Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T20:50:11.528Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

18 - Relationship Maintenance in Couple Therapy and Relationship Education

from Part IV - The Social Context of Relationship Maintenance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2019

By
Amber Vennum ,
Jeremy B. Kanter  and
Joyce Baptist
Edited by
Brian G. Ogolsky  and
J. Kale Monk
Brian G. Ogolsky
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
J. Kale Monk
Affiliation:
University of Missouri
Get access

Summary

In this chapter, we describe intervention efforts aimed at promoting maintenance behaviors in romantic relationships and the factors that influence these initiatives. We highlight current cultural forces surrounding clinical and educational practices, the definitions and theories that inform interventions to sustain and enhance partners’ maintenance behaviors, and important considerations for increasing the effectiveness of these interventions. The interventions featured in our review focus on enhancing positive aspects of relationships or mitigating threat to relationship maintenance processes within the cultural context of contemporary relationships. Suggestions for advancing the field include further research on the relevance of specific maintenance strategies and theories of change across the life course, the influence of cultural context and resilience on maintenance processes, unintended consequences of relationship maintenance interventions, and the evaluation process for interventions promoting maintenance behaviors.

Keywords

cognitive behavioral therapyinsight- and principle-based approachesexperiential and emotion-based approachescontextual influences of relationship maintenanceenhancement of relationship maintenance strategiesthreat mitigation of maintenance processescompanionate view
Type
Chapter
Information
Relationship Maintenance
Theory, Process, and Context
 , pp. 339 - 366
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Administration for Children and Families. (2015). Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Grants (No. HHS-2015- ACF-OFA-FM-0985). Retrieved from https://ami.grantsolutions.gov/files/HHS-2015-ACF-OFA-FM-0985_0.htmGoogle Scholar
Allen, E. S., Rhoades, G. K., Markman, H. J., & Stanley, S. M. (2015). PREP for Strong Bonds: A review of outcomes from a randomized clinical trial. Contemporary Family Therapy, 37, 232–246. doi:10.1007/s10591-014-9325-3Google Scholar
Amato, P. R., Booth, A., Johnson, D. R., & Rogers, S. J. (2007). Alone together: How marriage is changing in America. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, L. R. (2016). High School Seniors’ Expectations to Marry. Family Profiles, FP-16–14, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=ncfmr_family_profilesGoogle Scholar
Alston, J. P., & Takei, I. (2005). Japanese business culture and practices: A guide to twenty-first century Japanese business. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.Google Scholar
Babcock, J. C., Gottman, J. M., Ryan, K. D., & Gottman, J. S. (2013). A component analysis of a brief psycho-educational couples’ workshop: One-year follow-up results. Journal of Family Therapy, 35, 252–280. doi:10.1111/1467-6427.12017Google Scholar
Badr, H., & Taylor, C. L. C. (2008). Effects of relationship maintenance on psychological distress and dyadic adjustment among couples coping with lung cancer. Health Psychology, 27, 616–627. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.27.5.616CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Badr, H., Acitelli, L. K., & Taylor, C. L. C. (2008). Does talking about their relationship affect couples’ marital and psychological adjustment to lung cancer? Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 2, 53–64. doi:10.1007/s11764-008-0044-3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Balsam, K. F., & Syzmanski, D. M. (2005). Relationship quality and domestic violence in women’s same-sex relationships: The role of minority stress. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29, 258–269. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2005.00220.xGoogle Scholar
Banmen, J. (2002). The Satir model: Yesterday and today. Contemporary Family Therapy, 24, 7–22. doi:10.1023/A:1014365304082CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barton, A. W., Futris, T. G., & Bradley, R. C. (2014). Changes following premarital education for couples with differing degrees of future marital risk. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 40, 165–177. doi:10.1111/jmft.12006Google Scholar
Bellah, R. N., Madsen, R., Sullivan, W. M., Swidler, A., & Tipton, S. M. (1996). Habits of the heart: Individualism and commitment in American life. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Berg, C. A., & Upchurch, R. (2007). A developmental-contextual model of couples coping with chronic illness across the adult life span. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 920–954. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033–2909.133.6.920Google Scholar
Berger, T. (2016). The therapeutic alliance in internet interventions: A narrative review and suggestions for future research. Psychotherapy Research, 27, 511–524. doi:10.1080/10503307.2015.1119908Google Scholar
Bodenmann, G., & Shantinath, S. D. (2004). The Couple Coping Enhancement Training (CCET): A new approach to prevention of marital distress based upon stress and coping. Family Relations, 53, 477–484. doi:10.1111/j.0197-6664.2004.00056.xGoogle Scholar
Bortz, P. R. (2016). A formative evaluation of a smartphone application for couples: The affectionate gesture planner (Master’s thesis). Retrieved from University of Kentucky UKnowledge. doi:10.13023/ETD.2016.260Google Scholar
Boss, P. (2002). Coping, adapting, being resilient … or is it managing? In Family stress management: A contextual approach (pp. 71–91). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Bradbury, T. N., & Fincham, F. D. (1990). Attributions in marriage: Review and critique. Psychology Bulletin, 107, 3–33. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.107.1.3Google Scholar
Bradbury, T. N., & Karney, B. R. (2004). Understanding and altering the longitudinal course of marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66, 862–879. doi:10.1111/j.0022-2445.2004.00059.xGoogle Scholar
Bradbury, T. N., & Lavner, J. A. (2012). How can we improve preventive and educational interventions for intimate relationships? Behavior Therapy, 43(1), 113–122. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2011.02.008CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bradford, K., Mock, D. J., & Stewart, J. W. (2016). It takes two? An exploration of processes and outcomes in a two‐session couple intervention. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 42(3), 423–437. doi:10.1111/jmft.12144Google Scholar
Braithwaite, S. R., & Fincham, F. D. (2009). A randomized clinical trial of a computer based preventive intervention: replication and extension of ePREP. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 32–38. doi:10.1037/a0014061CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bridges, J. G. (2017). Instrumentalism and couple’s therapy: Influential impacts on therapist’s values, neutrality, and perceived role in couple’s therapy (Master’s thesis). Retrieved from http://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/38271Google Scholar
Brubacher, L. (2006). Integrating emotion-focused therapy with the Satir model. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32, 141–153. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2006.tb01596.xGoogle Scholar
Carlson, R. G., Rappleyea, D. L., Daire, A. P., Harris, S. M., & Liu, X. (2015). The effectiveness of couple and individual relationship education: Distress as a moderator. Family Process, 56, 91–104. doi:10.1111/famp.12172Google Scholar
Cherlin, A. J. (2010). The marriage-go-round. New York, NY: Vintage.Google Scholar
Clavél, F. D., Cutrona, C. E., & Russell, D. W. (2017). United and divided by stress: How stressors differentially influence social support in African American couples over time. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(7), 1050–1064. doi:10.1177/0146167217704195Google Scholar
Cluxton-Keller, F. (2011). Cognitive behavioral models of family therapy. In Metcalf, L. (Ed.), Marriage and family therapy: A practice-oriented approach (pp. 91–128). New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Collins, L. M., Murphy, S. A., & Bierman, K. L. (2004). A conceptual framework for adaptive preventive interventions. Prevention Science, 5, 185–193. doi:10.1023/b:prev.0000037641.26017.00Google Scholar
Conner, S., & Vennum, A. (2016, April). Exploring young adults’ preferences for mobile relationship education. Poster presented at the International Society for Research on Internet Interventions Annual Conference in Seattle, WA.Google Scholar
Coontz, S. (2004). The world historical transformation of marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(4), 974–979. doi:10.1111/j.0022-2445.2004.00067.xGoogle Scholar
Cordova, J. V. (2009). The marriage checkup: A scientific program for sustaining and strengthening marital health. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.Google Scholar
Cordova, J. V., Cigrang, J. A., Gray, T. D., Najera, E., Havrilenko, M., Pinkley, C., … Redd, K. (2017). Addressing relationship health needs in primary care: Adapting the marriage checkup for use in medical settings with military couples. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 24(3–4), 259–269. doi:10.1007/s10880-017-9517-8Google Scholar
Coulter, K., & Malouff, J. M. (2013). Effects of an intervention designed to enhance romantic relationship excitement: A randomized-control trial. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 2, 34–44. doi:10.1037/a0031719Google Scholar
Cowan, P. A., & Cowan, C. P. (2014). Controversies in couple relationship education (CRE): Overlooked evidence and implications for research and policy. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 20, 361–383. doi:10.1037/law0000025Google Scholar
Cutrona, C. E., Russell, D. W., Abraham, W. T., Gardner, K. A., Melby, J. N., Bryant, C., & Conger, R. D. (2003). Neighborhood context and financial strain as predictors of marital interaction and marital quality in African American couples. Personal Relationships, 10, 389–409. doi:10.1111/1475-6811.00056Google Scholar
Dainton, M. (1999). African American, European American, and biracial couples’ meanings for and experiences in marriage. In Diggs, R. C. & Socha, T. J. (Eds.), Communication, race, and family: Exploring communication in black, white, and biracial families (pp. 147–165). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Dew, J., & Wilcox, W. B. (2011). If momma ain’t happy: Explaining declines in marital satisfaction among new mothers. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(1), 1–12. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00782.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doherty, W. J. (2013). Take back your marriage: Sticking together in a world that pulls us apart. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Doherty, W. J. (2015, July/August). The divorce revolution: Assessing our impact. Psychotherapy Networker. Retrieved from www.psychotherapynetworker.org.Google Scholar
Doherty, W. J., Harris, S. M., & Wilde, J. L. (2016). Discernment counseling for “mixed-agenda” couples. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 2, 246–255. doi:10.1111/jmft.12132Google Scholar
Erickson, R. J. (2005). Why emotion work matters: Sex, gender, and the division of household labor. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 337–351. doi:10.1111/j.0022-2445.2005.00120.xGoogle Scholar
Fincham, F. D., & Rogge, R. (2010). Understanding relationship quality: Theoretical challenges and new tools for assessment. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 2(4), 227–242. doi:10.1111/j.1756-2589.2010.00059.xGoogle Scholar
Finkel, E. J. (2017). The all-or-nothing marriage. New York: Penguin Random House.Google Scholar
Finkel, E. J., Hui, C. M., Carswell, K. L., & Larson, G. M. (2014). The suffocation of marriage: Climbing Mount Maslow without enough oxygen. Psychological Inquiry, 25, 1–41. doi:10.1080/1047840X.2014.863723Google Scholar
Fowers, B. J. (2000). Beyond the myth of marital happiness. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Fowers, B. J. (2001). The limits of a technical concept of a good marriage: Exploring the role of virtue in communication skills. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 27, 327–340. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2001.tb00328.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frost, D. M. (2014). Redemptive framings of minority stress and their association with closeness in same-sex relationships. Journal of Couples & Relationship Therapy, 13, 219–239. doi:10.1080/15332691.2013.871616Google Scholar
Gamarel, K. E., Reisner, S. L., Laurenceau, J.-P., Nemoto, T., & Operario, D. (2014). Gender minority stress, mental health, and relationship quality: A dyadic investigation of transgender women and their cisgender male partners. Journal of Family Psychology, 28, 437–447. doi:10.1037/a0037171CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gottfredson, D. C., Cook, T. D., Gardner, F. E. M., Gorman-Smith, D., Howe, G. W., Sandler, I. N., & Zafft, K. M. (2015). Standards of evidence for efficacy, effectiveness, and scale-up research in prevention science: Next generation. Prevention Science, 7, 893–926. doi:10.1007/s11121-015-0555-xGoogle Scholar
Gottman, J. M. (1999). The marriage clinic: A scientifically-based marital therapy. New York: WW Norton & Company.Google Scholar
Gottman, J. M., Coan, J., Carrere, S., & Swanson, C. (1998). Predicting marital happiness and stability from newlywed interactions. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60, 5–22. doi:10.2307/353438CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gottman, J., & Gottman, J. (2017). The natural principles of love. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 9, 7–26. doi:10.1111/jftr.12182Google Scholar
Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (1999). The seven principles for making marriage work. New York: Three Rivers Press.Google Scholar
Greenberg, L., Warwar, S., & Malcolm, W. (2010). Emotion-focused couples therapy and the facilitation of forgiveness. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 36, 28–42. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00185.xGoogle Scholar
Haas, S. M., & Stafford, L. (2005). Maintenance behaviors in same-sex and marital relationships: A matched sample comparison. Journal of Family Communication, 5, 43–60.Google Scholar
Halford, W. K. (2011). Marriage and relationship education: What works and how to provide it. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Halford, W. K., Petch, J., & Creedy, D. K. (2010). Promoting a positive transition to parenthood: A randomized clinical trial of couple relationship education. Prevention Science, 11, 89–100. doi:10.1007/s11121-009-0152-yGoogle Scholar
Halford, W. K., Wilson, K., Watson, B., Verner, T., & Larson, J. (2010). Couple relationship education at home: Does skill training enhance relationship assessment and feedback? Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 188–196. doi:10.1037/a0018786Google Scholar
Hardoy, I., & Schøne, P. (2008). The family gap and family friendly policies: The case of Norway. Applied Economics, 40, 2857–2871. doi:10.1080/00036840600993981Google Scholar
Haregu, T. N., Chimeddamba, O., & Islam, M. R. (2015). Effectiveness of telephone-based therapy in the management of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. SM Journal of Depression Research and Treatment, 1(2), 1006–1012.Google Scholar
Hawkins, A. J., & Ooms, T. (2010). What works in marriage and relationship education? A review of lessons learned with a focus on low-income couples. National Healthy Marriage Resource Center.Google Scholar
Hawkins, D. N., & Booth, A. (2005). Unhappily ever after: Effects of long-term, low-quality marriages on well-being. Social Forces, 84(1), 451–471. doi:10.1353/sof.2005.0103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inglehart, R. (1997). Modernization, postmodernization and changing perceptions of risk. International Review of Sociology, 7(3), 449–459. doi:10.1080/03906701.1997.9971250Google Scholar
Inglehart, R., & Welzel, C. (2005). Modernization, cultural change, and democracy: The human development sequence. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Jensen, E. J., & Mendenhall, T. (2018). Call to action: Family therapy and rural mental health. Contemporary Family Therapy, 40(4), 309–317.Google Scholar
Johnson, M. D. (2012). Healthy marriage initiatives: On the need for empiricism in policy implementation. American Psychologist, 67, 296–308. doi:10.1037/a0027743CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, M. D., & Bradbury, T. N. (2015). Contributions of social learning theory to the promotion of healthy relationships: Asset or liability? Journal of Family Theory & Review, 7, 13–27. doi:10.1111/jftr.12057Google Scholar
Johnson, S. M. (2004). The practice of emotionally focused couples therapy: Creating connection (2nd ed.). New York: Brunner-Routledge.Google Scholar
Kanter, J. B., & Proulx, C. M. (2019). The longitudinal association between maternal parenting stress and spousal supportiveness. Journal of Family Psychology, 33(1), 121–131. doi:10.1037/fam0000478Google Scholar
Kanter, J. B., & Schramm, D. G.(2018). Brief interventions for couples: An integrative review. Family Relations, 67, 211–226. doi:10.1111/fare.12298CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (1995). The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, methods, and research. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 3–34. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.118.1.3Google Scholar
Karney, B. R., Bradbury, T. N., & Lavner, J. A. (2018). Supporting healthy relationships in low-income couples: Lessons learned and policy implications. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 5, 33–39. doi:10.1177/2372732217747890Google Scholar
Kim, J. S. (2008). Examining the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy: A meta-analysis. Research on Social Work Practice, 18, 107–116. doi:10.1177/1049731507307807Google Scholar
Kim, J., Gale, J., Goetz, J., & Bermudez, M. (2011). Relational financial therapy: An innovative and collaborative treatment approach. Contemporary Family Therapy, 33, 229–241. doi:10.1007/s10591-011-9145-7Google Scholar
Kim, H., Prouty, A. M., & Roberson, P. N. (2012). Narrative therapy with intercultural couples: A case study. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 23(4), 273–286. doi:10.1080/08975353.2012.735591Google Scholar
Kornrich, S., Brines, J., & Leupp, K. (2012). Egalitarianism, housework, and sexual frequency in marriage. American Sociological Review, 78, 26–50. doi:10.1177/0003122412472340Google Scholar
Lavner, J. A., & Bradbury, T. N. (2010). Patterns of change in marital satisfaction over the newlywed years. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(5), 1171–1187. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00757.xGoogle Scholar
Lavner, J. A., & Bradbury, T. N. (2012). Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce? Journal of Family Psychology, 26(1), 1.Google Scholar
Lavner, J. A., Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (2015). New directions for policies aimed at strengthening low-income couples. Behavioral Science and Policy, 1, 1–12.Google Scholar
Lavner, J. A., Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (2016). Does couples’ communication predict marital satisfaction, or does marital satisfaction predict communication? Journal of Marriage and Family, 78, 680–694. doi:10.1111/jomf.12301Google Scholar
Ledbetter, A. (2016). Relational maintenance behavior and shared TV viewing as mediators of the association between romanticism and romantic relationship quality. Communication Studies, 68, 95–114. doi:10.1080/10510974.2016.1263804Google Scholar
Lee, G. R. (2015). The limits of marriage: Why getting everyone married won’t solve all our problems. Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Loew, B., Rhoades, G., Markman, H., Stanley, S., Pacifici, C., White, L., & Delaney, R. (2012). Internet delivery of PREP-based relationship education for at-risk couples. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 11, 291–309. doi:10.1080/15332691.2012.718968Google Scholar
Lyons, K. S., Winters-Stone, K. M., Bennett, J. A., & Beer, T. M. (2016). The effects of partnered exercise on physical intimacy in couples coping with prostate cancer. Health Psychology, 35(5), 509–513. doi:10.1037/hea0000287Google Scholar
Marigold, D. C., Holmes, J. G., & Ross, M. (2007). More than words: Reframing compliments from romantic partners fosters security in low self-esteem individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 232–248. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.2.232Google Scholar
Marigold, D. C., Holmes, J. G., & Ross, M. (2010). Fostering relationship resilience: An intervention for low self-esteem individuals. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 46, 624–630. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2010.02.011Google Scholar
Markman, H. J., & Floyd, F. (1980). Possibilities for prevention of marital discord: A behavioral perspective. American Journal of Family Therapy, 8, 29–40. doi:10.1080/01926188008250355Google Scholar
Markman, H. J., Floyd, F. J., Stanley, S. M., & Storaasli, R. D. (1988). Prevention of marital distress: A longitudinal investigation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 210–217. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.56.2.210Google Scholar
Markman, H. J., Renick, M. J., Floyd, F. J., Stanley, S. M., & Clements, M. (1993). Preventing marital distress through communication and conflict management training: A 4-and 5-year follow-up. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 70–77. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.61.1.70Google Scholar
Markman, H. J., & Rhoades, G. K. (2012). Relationship education research: Current status and future directions. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38, 169–200. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00247.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Markman, H. J., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., Ragan, E. P., & Whitton, S. W. (2010). The premarital communication roots of marital distress and divorce: The first five years of marriage. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 289–298. doi:10.1037/a0019481Google Scholar
Markman, H. J., & Ritchie, L. L. (2015). Couples relationship education and couples therapy: Healthy marriage or strange bedfellows? Family Process, 54, 655–671. doi:10.1111/famp.12191Google Scholar
Martinez, J., Hollingsworth, B.,Stanley, C.,Shephard, R., & Lee, L. (2011). Satir human validation process model. In Metclaf, L. (Ed.), Marriage and family therapy: A practice-oriented approach (pp. 175–199). New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Matos, K. (2015). Modern families: Same- and different-sex couples negotiating at home. Retrieved from Families and Work Institute website: www.familiesandwork.org/downloads/modern-families.pdfGoogle Scholar
McAllister, S., Duncan, S. F., & Hawkins, A. J. (2012). Examining the early evidence for self‐directed marriage and relationship education: A meta‐analytic study. Family Relations, 61, 742–755. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00736.xGoogle Scholar
McGill, J., Adler-Baeder, F., Bradford, A. B., Kerpelman, J., Ketring, S. A., & Sollie, D. (2016). The role of relational instability on individual and partner outcomes following couple relationship education preparation. Family Relations, 65, 407–423. doi:10.1111/fare.12201Google Scholar
Meneses, C. W., & Greenberg, L. (2011). The construction of a model of the process of couples’ forgiveness in emotion-focused therapy for couples. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 37, 491–502. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00234.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 674–697. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674Google Scholar
Monk, J. K., & Ogolsky, B. G. (2019). Contextual relational uncertainty model: Understanding ambiguity in a changing legal context of marriage. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 11(2), 243–261.Google Scholar
Monk, J. K., Ogolsky, B. G., & Oswald, R. F. (2018). Coming out and getting back in: Relationship cycling and distress in same‐and different‐sex relationships. Family Relations, 67, 523–538. doi:10.1111/fare.12336Google Scholar
Nahum-Shani, I., Qian, M., Almirall, D., Pelham, W. E., Gnagy, B., Fabiano, G. A., … Murphy, S. A. (2012). Experimental design and primary data analysis methods for comparing adaptive interventions, Psychological Methods, 17, 457–477. doi:10.1037/a0029372Google Scholar
Neff, L. A., & Broady, E. F. (2011). Stress resilience in early marriage: Can practice make perfect? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(5), 1050. doi:10.1037/a0023809Google Scholar
Neff, L. A., & Karney, B. R. (2016). Acknowledging the elephant in the room: How stressful environmental contexts shape relationship dynamics. Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 107–110. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.05.013Google Scholar
Nguyen, T. P., Williamson, H. C., Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (2017). Communication moderates effects of residential mobility on relationship quality among ethnically diverse couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 31, 753–764. doi:10.1037/fam0000324Google Scholar
Ogolsky, B. G., & Bowers, J. R. (2013). A meta-analytic review of relationship maintenance and its correlates. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30, 343–367. doi:10.1177/0265407512463338Google Scholar
Ogolsky, B. G., Monk, J. K., Rice, T. M., Theisen, J. C., & Maniotes, C. R. (2017). Relationship maintenance: A review of research on romantic relationships. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 9, 275–306. doi:10.1111/jftr.12205CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Otis, M. D., Rostosky, S. S., Riggle, E. D. B., & Hamrin, R. (2006). Stress and relationship quality in same-sex couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 23, 81–99. doi:10.1177/0265407506060179Google Scholar
Overall, N. C., Girme, Y. U., Lemay, E. P., & Hammond, M. D. (2014). Attachment anxiety and reactions to relationship threat: The benefits and costs of inducing guilt in romantic partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106, 235–256.Google Scholar
Pepping, C. A., & Halford, W. K. (2014). Relationship education and therapy for same-sex couples. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 35, 431–144. doi:10.1002/anzf.1075Google Scholar
Pietromonaco, P. R., & Perry-Jenkins, M. (2014). Marriage in whose America? What the suffocation model misses. Psychological Inquiry, 25, 108–113. doi:10.1080/1047840X.2014.876909Google Scholar
Proulx, C. M., Ermer, A. E., & Kanter, J. B. (2017). Group‐based trajectory modeling of marital quality: A critical review. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 9, 307–327. doi:10.1111/jftr.12201Google Scholar
Rahim, M. A. (1983). A measure of styles of handling interpersonal conflict. Academy of Management Journal, 26(2), 368–376. doi:10.5465/255985Google Scholar
Randles, J. M. (2016). Proposing prosperity?: Marriage education policy and inequality in America. New York: Columbia University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Randles, J., & Avishai, O. (2018). Saving marriage culture “one marriage at a time”: Relationship education and the reinstitutionalization of marriage in an era of individualism. Qualitative Sociology, 41, 21–40. doi:10.1007/s11133-018-9375-1Google Scholar
Rauer, A. J., Adler-Baeder, F., Lucier-Greer, M., Skuban, E., Ketring, S. A., & Smith, T. (2014). Exploring processes of change in couple relationship education: Predictors of change in relationship quality. Journal of Family Psychology, 28(1), 65. doi:10.1037/a0035502Google Scholar
Rauer, A. J., Karney, B. R., Garvan, C. W., & Hou, W. (2008). Relationship risks in context: A cumulative risk approach to understanding relationship satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 70, 1122–1135. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00554.xGoogle Scholar
Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2010). Should I stay or should I go? Predicting dating relationship stability from four aspects of commitment. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 543–550. doi:10.1037/a0021008Google Scholar
Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., & Allen, E. S. (2015). Can marriage education mitigate the risks associated with premarital cohabitation? Journal of Family Psychology, 29(3), 500. doi:10.1037/fam0000081Google Scholar
Rogge, R. D., Cobb, R. J., Lawrence, E., Johnson, M. D., & Bradbury, T. N. (2013). Is skills training necessary for the primary prevention of marital distress and dissolution? A 3-year experimental study of three interventions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(6), 949–961. doi:10.1037/a0034209Google Scholar
Ross, J. M., Karney, B. R., Nguyen, T. P., & Bradbury, T. N. (2019). Communication that is maladaptive for middle-class couples is adaptive for socioeconomically disadvantaged couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 116(4), 582–597. doi:10.1037/pspi0000158Google Scholar
Rusbult, C. E., Martz, J. M., & Agnew, C. R. (1998). The investment model scale: Measuring commitment level, satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size. Personal Relationships, 5, 357–391. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.1998.tb00177.xGoogle Scholar
Rusbult, C. E., & Van Lange, P. A. (2003). Interdependence, interaction, and relationships. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 351–375. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145059Google Scholar
Satir, V., Banmen, J., Gerber, J., & Gomori, M. (1991). The Satir model: Family therapy and beyond. Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavioral Books.Google Scholar
Schnarch, D. M. (1991). Constructing the sexual crucible: An integration of sexual and marital therapy. New York: Norton & Company.Google Scholar
Schramm, D. G., Galovan, A. M., & Goddard, H. W. (2017). What researchers and relationship practitioners wished the other knew: Integrating discovery and practice in couple relationships. Family Relations, 66, 696–711. doi:10.1111/fare.12270Google Scholar
Seshadri, G., & Knudson-Martin, C. (2013). How couples manage interracial and intercultural differences: Implications for clinical practice. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 39, 43–58. doi:10.1111/j.1752–0606.2011.00262.xGoogle Scholar
Smith, G. L. (1998). The present state and future of symbolic-experiential family therapy: A post-modern analysis. Contemporary Family Therapy, 20, 147–161. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025073324868Google Scholar
Sparks, A. (2008). Implementation of “Within My Reach:” Providing a relationship awareness and communication skills program to TANF recipients in Oklahoma (National Poverty Center Working Paper Series #08-11). Retrieved from www.npc.umich.edu/publications/working_papers/Google Scholar
Sprenkle, D. H., Davis, S. D., & Lebow, J. L. (2009). Common factors in couple and family therapy: The overlooked foundation for effective practice. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Stafford, L. (2016). Marital sanctity, relationship maintenance, and marital quality. Journal of Family Issues, 37, 119–131. doi:10.1177/0192513X13515884CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stafford, L., & Canary, D. J. (1991). Maintenance strategies and romantic relationship type, gender and relational characteristics. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 8, 217–242. doi:10.1177/0265407591082004Google Scholar
Stanley, S. M. (2001). Making a case for premarital education. Family Relations, 50(3), 272–280. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2001.00272.xGoogle Scholar
Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (1992). Assessing commitment in personal relationships. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54(3), 595–608. doi:10.2307/353245Google Scholar
Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., & Blumberg, S. L. (1999). Helping couples fight for their marriages: The PREP approach. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Thibaut, J. W., & Kelley, H. H. (1959). The social psychology of groups. Oxford, UK: Wiley.Google Scholar
Ting-Toomey, S. (2017). Conflict face-negotiation theory. In Dia, X. & Chen, G. (Eds.), Conflict management and intercultural communication: The art of intercultural harmony. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Titelman, P. (Ed.) (1998). Clinical applications of Bowen Family Systems Theory. New York: Haworth Press.Google Scholar
Trail, T. E., Goff, P. A., Bradbury, T. N., & Karney, B. R. (2012). The costs of racism for marriage: How racial discrimination hurts, and ethnic identity protects, newlywed marriages among Latinos. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 454–465. doi:10.1177/0146167211429450Google Scholar
Tsang, J., Mccullough, M. E., & Fincham, F. D. (2006). The longitudinal association between forgiveness and relationship closeness and commitment. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 25, 448–472. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2006.25.4.448Google Scholar
Vennum, A., Lindstrom, R., Monk, J. K., & Adams, R. (2013). It’s complicated: The continuity and correlates of cyclicality in cohabiting and marital relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 31, 410–430. doi:10.1177/0265407513501987.Google Scholar
Vennum, A., Monk, J. K., Pasley, B. K., & Fincham, F. D. (2017). Emerging adult relationship transitions as opportune times for tailored interventions. Emerging Adulthood, 5, 293–305. doi:10.1177/2167696817705020Google Scholar
Wadsworth, M. E., & Markman, H. J. (2012). Where’s the action? Understanding what works and why in relationship education. Behavior Therapy, 43, 99–112. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2011.01.006Google Scholar
Walton, G. M. (2014). The new science of wise psychological interventions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23, 73–82. doi:10.1177/0963721413512856Google Scholar
Weiser, D. A., & Weigel, D. J. (2016). Self-efficacy in romantic relationships: Direct and indirect effects on relationship maintenance and satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 89, 152–156. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2015.10.013Google Scholar
Wetchler, J. L., & Piercy, F. P. (1996). Experiential family therapies. In Piercy, F. P., Sprenkel, D. H., Wetchler, J. L. & Associates (Eds.), Family therapy sourcebook (2nd ed.) (pp. 79–105). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative means to therapeutic ends. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.Google Scholar
Whiting, J. B., Bradford, K., Vail, A., Carlton, E. T., & Bathje, K. (2009). Developing a domestic violence protocol for marriage education: Critical components and cautions. Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 8, 181–196. doi:10.1080/15332690902813844Google Scholar
Williamson, H. C., Altman, N., Hsueh, J., & Bradbury, T. N. (2016). Effects of relationship education on couple communication and satisfaction: A randomized controlled trial with low-income couples. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84(2), 156–166. doi:10.1037/ccp0000056Google Scholar
Williamson, H. C., Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (2017). Education and job-based interventions for unmarried couples living with low incomes: Benefit or burden? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85, 5–12. doi:10.1037/ccp0000156Google Scholar
Worthington, E. L., Jr. (2001). Five steps to forgiveness: The art and science of forgiving. New York: Crown.Google Scholar
Yum, Y. O., & Canary, D. J. (2009). Cultural differences in equity theory predictions of relational maintenance strategies. Human Communication Research, 35(3), 384–406. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.2009.01356.xGoogle Scholar
Yum, Y. O., Canary, D. J., & Baptist, J. (2015). The roles of culture and fairness in maintaining relationships: A comparison of romantic partners from Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 44, 100–112. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2014.12.003Google Scholar
Zimmerman, T. S., Prest, L. A., & Wetzel, B. E. (1997). Solution-focused couples therapy groups: An empirical study. Journal of Family Therapy, 19, 125–144. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467–6427.00044Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×