Early Family Ties and Marital Stability Over 16 Years: The Context of Race and Gender

Spouses\u27 emotional ties to family early in marriage are linked to marital outcomes, but little is known about how these ties affect marital stability and whether these effects vary by race and gender. The present study examines the links between emotional ties to family of origin and in-laws in the first year of marriage and marital stability over the first 16years of marriage. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal study following Black American (n=199) and White American (n=174) married couples. Analyses revealed that perceptions of closeness to in-laws early in marriage were associated with odds of divorce over time, but the results varied by race and gender. Findings are discussed in terms of couples\u27 ties to family early in marriage and the role that in-law bonds play for marital stability. We also offer insights for practitioners who provide premarital and marital education and counseling services to couples

Early Family Ties and Marital Stability Over 16 Years: The Context of Race and Gender

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97276/1/fare12005.pd

Social Network Typologies of Black and White Married Couples in Midlife

Although research shows that conjoint social networks are associated with well‐being among newlyweds, little is known about how these network types are linked to marital quality and psychological well‐being for long‐term married couples and about potential race differences in their configurations and associations. Using a pattern‐centered approach to examine the social networks of 91 White and 62 Black couples in their 16th year of marriage, this study revealed four couple network types (friend‐focused, wife family‐focused, bilateral family‐focused, and diverse). Results suggested that spouses in the wife family‐focused network type (characterized by above‐average contact with the wife’s family and below average contact with the husband’s family and with nonkin) reported the lowest positive marital quality and highest negative marital quality. The association of network type with negative marital quality was also moderated by gender and race. The findings highlight the importance of considering the meaningful complexity within couples’ shared networks.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136463/1/jomf12330.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136463/2/jomf12330_am.pd

Coping with sexual assault: The roles of account-making and confiding

A study was conducted to evaluate the roles of account-making (i.e., story-like constructions involving explanations, reported memories, description, and emotional expression) and confiding in empathic others as facilitators of recovery for survivors of sexual assault. Twenty-five women and one man anonymously participated in a questionnaire study that asked them to provide accounts of instances of sexual assault, their own and other's reactions to the assault, and their perceptions of the impact of the assault on aspects of their lives. Respondents' reactions were coded and classified by independent raters. Consistent with parts of the theoretical conception, included among the findings were the following: (1) account-making was positively associated with successful coping and with helpful confidant reactions; (2) empathic confidant reactions occurring early after the assault led to more successful coping than did nonempathic reactions occurring either in the first twelve months or later after the assault; and (3) incest survivors indicated that they had more difficulty in coping and in their close relationships than did nonincest survivors. The data are discussed in terms of the value of story-construction activities and confiding as vital to the recovery process.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43103/1/10960_2004_Article_BF00974587.pd

How roadway composition matters in analyzing police data on racial profiling

This article argues that roadway composition data is essential to the analysis of police behavior when studying racial profiling of motorists. Police data alone show only the number and proportion of stops of African American and White drivers. They do not show how these numbers relate to the number of African American and White drivers using the roads. Proxy measures, drawn from the number of African American residents or license holders, assume that all roads in the community contain the same proportion The authors acknowledge the generous assistance of the anonymous police department that provided access. The Roadway Observation Study was supported by the Oakland University research committee and Vice-Provost Randy Hanson. We thank our research assistant

Account Episodes: The Management or Escalation of Conflict. By Peter Schönbach

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89546/1/j.2044-8309.1992.tb00969.x.pd

Book Reviews

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68762/2/10.1177_0265407591082011.pd

Account Episodes: The Management or Escalation of Conflict. By Peter Schönbach

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89546/1/j.2044-8309.1992.tb00969.x.pd

Who Does the Work? Partner Perceptions of the Initiation and Maintenance of Romantic Relationships

The contributions and effort that partners perceive each other to have made to the initiation and maintenance of their relationship may have significant individual and interpersonal consequences. Yet relatively little empirical research has explored such perceptions. The primary goal of the present investigation was to examine how both members of a sample of heterosexual romantic couples (N = 96 couples) perceived the balance of work in regard to both the initiation and the maintenance of their relationship. A second goal was to examine gender differences and similarities in perceptions of relationship work. A third goal was to explore relational outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and commitment) associated with these perceptions, and whether the link between perceptions and relationship outcomes differs as a function of partner gender. As expected, most participants (approximately 70%) perceived balance (equal sharing) in the work of maintaining the relationship. However, a majority (approximately 64%) perceived the work of relationship initiation as imbalanced (i.e., one partner contributing more than the other). Perceptions of balance versus imbalance in the work of relationship maintenance (but not initiation) were associated with satisfaction and commitment to the relationship. Interestingly, the pattern of association was different for men and women. The findings are discussed in terms of equity theory, as well as other theoretical frameworks

Who Does the Work? Partner Perceptions of the Initiation and Maintenance of Romantic Relationships

The contributions and effort that partners perceive each other to have made to the initiation and maintenance of their relationship may have significant individual and interpersonal consequences. Yet relatively little empirical research has explored such perceptions. The primary goal of the present investigation was to examine how both members of a sample of heterosexual romantic couples (N = 96 couples) perceived the balance of work in regard to both the initiation and the maintenance of their relationship. A second goal was to examine gender differences and similarities in perceptions of relationship work. A third goal was to explore relational outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and commitment) associated with these perceptions, and whether the link between perceptions and relationship outcomes differs as a function of partner gender. As expected, most participants (approximately 70%) perceived balance (equal sharing) in the work of maintaining the relationship. However, a majority (approximately 64%) perceived the work of relationship initiation as imbalanced (i.e., one partner contributing more than the other). Perceptions of balance versus imbalance in the work of relationship maintenance (but not initiation) were associated with satisfaction and commitment to the relationship. Interestingly, the pattern of association was different for men and women. The findings are discussed in terms of equity theory, as well as other theoretical frameworks