Four studies are proposed to examine the assumption underlying the central role accorded attributions, or explanations for relationship events, in cognitive accounts of marital dysfunction. The long term goal of the research is to provide data on the causal role of attributions in marital dysfunction that will facilitate the development of effective prevention programs and marital therapies. The first two studies examine the possible causal association between attributions and marital dissatisfaction. Study 1 is a two and half year, multiwave longitudinal study in which attributions and marital satisfaction will be assessed at five times. Study 2, an analogue intervention study, assesses the effects of changing attributions on marital satisfaction and, in addition, (a) compares the effectiveness of an attribution intervention to behavioral marital therapy, and (b) evaluates the utility of the attribution intervention as an adjunct to behavioral marital therapy. The second two studies investigate the impact of a spouse's attributions on subsequent behavior towards his or her partner. Study 3 examines this question at a microanalytic level by assessing attributions for and responses to each communication during a problem solving discussion. In Study 4 an attempt is made to manipulate the attribution a spouse makes for a partner behavior and to examine the impact of the manipulation on the subsequent thoughts of the spouse and his or her behavior towards the partner. Thus, the proposed studies investigate further the well documented association between attributions and concurrent marital dissatisfaction and lay a foundation for empirically based prevention and intervention programs for marital dysfunction.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH044078-04
Application #
2245979
Study Section
Life Course and Prevention Research Review Committee (LCR)
Project Start
1989-02-01
Project End
1994-01-31
Budget Start
1992-02-01
Budget End
1994-01-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041544081
City
Champaign
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
61820
Fincham, F D; Harold, G T; Gano-Phillips, S (2000) The longitudinal association between attributions and marital satisfaction: direction of effects and role of efficacy expectations. J Fam Psychol 14:267-85
Bradbury, T N; Campbell, S M; Fincham, F D (1995) Longitudinal and behavioral analysis of masculinity and femininity in marriage. J Pers Soc Psychol 68:328-41
Karney, B R; Bradbury, T N; Fincham, F D et al. (1994) The role of negative affectivity in the association between attributions and marital satisfaction. J Pers Soc Psychol 66:413-24
Grych, J H; Fincham, F D (1993) Children's appraisals of marital conflict: initial investigations of the cognitive-contextual framework. Child Dev 64:215-30
Fincham, F D; Bradbury, T N (1993) Marital satisfaction, depression, and attributions: a longitudinal analysis. J Pers Soc Psychol 64:442-52
Grych, J H; Seid, M; Fincham, F D (1992) Assessing marital conflict from the child's perspective: the children's perception of interparental conflict scale. Child Dev 63:558-72
Grych, J H; Fincham, F D (1992) Interventions for children of divorce: toward greater integration of research and action. Psychol Bull 111:434-54
Bradbury, T N; Fincham, F D (1992) Attributions and behavior in marital interaction. J Pers Soc Psychol 63:613-28
Fincham, F D; Bradbury, T N (1992) Assessing attributions in marriage: the relationship attribution measure. J Pers Soc Psychol 62:457-68
Grych, J H; Fincham, F D (1990) Marital conflict and children's adjustment: a cognitive-contextual framework. Psychol Bull 108:267-90

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