In light of the negative consequences associated with the development of distress in initially satisfied marriages, the proposed research examines the structure of spouses' representations of the marriage for its role in the resiliency of marital satisfaction over time. Perceptions of a marriage are presumed to vary in breadth, from specific observations of partner behaviors to global evaluations of the relationship as a whole. The central hypothesis of this research is that the way specific perceptions of the partner are organized will moderate the association between those perceptions and global evaluations of the marriage. The more complex (i.e., differentiated and evaluatively integrated) the organization of specific perceptions, the less any one negative perception should impact global evaluations. Thus, spouses whose representations of their partners are more complex should experience more stable global satisfaction over time, exchange more positive behaviors during marital interaction, and adapt more successfully to stressful events, compared to spouses whose representations are less complex. To address several hypotheses derived from this model, 150 newlywed couples will be assessed every six months for the first four years of their marriage. Assessments will include: (a) marital interactions and structured interviews recorded in the laboratory shortly after marriage and two years later; (b) a week of nightly evaluations of global and specific perceptions of the relationship collected shortly after marriage and two years later; (c) self-report questionnaires administered through the mail at 6-month intervals. Hypotheses will be tested using growth curve analysis. To the extent that the structure of spouses' cognitions may prove easier to change than the content of those cognitions, the long-term goal of this research is to identify a potentially important but currently overlooked target for future interventions designed to prevent the deterioration of initially satisfied marriages.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH059712-05
Application #
6796167
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-RPHB-4 (01))
Program Officer
Kozak, Michael J
Project Start
2000-09-01
Project End
2006-08-31
Budget Start
2004-09-01
Budget End
2006-08-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$104,623
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Florida
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
969663814
City
Gainesville
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
32611
Lavner, Justin A; Weiss, Brandon; Miller, Joshua D et al. (2018) Personality change among newlyweds: Patterns, predictors, and associations with marital satisfaction over time. Dev Psychol 54:1172-1185
Lavner, Justin A; Karney, Benjamin R; Williamson, Hannah C et al. (2017) Bidirectional Associations Between Newlyweds' Marital Satisfaction and Marital Problems over Time. Fam Process 56:869-882
Lavner, Justin A; Lamkin, Joanna; Miller, Joshua D et al. (2016) Narcissism and newlywed marriage: Partner characteristics and marital trajectories. Personal Disord 7:169-79
Meltzer, Andrea L; McNulty, James K; Jackson, Grace L et al. (2014) Sex differences in the implications of partner physical attractiveness for the trajectory of marital satisfaction. J Pers Soc Psychol 106:418-28
Meltzer, Andrea L; McNulty, James K; Jackson, Grace L et al. (2014) Men still value physical attractiveness in a long-term mate more than women: rejoinder to Eastwick, Neff, Finkel, Luchies, and Hunt (2014). J Pers Soc Psychol 106:435-40
Lavner, Justin A; Karney, Benjamin R; Bradbury, Thomas N (2013) Newlyweds' optimistic forecasts of their marriage: for better or for worse? J Fam Psychol 27:531-40
Meltzer, Andrea L; Novak, Sarah A; McNulty, James K et al. (2013) Marital satisfaction predicts weight gain in early marriage. Health Psychol 32:824-7
Lavner, Justin A; Bradbury, Thomas N; Karney, Benjamin R (2012) Incremental change or initial differences? Testing two models of marital deterioration. J Fam Psychol 26:606-16
van Steenbergen, Elianne F; Kluwer, Esther S; Karney, Benjamin R (2011) Workload and the trajectory of marital satisfaction in newlyweds: job satisfaction, gender, and parental status as moderators. J Fam Psychol 25:345-55
O'Mara, Erin M; McNulty, James K; Karney, Benjamin R (2011) Positively biased appraisals in everyday life: when do they benefit mental health and when do they harm it? J Pers Soc Psychol 101:415-432

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