David G. Schramm

• Ph.D.
• Professor (Associate) at Utah State University

A growing body of literature has examined relations among qualities of character—or marital virtues—and marital outcomes. Results of past research have suggested positive relations between qualities such as generosity, kindness, and forgiveness, and marital well-being. In the present article, we expand on previous research by examining relations be...

As we consider what both family scientists and practitioners can learn from each other, we discuss important advances in relationship and marriage education (RME). We note best practices for research and review recent evaluative findings from randomized controlled trial studies that have important implications for RME. An almost singular RME focus...

Evaluative research on the effectiveness of divorce education continues to grow, but research is still limited on programmatic impacts for historically underserved groups. Using a mixed-methods design, this study analyzed data from divorcing American Indian parents ( n = 153) who took part in a court-mandated, online divorce education program. The...

Drawing from the Strong Relationality Model of Relationship Flourishing (SRM; Galovan & Schramm, 2018) and bi-nationally representative data from 615 couples in the United States and Canada (N = 1230 individuals), we explore how both over-perception of partner’s other-centeredness and assumed similarity bias in perceptions of partner’s other-center...

Programming for divorce education continues to grow, but research on how programs benefit racially marginalized groups remains limited. Through a convergent mixed-methods design, this study examined the experiences of divorcing African American parents (n = 116) who took part in a state-mandated, online divorce education program. Quantitative analy...

The strong relationality model of relationship flourishing emphasizes the role of ethical responsiveness (how well a person intrinsically responds to the manifest or identifiable needs of others) as a direct predictor of relationship quality and as an indirect pathway for explaining the influence of vulnerabilities. This study is among the first ex...

COVID-19 has caused a shift in Extension educators’ daily routines and a transition to virtual programming. This case study analyzed time logs and interview data of Extension educators hired by Utah State University to facilitate fatherhood education programming. Comparison data indicate less time was spent teaching and traveling while more time wa...

We examined the validity of the Japanese versions of the Revised Questionnaire for Couples in Stepfamilies and the Remarriage Belief Inventory in Japan where social and cultural patterns of divorce and remarriage are substantially different from the West. Participants were 548 married Japanese indivi- duals in stepfamilies. Both scales’ validity, f...

Objective The purpose of this study was to learn more about the daily activities of 10 parenting educators, hired to implement a federally funded fatherhood education program. Background Federal grants for Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood programs have increased employment opportunities for parenting educators, who often take on multipl...

Despite the increasing popularity of mindfulness and research concerning its role in relationships, there is limited strongly relational theoretical discussion explaining the role of mindfulness in intimate couple relationships. In this article, we articulate a strongly relational view of the role of mindfulness in couple relationships. We then emp...

Although divorce education programming is prevalent, research on how programs benefit certain ethnic groups is sparse. Addressing this research gap is important given the increasing ethnic diversity in the United States. In the current study, we applied a mixed-methods approach to examine the experiences of divorcing/separating Latinx parents (n =...

A central feature of couple relationships research is the use of self-report measures of relationship satisfaction. Despite the widespread use of such measures in couples’ research, scholars have raised critical questions about satisfaction-focused assessment, including concerns about taking an ontologically individualistic focus. Moving beyond ont...

Positive parent-child relationships in cases of remarriage are associated with more harmonious stepfamily relationships; however, little research has focused on factors influencing parenting difficulties in early remarriage. In this study, we examine factors that are associated with parenting and stepparenting difficulties for newly remarried biolo...

Using data collected from parents who participated in a brief, online divorce education program (n = 2,584), the goal of this study was to evaluate the program’s impact in terms of improving parents’ understanding of divorce-related issues and future coparenting plans. Additional analyses were conducted to determine if differences existed among par...

Divorce education is designed for divorcing parents with minor children, and in a growing number of states, participation has become court-mandated to finalize a divorce. To increase accessibility, some states have adopted brief, online formats for divorce education programming. Evaluations are encouraging; however, less is known about how opinions...

Extension's in-person hiring processes have been complicated in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. To prevent delays in hiring for three vacant county faculty positions, our search committee conducted remote interviews using a variety of innovative techniques, such as a live "we're hiring" webinar, an icebreaker session, and live and recorded candidate...

Divorce education programs are mandatory in most states. Despite the ongoing debate in the field regarding the appropriate duration of these programs, the goal of the current study was to identify the following five content areas in divorce education that may be most relevant for predicting favorable outcomes: (1) impact of divorce on children, (2)...

Co‐parenting plays a key role in children's outcomes when parents dissolve their intimate relationship. As a result, educators have developed divorce education programs to support healthy co‐parenting and parenting practices among parents going through the process of separation and divorce. Despite much progress, challenges remain concerning how to...

Recently Galovan and Schramm (2018) argued for a new perspective to understand healthy, vibrant relationships. They argued for a strongly relational view of the self that integrates who one is with the way they respond to others in any given situation. They argued that from a strong relationality perspective, “who we are is who we are in relation t...

Recently Galovan and Schramm (2018) argued for a new perspective to understand healthy, vibrant relationships. They argued for a strongly relational view of the self that integrates who one is with the way they respond to others in any given situation. They argued that from a strong relationality perspective, “who we are is who we are in relation t...

Recently Galovan and Schramm (2018) argued for a new perspective to understand healthy, vibrant relationships. They argued for a strongly relational view of the self that integrates who one is with the way they respond to others in any given situation. They argued that from a strong relationality perspective, “who we are is who we are in relation t...

Recently Galovan and Schramm (2018) argued for a new perspective to understand healthy, vibrant relationships. They argued for a strongly relational view of the self that integrates who one is with the way they respond to others in any given situation. They argued that from a strong relationality perspective, “who we are is who we are in relation t...

Divorce education programs for couples with children have become mandatory in many states. State-specific courses vary in terms of delivery method and program length. Using data from 1,690 parents who participated in Utah’s online divorce education course, this study examined program effectiveness based on course length satisfaction. Overall, resul...

Objective Following a training in relationship and marriage education (RME), examine whether applying information at 2 months is associated with application at 6 months and how participants' confidence, utility, and self‐efficacy is associated with learning transfer and application at 2 months posttraining. Background Child welfare professionals a...

Objective To identify the advice and regrets empty‐nest parents have when reflecting on their experiences as parents, and to investigate the utility of the parenting pyramid framework for parent education on the basis of that advice and those regrets. Background The parenting pyramid specifies that the parent–child relationship, teaching, and corr...

Family scholars and practitioners rely on theories of relationships to guide our understanding and promotion of healthy intimate relationships; however, assumptions about the self are often implicit and unquestioned. This article describes a strongly relational view of the self that can transform family science by accounting for partners’ ethical r...

This study reports on a nationally representative sample of married individuals ages 25–50 (N = 3,000) surveyed twice (1 year apart) to investigate the phenomenon of divorce ideation, or what people are thinking when they are thinking about divorce. Twenty-eight percent of respondents had thought their marriage was in serious trouble in the past bu...

Objective To review brief couple interventions (BCIs), with a focus on contributions to theory, development, and implications for practice. Background For decades, scholars have observed the individual and societal costs of relationship instability. Due to these costs, state and federal agencies have invested millions of dollars in relationship an...

Contemporary research has shown that divorce education programs are becoming mandated or recommended in numerous states throughout the nation. Cooccurring with the popularity of these programs is the variation in content of divorce education programs. The focus of this project was to systematically explore the research literature on factors related...

Family scholars and practitioners rely on theories of relationships to guide our understanding and promotion of healthy intimate relationships; however, assumptions about the self are often implicit and unquestioned. This article describes a strongly relational view of the self that can transform family science by accounting for partners’ ethical r...

Many judges now require divorcing or legally separating parents with children under age 18 to attend parent education programs (PEPs). Evaluations of these programs have shown their effectiveness, although these have often not been rigorous. Individuals display different patterns of coparenting following divorce, yet researchers have not empiricall...

Character traits (Goddard et al., 2016) and virtues (Fowers, 2000) are key predictors of couple relationship satisfaction. Individuals’ way of being (Fife, 2015)—or selflessness towards others (Knapp, 2015)—may be key determinants of family relational outcomes (Goddard et al, 2016). Little research has explored how these factors may be related to o...

This study employed a nationally representative sample of married individuals ages 25–50 (N = 3,000) surveyed twice, 1 year apart, to investigate divorce ideation, or what people are thinking when they are thinking about divorce. Nearly 30% of respondents had thought their marriage was in serious trouble in the past but not recently. Another 25% ha...

Child support payments are intended to improve children's wellbeing by securing financial support from noncustodial parents. Payments in arrear are a significant problem, however, particularly when parents live in different states. Using a mixed-methods design, we compared the effectiveness of a private collection agency to a state agency managing...

Religious heterogamy is present when partners differ on any religious facet, including denomination, belief, practice, or commitment. Belonging to a specific religious faith, the relative importance of religiosity, and the extent to which spouses engage in religious activities influence many couple relationships. Religion tends to have a positive i...

Given concerns about the effect of divorce and interparental conflict on children, many judges now require divorcing/legally separating parents with children under age 18 to attend parent education programs (PEPs). In general, evaluations of these programs have shown their effectiveness. Evaluation studies of PEPs, however, have often not been rigo...

Many states and counties use divorce education to support the resilience of families in transition. However, the field of divorce education is in need of more rigorous and systematic program evaluation that will allow for a more thorough comparison of different programs. This symposium will presented how four states (Minnesota, North Dakota, Missou...

Results of numerous studies have demonstrated a positive relation between religiosity and marital well-being. In this study, the authors examined direct effects on marital satisfaction of religious homogamy, prayer for spousal well-being, and forgiveness. They also examined the degree to which religiosity buffered against risks to marital well-bein...

What goes into designing and implementing a successful program? How do both research and practice inform program development? In this article, the process through which a federally funded training curriculum was developed and piloted tested is described. Using a logic model framework, important lessons learned are shared in defining the situation,...

Numerous studies have focused on links between religiosity and marital outcomes. Results suggest that various aspects of religiosity predict outcomes such as marital satisfaction and commitment. However, less research has focused on identifying the processes by which these links occur. This study had two primary goals: (a) determine if perceptions...

Integrating healthy relationship and marriage education (RME) into child welfare services is a relatively recent initiative. Guided by the theoretical work in child welfare training evaluation, the current study describes the development and testing of a new RME training for child welfare professionals. Based on data collected from 272 trainees, re...

Using family systems theory and an actor–partner interdependence model, we examine the influence of the division of family work (including fathers’ participation in child rearing) on father–child relationship quality, satisfaction with the family work division, and marital quality. The strongest effect on both spouses’ marital quality is wives’ per...

Child welfare professionals (CWPs) have historically been ignored as a potential delivery system of relationship and marriage education (RME). Based on a sample of 1015 CWPs from two states, the current study shows that CWPs believe promoting healthy couple and marital relationships is relevant to the families they serve and their work, and that th...

Although many adults and children are resilient after divorce, it is common for marital breakups to precipitate the need for government assistance for families who had been self-sufficient. This study focuses on the economic costs of divorce associated with means-tested welfare programs in Texas, which fall into five central areas: medical assistan...

Although many adults and children are resilient after divorce, it is common for marital breakups to precipitate the need for government assistance for families who had been self-sufficient. This study focuses on the economic costs of divorce associated with means-tested welfare programs in Texas, which fall into five central areas: medical assistan...

This chapter highlights a key dimension in The National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Model, which explains core elements of healthy couple and marriage relationships based on empirical research. Care is one of seven dimensions in this model, and details how support, affection, and respect for one's partner can result in greater rel...

This chapter highlights a key dimension in The National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Model, which explains core elements of healthy couple and marriage relationships based on empirical research. Share is one of seven dimensions in this model, and explores how developing and maintaining a friendship with one's partner helps couple i...

Using a quasi-experimental design with sample of 623 high school students, we examined the effectiveness of combining information about child abuse prevention with relationship education, on several outcomes. Findings suggest that adolescents who participated in the classes showed significant increases in their knowledge and understanding of health...

Divorce education classes are common across the United States, and results suggest they are generally effective. No studies, however, have examined the effectiveness of an online version of a divorce education course. Using data from a sample of 778 divorced and separated parents who participated in the Focus on Kids (FOK) divorce education class i...

Although economic pressure and family stress models have been examined with samples of men and women in first marriages, previous models have neglected to focus on men and women in stepfamilies and to examine stress sources unique to stepfamilies. This study examines the effect of economic pressure on both common stressors and stepfamily-specific s...

In this study the marital quality of respondents who were currently receiving government assistance was compared with those who were not. Contextual variables (e.g., gender, age, age at first marriage, religiosity, education, etc.) and interactional variables (i.e., escalating negativity, criticism, negative interpretation, withdrawal) were measure...

This article explores the relationship between religiosity, denominational homogamy, religiosity homogamy, and marital adjustment. Using a statewide sample of spouses in first marriages (N = 1,394) and remarriages (N = 601), the authors find that within-group differences in religiosity, denominational homogamy, and religiosity homogamy are not as p...

Using data from a sample of 2,274 divorced or separated parents who participated in the Focus on Kids (FOK) divorce education program, we examine program effectiveness by demographic characteristics. We followed up with 149 participants after between 4 and 10 months with a follow-up posttest survey to examine long-term effectiveness. Overall, the v...

Using data from a random telephone statewide survey in Utah, the associations between income, government assistance and six dimensions of marital quality were explored with a sample of 295 married individuals with incomes below $40,000. Results indicate that income has a main effect on negative interaction and feeling trapped. An interaction of gov...

Using data from a sample of 2,274 divorced or separated parents who participated in the Focus on Kids (FOK) divorce education program, we examine program effectiveness by demographic characteristics. We followed up with 149 participants after between 4 and 10 months with a follow-up posttest survey to examine long-term effectiveness. Overall, the v...

Extension faculty and agents/educators are increasingly collaborating with local and state agencies to provide and evaluate multiple, distinct programs, yet there is limited information about measuring outcomes and combining results across similar program types. This article explicates the methods and outcomes of a state-level evaluation of approxi...

This article examines current efforts to provide community education programs for couples in stepfamilies. The study used qualitative interviews to explore the range of approaches, formats, settings, costs, and content used by Extension/non-Extension educators in programs for stepfamily couples. Results indicate that despite the prevalence of stepf...

Stepfamily couples face unique challenges that put them at higher risk for dissolution than non-stepfamily couples. Risks for stepfamily couples are magnified in the context of lower economic resources, making low-income stepfamily couples a key target population for intervention and for community education programs. Existing programs and services...

This study describes the efforts to develop and validate the Revised Questionnaire for Couples in Stepfamilies (RQCS). Utilizing exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques, a 22-item scale is presented. Concurrent validity between the original and revised instruments is assessed with a measure of marital instability. Two independent sa...

Adolescent-focused marriage education is a relatively uncharted research area. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined the effectiveness of an adapted version of the curriculum entitled, Love U2: Increasing Your Relationship Smarts with an economically, geographically, and racially diverse sample of 340 high school students. Findings...

This preliminary,report,provides,an,overview,of the,economic,conse- quences,of divorce for couples experiencing,divorce in Utah. The economic,impact,on the divorcing individuals, the surrounding communities in which they live, and the state and,federal,governments,were,assessed. The data,collected in Utah reveals,that the federal government absorbs...

Marital satisfaction, marital adjustment, and problem areas experienced during the early months of marriage were examined using a sample of 1,010 newlywed husbands and wives. Results revealed that between 8% and 14% percent of newlyweds already scored in the distressed range on measures of marital satisfaction and adjustment, respectively. For both...

The study discussed here examines the relationship between newlywed debt, selected demographic variables, and newly wed levels of marital satisfaction and adjustment. The study used survey data gathered from 1,010 randomly sampled newlywed couples. The findings from this study indicate that entering marriage with consumer debt has a negative impact...

As A n u n d e r g r A d u At e s t u d e n t at Brigham Young University, I was encour-aged by a professor to research the economic costs of divorce to the State of Utah specifically and to society at large. Unknown at the time, this small project would take on a life of its own. Six years later, after com-piling mounds of data and statistics and...