Predicting Marital Happiness and Stability From Newlywed

Interactions

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.

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

Introduction

Clients of marital therapy have a high relapse rate and consumers of therapy rated marital therapy lower than any other form of treatment.

Gottman and his colleagues suggest that this might be because marital therapy "is not based on a process model derived from longitudinal studies of what real couples do that predicts if their marriages will wind up happy, stable, unhappy and stable, or end in divorce.”

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

"Dysfunctional" Models of Marital Processes

Two Models of Affect: Anger as a Destructive Emotion Versus the "Four Horseman" Anger as a destructive emotion:

"Anger is destructive to a relationship, no matter what its form" (from Hendrix, 1988, p. 147).

Research does not seem to support this assertion.

The "Four Horseman": Four process predict divorce:

criticism,defensiveness,contemptstonewalling (listener withdrawal)

Subsequent research added the following process: belligerence

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

"Dysfunctional" Models of Marital Processes (cont.)

Affect, Power, and Gender Negative reciprocity and models of power: if

one partner is negative (e.g., angry), their partner is likely to respond negatively.

Negative start-up:Definition: escalation of conflict from

neutral for one partner to negative from the other.

Women are more likely to start conflict discussions.

"The gender specific hypothesis here is that marriages will work to the extent that women soften their start-up by not escalating from neutral to negative affect" (p. 7).

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

"Functional: Models of Marital Processes

The Active Listening Model The most common approach to marital

treatment. A speaker-listener exchange.

De-escalation Models: if one partner is negative, the other partner de-escalates to a neutral level.

Positive Affect Models: positive affect (e.g., humor, affection, interest) de-escalates marital conflict.

Balance Models There is a balance between negative and

positive exchanges. Stable marriages: 5 to 1 ratio of positive to

negative exchanges.

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

"Functional: Models of Marital Processes

The Potential Importance of Physiological Soothing for the Male Hypothesis: men and women respond

differently to negative affect. Men are more likely to withdraw emotionally in

the presence of negative affect. It has been suggested that there is a biological

difference between the sexes.

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

Models Tested

Models Tested to Predict DivorceWas itSupported?

1. Anger as a dangerous emotion. 1. No2. Active listening. 2. No3. Negative affect reciprocity. 3. No4. Negative start-up by the wife. 4. Yes5. De-escalation. 5. Yes6. Positive affect models. 6. Yes7. Physiological soothing of the male. 7. Yes

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

Discussion

No support for the model of anger model. Instead, contempt, belligerence, and defensiveness were the destructive patterns during conflict resolution.

The active listening model: It occurred infrequently during conflict

resolution; It did not predict marital outcome. Conclusion: "The active listening model is a

more confrontational model in the sense that it expects people to be empathetic in the face of negative affect directed at them by their spouse. … we are led to the hypothesis that the active listening model may be expecting a form of emotional gymnastics from people who, at that moment in their relationship, are somewhat emotionally disabled by conflict" (pp. 17-18).

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

Happy, Stable Couples

Softened start-up by the wife. The man accepted influence from his

partner. The man de-escalated low-intensity

negative affect. The woman used humor to soothe her

partner. The man was likely to use positive affect

and de-escalation to soothe himself.