This study examines the impact of differentiation on marital satisfac-tion in healthy like, healthy unlike, unhealthy like, and unhealthy unlike couples. The marital satisfaction scores of the 4 groups were comparedto determine if a significant difference existed among the groups. Re-sults suggested that individuals seek mates with comparable levels of differentiation. Highly differentiated individuals experience greater marital satisfaction whereas undifferentiated persons experience higher levels of marital distress, and the impact of differentiation on maritalsatisfaction is strongerfor women than men.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anonymous
. (1972). Toward the differentiation of self in one's own family. In J. Framo (Ed.), Family interaction: A dialogue between therapist and researchers (pp. 111-171). New York: Springer.
2.
Archer, S. L.
, & Waterman, A. S. (1988). Psychological individualism: Gender difference or gender neutrality?Human Development, 31, 65-81.
3.
Biernacki, P.
, &Waldorf, D. (1981). Snowball sampling. Sociological Methoads and Research, 10, 141-163.
4.
Boszormenyi-Nagy, I.
, & Spark, G. (1973). Invisible loyalties. New York: Harper & Row.
5.
Bowen, M.
(1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. New York: Jason Aronson.
6.
Bowen, M.
(1976). Theory in the practice of psychotherapy. In P. Guerin (Ed.), Family therapy: Therapy and practice (pp. 42-90). New York: Gardner.
7.
Bray, J.
, Williamson, D., & Malone, P. (1984a). Personal authority in the family system: Development of a questionnaire to measture personal authority in intergenerational family processes. journal of Marital and Family Theralpy, 10, 167-178.
8.
Bray,J., Williamson, D., & Malone, P. (1984b). Personal authority in the family system questionnaire manual. Unpublished document.
9.
Bray, J.
, Williamson, D., & Malone, P. (1986). An evaluation of an intergenerational consultation process to increase personal authority in the family system. Family Process, 25, 423-436.
10.
Fairbairn, W.
(1963). Synopsis of an object-relations theory of the personality. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 44, 224-225.
11.
Fine, M.
, & Hovestadt, A. (1984). Perceptions of marriage and rationality by levels of perceived health in the family of origin. journal of' Marital and Family Therapy, 10193-195.
12.
Fleming, W. M.
, & Anderson, S. A. (1986). Individuation from the family of origin and personal adjustment in late adolescence. journal of'Marital and Family Therapy, 12, 311-315.
13.
Framo,J. L.
(1992). Family of origin therapy: An intergenerational approach. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
14.
Gilbert, R.
(1992). EIxtraordinary relationships: A new way of thinking about human interactions. Minneapolis, MN: Chronimed Publication.
15.
Grotevant, H.
, & Cooper, C. (1986). Individuation in family relationships. Human Development, 29, 82-100.
16.
Katz, B.
(1981). Separation-individuation and marital therapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 2, 195-203.
17.
Kerr, M.
, & Bowen, M. (1988). l'amily evaluation. New York: Norton.
18.
Lieberman, S.
(1979). Transgenerational family therapy. London: Croom Helm.
19.
Mahler, M.
(1979). The selected papers of Margaret S. Mahler: Separationindividuation (Vol. 2). New York: Jason Aronson.
20.
Olson, D. H.
, Bell, R., & Portner,J. (1978). FACaS: Family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scales I. Family Social Science, University of Minnesota.
21.
Schultz, S.
(1984). Family systemn therapy: An integration. New York:Jason Aronson.
22.
Searles, H.
(1979). Countertransference and related subjects: Selected papers. New York: International Universities Press.
23.
Sharpe, S.
(1981). The symbiotic marriage. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 45, 89-114.
24.
Snyder, D. K
(1979). Multidimensional assessment of marital satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 813-823.
25.
Snyder, D. K.
(1985). Marital satisfaction inventory (MSI) manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
26.
Snyder, D. K.
, & Regts, J. M. (1982). Factor scales for assessing marital disharmony and disaffection.Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 50, 736-743.
27.
Snyder, D. K
, Wills, R. M., & Keiser, T. W. (1981). Empirical validation of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory: An actuarial approach.Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 49, 262-268.
28.
Spanier, G. B.
(1976). Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing equality of marriage and similar dyads. Journal of Mamiage and the Family, 38, 15-28.
