Repeating the Errors of Our Parents? Family-of-Origin Spouse Violence and Observed Conflict Management in Engaged Couples

Based on a developmental social learning analysis, it was hypothesized that observing parental violence predisposes partners to difficulties in managing couple conflict. Seventy-one engaged couples were assessed on their observation of parental violence in their family of origin. All couples were videotaped discussing two areas of current relationship conflict, and their cognitions during the interactions were assessed using a video-mediated recall procedure. Couples in which the male partner reported observing parental violence (male-exposed couples) showed more negative affect and communication during conflict discussions than couples in which neither partner reported observing parental violence (unexposed couples). Couples in which only the female partner reported observing parental violence (female- exposed couples) did not differ from unexposed couples in their affect or behavior. Female-exposed couples reported more negative cognitions than unexposed couples, but male-exposed couples did not differ from unexposed couples in their reported cognitions

‘Normal’ Life in a Hazardous World: How Adults with Moderate Learning Difficulties and Their Carers Cope with Risks and Dangers

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 adults with moderate learning difficulties attending Adult Training Centres and with their informal carers. Interviews covered friendships, relationships with the opposite sex, leisure and independent living and were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Ways of dealing with hazards emerged as an important theme. Hazards could be seen as dangers to be avoided or as risks to be calculated and minimised. Adults and informal carers usually viewed hazards in a similar way but there were conflicts of view in some families. Treating hazards as dangers to be avoided appeared to be associated with professional or skilled manual social background and the presence of both parents in the household