FAMILY THERAPY:RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION & MARITAL

ADJUSTMENT

PRESENTED BY: UNMANA DUTTA

RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION

Crucial in understanding the success or failure of relationships.Relationship success is the overall determining factor to success and longevity.

“Individuals who do not feel that their needs are being met by their partner are not likely to feel happy and will not have a desire to be a part of the relationship for long.”

RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION

Not just measure of overt behavior, but also some other things that involve relationship satisfaction-1. Communication2. Love attitudes (Hendriuck et

al, 1988)3. Perceived empathy (Davis & Oathout, 1987)4. Perceived disclosure (Millar & Millar, 1988)5. Perceived relational competence (Canary & Spitzberg, 1989)6. Conflict handling7. Perspective taking

RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION

Factors Leading to Relationship Dissatisfaction

•Loss of intimacy•Ideal standards discrepancies•Attribution patterns•Demand-withdrawal pattern

Techniques in Couple Counseling

Gottman MethodNarrative TherapyEmotionally Focused Couples TherapyPositive PsychologyImago Relationship TherapyAdlerian Therapy with CouplesStrategic Couples TherapyExploring Unconscious Roots of ProblemsEnhancing Intimacy to Promote ClosenessIndividual Counseling

MARITAL ADJUSTMENT

What does Marital Adjustment Mean?

Ernest Burgess and Leonard Cottrell defined marital adjustment as "the integration of the couple in a union in which the two personalities are not merely merged, or submerged, but interact to complement each other for mutual satisfaction and the achievement of common objectives"

Factors Constituting Marital Adjustment

Spring and Cole proposed the following factors -AgreementCohesionSatisfactionAffectionTension

Marital Satisfaction

The subjective feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and pleasure experienced by a spouse when considering all current aspects of his marriage. This variable is conceived as a continuum running from much satisfaction to much dissatisfaction. Marital satisfaction is clearly an attitudinal variable and, thus, is a property of individual spouses. (Hawkins 1968, p. 648).

Factors Influencing Marital Adjustment

CommunicationWife employmentTrustPsychological well beingEducation and incomePersonalityNon disclosure

When Should Couples Go For Counseling?Donna M. White, a couple counselor in a hospital in Massachusetts gives seven reasons as to when should couples go for counseling -

Communication has become negativeWhen one or both partners consider having an affair, or one partner has had an affair. When the couple seems to be “just occupying the same space”When the partners don’t know how to resolve their differencesWhen one partner begins to act out on negative feelingsWhen the only resolution appears to be separationWhen a couple is staying together for the sake of the children

Gender Differences in Marital Adjustment, Mental

Health and Frustration Reactions During Middle

AgeDr. S. Goel and Dr. D.K. Narang

The present research was taken up with broad objective to study the marital adjustment, mental health and frustration reactions males and females of middle age from Delhi, India. The sample comprised of 150 males and 150 females (n=300) which are bank employees, doctors and lecturers, within the age range of 40-55 years from Delhi, India.

Significant sex difference will be found in marital adjustment of males and females of middle age.

Significant sex difference will be found in mental health of males and females of middle age.

Significant sex difference will be found in frustration reactions of males and females of middle age.

Methodology

The sample comprised of 150 males and 150 females (N=300), selected through convenient sampling techniqueThe Following Statistical Tests Were Computed:Mean and Standard Deviation were computed.Pearson's 'r' was computed.Criteria for Sample Selection:Males and females must belong to the upper

middle socioeconomic status.The age range of the subject should fall between

(40-55 years).Minimum working hours of men and women should

be 6 to 8 hours per day.Subject must be either doctors or lecturer or

working with the banks only.

TOOLS FOR ASSESSMENT

• Marital Adjustment Questionnaire

• Mental Health Inventory• Frustration Reactions

Questionnaire

Results

References http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-3404400224/mar

ital-adjustment.html http://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/importance-a

nd-factors-involved-in-marital-adjustment-psychology-essay.php

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/42253/Iryna_Sharaievska.pdf?sequence=1

http://psychcentral.com/lib/7-reasons-to-seek-marriage-counseling/

http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/vol1-issue3/F0134249.pdf