In this study (N = 239), Christian religious affiliation, low attachment avoidance, and intrinsic religious motivation contributed uniquely to positive marital attitudes; more serious relational status, low attachment avoidance, and intrinsic religious motivation contributed uniquely to marital readiness. Implications for family counseling practice and research are discussed.
Ali, S.R., Liu, W.M., & Humedian , M. (2004). Islam 101: Understanding the religion and therapy implications. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 35, 635-642.
2.
Allport, G.W., & Ross, J.M. ( 1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 432-443.
3.
Arnett, J.J. ( 1998). Learning to stand alone: The contemporary American transition to adulthood in cultural and historical context. Human Development , 41, 295-315.
4.
Arnett, J.J. ( 2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist , 55, 469-480.
5.
Aten, J.D. ( 2004a). Improving understanding and collaboration between campus ministers and college counseling center personnel. Journal of College Counseling, 7, 90-96.
6.
Aten, J.D. ( 2004b). The college campus ministry internship site: Interfacing religion and counseling. Counseling and Values , 49, 64-68.
7.
Bassett, L.B., Braaten, E.B., & Rosén, L.A. (1999). Test-retest reliability for the Marital Attitudes Scale. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 32, 155-158.
8.
Belaire, C., Young, J.S., & Elder, A. ( 2005). Inclusion of religious behaviors and attitudes in counseling: Expectations of conservative Christians. Counseling and Values , 49, 82-94.
9.
Benes, K.M., Walsh, J.M., McMinn, M.R., Dominguez, A.W., & Aikins, D.C. ( 2000). Psychology and the Church: An exemplar of psychologist-clergy collaboration. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice , 31, 515-520.
10.
Bock, E.W., & Radelet, M.L. ( 1988). The marital integration of religious independents: A reevaluation of its significance. Review of Religious Research , 29, 228-241.
11.
Bowlby, J. ( 1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
12.
Bowlby, J. ( 1988). A secure base. New York: Basic Books.
13.
Braaten, E.B., & Rosén, L.A. (1998). Development and validation of the Marital Attitude Scale. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage , 29, 83-92.
14.
Brealt, K.E., & Kposowa, A.J. ( 1987). Explaining divorce in the United States: A study of 3111 counties, 1980. Journal of Marriage and the Family , 49, 549-558.
15.
Brennan, K.A., Clark, C.I., & Shaver, P.R. ( 1998). Self-report measurement of adult attachment. In J. A. Simpson & W. S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46-76). New York: Guilford.
16.
Brimhall, A.S., & Butler, M.H. ( 2007). Intrinsic vs. extrinsic religious motivation and the marital relationship. The American Journal of Family Therapy , 35, 235-249.
17.
Bryant, A.N., & Astin, H.S. ( 2008). The correlates of spiritual struggle during the college years. The Journal of Higher Education, 79, 1-27.
18.
Carnelly, K.B., & Janoff-Bulman, R. (1992). Optimism about love relationships: General vs. specific lessons from one’s personal experiences. Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, 9, 5-20.
19.
Carroll, J.S., Willoughby, B.J., Nelson, L.J., Madsen, S.D., & Barry, C.M. ( 2009). Ready or not? Criteria for marriage readiness among emerging adults. Journal of Adolescent Research, 24, 349-375.
20.
Carter, H.L.J., & Foley, L. ( 1943). What are young people asking about marriage? Journal of Applied Psychology, 27, 275-282.
21.
Carver, K., Joyner, K., & Udry, J.R. ( 2003). National estimates of adolescent romantic relationships . In P. Florsheim (Ed.), Adolescent romantic relations and sexual behavior: Theory, research, and practical implications (pp. 23-56). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
22.
Clinton, T. ( 2003). The state of Christian marriage. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 179-187.
23.
Coomes, M.D. ( 2004). Understanding the historical and cultural influences that shape generations. New Directions for Student Services , 106, 17-31.
24.
Davila, J., & Bradbury, T.N. (2001). Attachment insecurity and the distinction between unhappy spouses who do and do not divorce. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 371-393.
25.
Edwards, K.J. ( 2003). It takes a village to save a marriage. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 188-195.
26.
Eldar-Avidan, D., Haj-Yahia, M.M., & Greenbaum, C.W. (2009). Divorce is a part of my life . . . resilience, survival, and vulnerability: Young adults’ perception of the implications of parental divorce. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35, 30-46.
27.
Erikson, E.H. ( 1980). Identity and the life cycle. New York : Norton.
28.
Fiese, B.H., & Tomcho, T.J. ( 2001). Finding meaning in religious practices: The relation between religious holiday rituals and marital satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 597-609.
29.
Gingrich, F., & Worthington, E.L. , Jr. (2007). Supervision and the integration of faith into clinical practice: Research considerations. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 26, 342-355.
30.
Grayson, P.A. ( 2006). Overview. In P. A. Grayson , & P. W. Meilman (Eds.), College mental health practice (pp. 1-20). New York: Routledge.
31.
Hetherington, E.M., & Kelly, J. ( 2002). For better or worse: Divorce reconsidered. New York: Norton.
32.
Higher Education Research Institute. (2004 ). The spiritual life of college students: A national study of students’ search for meaning and purpose. Retrieved May 30, 2007, from http://www.spirituality.ucla.edu/spirituality/reports/FINAL%20REPORT.pdf
33.
Hill, C.A., Blakemore, J.E.O., & Drumm, P. ( 1997). Mutual and unrequited love in adolescence and young adulthood . Personal Relationships, 4, 15-23.
34.
Hoge, D.R. ( 1972). A validated intrinsic religious motivation scale . Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 11, 369-376.
35.
Holman, T.B., Larson, J.H., & Harmer, S.L. ( 1994). The development and predictive validity of a new premarital assessment instrument. Family Relations, 43, 46-52.
36.
Holman, T.B., & Li, B.D. ( 1997). Premarital factors influencing perceived readiness for marriage. Journal of Family Issues, 18, 124-144.
37.
Johnson, C.V., & Hayes, J.A. ( 2003). Troubled spirits: Prevalence and predictors of religious and spiritual concerns among university students and counseling center clients . Journal of Counseling Psychology, 50, 409-419.
38.
Kaslow, F. ( 2001). Families and family psychology at the millennium: Intersecting crossroads. American Psychologist, 56, 37-46.
39.
Larson, J.H. ( 1988). Factors influencing college students’ perceived readiness for marriage. Family Perspective, 22, 145-157.
40.
Larson, J.H., Benson, M.J., Wilson, S.M., & Medora, N. ( 1998). Family of origin influences on marital attitudes and readiness for marriage in late adolescents. Journal of Family Issues, 19, 750-768.
41.
Larson, J.H., & Thayne, T.R. ( 1998). Marital attitudes and personal readiness for marriage of young adult children of alcoholics. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 16, 59-73.
42.
Long, B.H. ( 1987). Perceptions of parental discord and parental separations in the United States: Effects on daughters’ attitudes toward marriage and courtship progress. Journal of Social Psychology, 127, 573-582.
43.
Lowery, J.W. ( 2004). Student affairs for a new generation. New Directions for Student Services, 106, 87-99.
44.
Mahoney, A., Pargament, K.I., Jewell, T., Swank, A.B., Scott, E., Emery, E., et al. (1999). Marriage and the spiritual realm: The role of proximal and distal constructs in marital functioning. Journal of Family Psychology, 13, 321-338.
45.
Maltby, J. ( 1999). The internal structure of a derived, revised, and amended measure of the religious orientation scale: The ‘‘Age-Universal’’ I-E scale. Social Behavior and Personality, 27, 407-412.
46.
Marks, L. ( 2005). How does religion influence marriage? Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim perspectives. Marriage & Family Review , 38, 85-111.
47.
McMinn, M.R., Ruiz, J.N., Marx, D., Wright, J.B., & Gilbert, N.B. ( 2006). Professional psychology and the doctrines of sin and grace: Christian leaders’ perspectives. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37, 295-302.
48.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P.R. ( 2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change . New York: Guilford .
49.
Miller, G. ( 2003). Incorporating spirituality in counseling and psychotherapy: Theory and technique. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
50.
Munson, M.L., & Sutton, P.D. ( 2006). Births, marriages, divorces and deaths: Provisional data for 2005 [Electronic version]. National Vital Statistics Reports , 54, 1-7. Retrieved November 5, 2006, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr54/nvsr54_20.pdf
51.
Pargament, K.I., Magyar-Russell, G.M., & Murray-Swank, N.A. (2005). The sacred and the search for significance: Religion as a unique process. Journal of Social Issues, 61, 665-687.
52.
Pinsof, W.M. ( 2002). The death of ‘‘till death do us part’’: The transformation of pair-bonding in the 20th century. Family Process, 41, 135-157.
53.
Popenoe, D. ( 2007). The state of our unions: The social health of marriage in America. In D. Popenoe & B. D. Whitehead (Directors), The National Marriage Project. Retrieved April 17, 2008, from http://marriage.rutgers.edu
54.
Riggio, H.R., & Weiser, D.A. ( 2008). Attitudes toward marriage: Embeddedness and outcomes in personal relationships. Personal Relationships, 15, 123-140.
55.
Ripley, J.S. ( 2003). Introduction: Reflections on the current status and future of Christian marriages. Journal of Psychology and Theology , 31, 175-178.
56.
Ripley, J.S., Worthington, E.L., Jr. , Bromley, D., & Kemper, S.D. (2005). Covenantal and contractual values in marriage: Marital Values Orientation toward Wedlock or Self-actualization (Marital VOWS) scale. Personal Relationships , 12, 317-336.
57.
Rogers, J.L., & Love, P. ( 2007). Exploring the role of spirituality in the preparation of student affairs professionals: Faculty constructions. Journal of College Student Development, 48, 90-104.
58.
Rose, E.M., Westefeld, J.S., & Ansley, T.N. ( 2001). Spiritual issues in counseling: Clients’ beliefs and preferences. Journal of Counseling Psychology , 48, 61-71.
59.
Sandfort, M.H., & Haworth, J.G. ( 2007). Whassup? A glimpse into the attitudes and beliefs of the millennial generation. Journal of College and Character , 2. Retrieved June 7, 2007 from, http://www.collegevalues.org/articles.cfm?id=613&a=1I
60.
Schaffner, A.D., & Dixon, D.N. ( 2003). Religiosity, gender, and preferences for religious interventions in counseling: A preliminary study. Counseling and Values , 48, 24-33.
61.
Schumm, W.R. ( 2003). Comments on marriage in contemporary culture: Five models that might help families. Journal of Psychology and Theology , 31, 213-223.
62.
Sheler, J.L. ( 2003). The ways of worshipU.S. News & World Report [Special Collector’s Edition: Mysteries of Faith] , pp. 6-15.
63.
Silberman, I. ( 2005). Religion as a meaning system: Implications for the new millennium. Journal of Social Issues, 61, 641-663.
64.
Silliman, B. ( 2003). Building healthy marriages through early and extended outreach with youth. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 270-282.
65.
Stanley, S. ( 2003). Strengthening marriages in a skeptical culture: Issues and opportunities. Journal of Psychology and Theology , 31, 224-230.
Walker, D.F., Gorsuch, R.L., & Tan, S.- Y. (2005). Therapists’ use of religious and spiritual interventions in Christian counseling: A preliminary report. Counseling and Values, 49, 107-119.
68.
Whitaker, D.J., Beach, S.R.H., Etherton, J., Wakefield, R., & Anderson, P.L. (1999). Attachment and expectations about future relationships: Moderation by accessibility. Personal Relationships, 6, 41-56.
69.
Wolf, C.T., & Stevens, P. ( 2001). Integrating religion and spirituality in marriage and family counseling. Counseling and Values, 46, 66-75.
70.
Worthington, E.L. Jr. (1988). Understanding the values of religious clients: A model and its application to counseling. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 35, 166-174.
71.
Worthington, E.L., Jr. , Lerner, A.J., & Sharp, C.B. (2005). Repairing the emotional bond: Marriage research from 1997 through early 2005. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 24, 259-262.
72.
Yarhouse, M.A., & Nowacki, S.K. ( 2007). The many meanings of marriage: Divergent perspectives seeking common ground. The Family Journal, 15, 36-45.
73.
Young, J.S., Cashwell, C., Wiggins-Frame, M., & Belaire, C. ( 2002). Spiritual and religious competencies: A national survey of CACREP-Accredited programs. Counseling and Values , 47, 22-33.
74.
Zinnbauer, B.J., & Pargament, K.I. (2000). Working with the sacred: Four approaches to religious and spiritual issues in counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78, 162-171.