days, and explored the acceptance of the scale and compliance with the procedure. The results suggested that the EMA Parenting Scale was well accepted for the assessment of daily parenting, and that it consistently captured the overreactive and lax dimensions of parenting across different episodes of child misbehavior. Moreover, multilevel analyses suggested that the scale was sensitive to change across different parenting episodes, and that it reliably assessed the dimensions at both the personal and situational levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 03/2013;
• Article: The Longitudinal Associations Between Marital Happiness, Problems, and Self-Rated Health.

  Christine M Proulx, Linley A Snyder-Rivas
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  ABSTRACT: Although research has explored the association between marital quality and physical health in marriage, existing research fails to consider possible bidirectional associations between changes in individuals' marital quality and self-rated health. To address this gap, this study used latent change models to assess whether adults' marital happiness and problems over a 20-year period predicted subsequent changes in self-rated health, as well as whether self-rated health over the same time period was associated with changes in marital happiness and problems. The sample included 707 continuously married adults who participated in all six waves of the Marital Instability Over the Life Course panel study. Participants averaged 35 years in age at the first wave and were continuously married to the same spouse over the 20-year period. Latent differential models in AMOS 19 showed that unidirectional coupling existed for marital happiness and self-rated health only, such that higher levels of marital happiness predicted subsequent elevations in self-rated health over time. No evidence was found for bidirectional coupling between marital problems and self-rated health. Possible explanations for these patterns of results are discussed, including important directions for future researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 02/2013;
• Article: Discussion Topic and Observed Behavior in Couples' Problem-Solving Conversations: Do Problem Severity and Topic Choice Matter?

  Hannah C Williamson, Mariam A Hanna, Justin A Lavner, Thomas N Bradbury, Benjamin R Karney
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  ABSTRACT: Communication behavior is an integral part of relationship functioning and, therefore, a common target of relationship interventions. Between-couple variability in observed behaviors is commonly interpreted as reflecting their underlying skill in communication, but other factors, including perceived difficulty of the problem and the topic being discussed, may also covary with communication behavior. The current study examined this possibility by testing whether these two aspects of discussion topics were associated with communication behavior. Ethnically diverse newlywed couples (N = 402 couples) were observed in their homes as they engaged in conflict resolution tasks. Resulting behavioral codes were examined in relation to perceived difficulty of the problem and the topic of the discussion. Higher levels of husband-reported problem difficulty were associated with higher levels of husband and wife negativity, independent of relationship satisfaction. After controlling for problem difficulty and relationship satisfaction, the topic of the discussion was associated with husband and wife positivity, husband and wife negativity, and wife effectiveness, indicating that some topics elicited better or worse communication than others. The substantive focus of couples' conflicts may play an important role in how they communicate, suggesting that the topic of discussion merits close attention in studies of couples and in relationship interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 02/2013;
• Article: Dismantling Study of Prevention and Relationship Education Program: The Effects of a Structured Communication Intervention.

  Jesse Owen, Megan Manthos, Kelley Quirk
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  ABSTRACT: Couples Relationship Education (CRE) programs have been shown to improve many facets of relationship functioning; however, less is known about the specific effects of various components of CRE programs. The current study examined two versions of the Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP), one where a structured communication intervention was taught and one where it was not. Outcome variables included couples' communication behaviors, communication patterns, and overall relationship adjustment. Twenty-six couples (52 participants) completed a 4-week, 12-hr PREP workshop. Generally, the couples reported low to moderate relationship distress. Study measures were completed preintervention, 4-6 weeks post, and 6 months post. Couples in the structured communication condition reported more positive and fewer negative communication behaviors at 6-month follow up and they reported faster gains in positive communication behaviors compared with the no structured communication group. Both groups reported decreased negative communication patterns and no change in relationship adjustment; these changes were statistically similar for both groups. Implications for couples' communications and relationship education programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
  Journal of Family Psychology 02/2013;