Douglas K. Snyder

Long-Term Effectiveness of Behavioral Versus Insight-Oriented Marital Therapy A 4-Year Follow-Up Study

Four-year follow-up data regarding marital status and marital accord were obtained for 59 couples receiving either behavioral (BMT) or insight-oriented (IOMT) marital therapy in a controlled outcome study. Although no significant group differences had been observed between the 2 treatment conditions at either termination or 6-month follow-up, by 4-year follow-up a significantly higher percentage of BMT couples had experienced divorce (38% for BMT couples compared with 3% for IOMT couples). Results are compared with previous outcome research in this area, and recommendations are made for further research.

Emotion regulation in couples and families : pathways to dysfunction and health

This is an edited book that addresses critical theoretical and methodological issues in the rapidly advancing field of emotion regulation. It presents empirical findings linking emotion regulation to individual and relationship functioning across the life span, while providing implications for clinical intervention, public policy, and future research. Contributors - who are nationally and internationally recognized for their expertise in social, developmental, and clinical disciplines - offer diverse perspectives on the role of emotion regulation processes in dysfunction and health. In addition to advancing the latest empirical developments, this volume will also be a prime resource for graduate students and practitioners working with children, couples, and families for whom emotion regulation difficulties are targets of clinical intervention.

Behavioral Versus Insight-Oriented Marital Therapy: Effects on Individual and Interspousal Functioning

This study compared the effects of behavioral marital therapy (BMT) and insight-oriented marital therapy (IOMT) on both interspousal and intrapersonal functioning in a controlled outcome study. A total of 79 couples seeking treatment for relationship distress were randomly assigned to BMT, IOMT, or a treatment-on-demand (TOD) waiting-list control group. Results indicated the significance in individual and relationship functioning. Both treatment approaches produced significant effects from intake to termination that were substantially maintained at the 6-month follow-up. Behavioral and insight-oriented therapies resulted in significant improvements in self-reports of global marital accord and, to a lesser extent, in the reduction of overall psychological distress and in the enhancement of self-concept, with no significant differences between treatment conditions. The magnitude of these effects in comparison with those reported in previous marital outcome studies and in more general psychotherapy research is discussed, and possible mechanisms for the equivalence of these technically divergent treatment approaches are explored.

Sexual infidelity in a national survey of American women: differences in prevalence and correlates as a function of method of assessment

The purposes of this study were (a) to estimate the annual prevalence of, and to identify the predictors of, sexual infidelity in a population-based sample of married women (N = 4,884); and (b) to evaluate whether the prevalence and predictors of infidelity varied as a function of whether the assessment of infidelity was based on a face-to-face interview versus a computer-assisted self-interview. Annual prevalence of infidelity was much smaller on the basis of the face-to-face interview (1.08%) than on the computer-assisted self-interview (6.13%). Although many of the predictor variables replicated results from previous studies (e.g., demographic variables, religiosity, sexual experience), findings also indicated that childhood sexual abuse (i.e., forced sex) predicted greater probability of infidelity. Finally, the magnitude of the association with infidelity for 4 of the 9 predictor variables differed between the 2 methods for assessing infidelity. This studys findings underscore the importance of assessing infidelity with methods such as computer-assisted self-interviews that minimize the influence of social desirability and impression management.

Evidence-Based Approaches to Assessing Couple Distress.

This article describes a conceptual framework for couple-based assessment strategies grounded in empirical findings linking couple distress to a broad range of both individual and relationship characteristics. These characteristics can contribute to, exacerbate, or result from relationship problems. On the basis of these findings, the authors articulate specific targets of clinical inquiry reflecting relationship behaviors, cognitions, and affect as well as features of individual distress. Guided by this framework, empirically supported assessment strategies and techniques emphasizing relationship functioning across diverse methods are proposed, including the clinical interview, analog behavioral observation, and both self- and other-report measures. Discussion concludes with specific recommendations regarding clinical assessment of couple distress and directions for further research.

Is Marital Discord Taxonic and Can Taxonic Status Be Assessed Reliably? Results From a National, Representative Sample of Married Couples

Addressing potential weaknesses in an earlier investigation, the authors examined the latent structure of marital discord using 4 product indicators from the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (Snyder, 1997) in a representative sample of community couples (N = 1,020). Results from 3 taxometric procedures suggested that marital discord is taxonic, with an estimated base rate of .31. Cut scores for classifying members of this marital discord taxon were identified. Additional analyses with several data sets of community and clinic couples provided evidence that the marital discord taxon classification demonstrated good (a) 6-week test-retest reliability, (b) criterion validity (i.e., differences in taxon prevalence in community vs. clinic couples), and (c) construct validity (i.e., correlations with therapist ratings of relationship quality). These results suggest that discordant couples differ qualitatively and not just quantitatively from nondiscordant couples and that user friendly methods, suitable for a range of research and clinical applications, can be used to identify marital discord.

Analyzing Nonindependent Outcomes in Couple Therapy Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model.

The nonindependent components of couple data require data-analytic strategies tailored to the interpersonal processes occurring between relationship partners. This article examines the benefits of a specifically dyadic analytic method, the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM), for evaluating interpartner influence across time. Both conceptual and methodological features of the APIM are exemplified by applying this model to observations of negative and positive affect and global distress in spouses participating in a randomized trial of couple therapy. In addition to elucidating specific advantages of the APIM relative to alternative data-analytic strategies, the current results shed new light on previous findings from a comparative treatment outcome study evaluating behavioral and insight-oriented approaches to couple therapy.

Predictors of Intimacy in Couples' Discussions of Relationship Injuries: An Observational Study

The interpersonal process model of intimacy (H. T. Reis & P. Shaver, 1988) proposes that self-disclosure and empathic responding form the basis of intimate interactions. This study examined this model in 102 community couples who completed intimacy measures following videotaped discussions about relationship injuries occurring both within and outside the relationship. Observational assessments of self-disclosure and empathic responding, as well as their respective components, were related to self-reported ratings of post-interaction intimacy. Mens own disclosure and empathic responding predicted their feelings of intimacy, whereas womens intimacy was predicted by their partners disclosure and empathic responding. Self-disclosure and empathic responding appear to be important behavioral determinants of intimate feelings, but the manner in which they influence intimacy differs according to gender.

Predicting disposition following brief residence at a shelter for battered women

Despite the recent proliferation of community shelters designed specifically to serve battered women, remarkably few evaluation studies have been conducted to determine the subsequent disposition of women following brief residence at these agencies. In particular, whether or not a woman returns to live with her assailant has far-reaching implications for the type of counseling services she requires as a shelter resident. From data available at admission, the current study employs discriminant function analysis for maximizing prediction of a battered womans living arrangements 6 weeks following discharge. Results of the analysis improve the prediction of living arrangements from a 52°7o rate of accuracy using base rates alone to an 80% rate of accuracy using discriminant function coefficients. Implications for the development of more effective service delivery and for future research are discussed. It has been only recently that domestic violence and wife-abuse in particular have been recognized as a social problem of epidemic proportions. In the United States in any one year, approximately 1.8 million wives are beaten by their husbands. Nearly 30°70 of all couples report experiencing a violent incident at least once in the course of their marriage; estimates of actual incidence of physical abuse in marriages run closer to 50 to 60°70 (Straus, 1977-78). By 1978, some 100 shelters had been established as a refuge for battered women, and their number has grown steadily since (McShane, 1979).

Screening for marital and relationship discord.

Based on recent findings suggesting that marital discord is taxonic (i.e., that couples in discordant relationships differ qualitatively, and not just quantitatively, from couples in nondiscordant relationships), this study was designed to develop a brief screening measure for detecting the relationship discord taxon. A national, representative sample of 1,020 married couples completed the Marital Satisfaction Inventory--Revised. Data from this sample were used to create a 10-item screening measure. Using the cut scores from the original study that found evidence of taxonicity as a point of reference, the 10-item screen demonstrated good diagnostic performance in assessing the relationship discord taxon. Taxon classification based on the brief scale demonstrated good short-term stability. The scale is easily administered and scored, making it appropriate for use in clinical and research settings.