What Predicts Change in Marital Interaction Over Time? A Study of Alternative Models

This is a report on what predicts the deterioration of affective marital interaction over a 4‐year period. Four models were compared for their ability to predict Time‐2 dysfunctional marital interaction (a set of reliable predictors of marital dissolution). These four models were: (1) baseline physi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Family process 1999-06, Vol.38 (2), p.143-158
Main Authors: GOTTMAN, JOHN MORDECHAI, LEVENSON, ROBERT WAYNE
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Arousal - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition - physiology
Conflict (Psychology)
Conflict resolution
Couple and family
Couples
Divorce
Divorce - psychology
Emotions
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Forecasting
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Indiana
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal Relations
Longitudinal studies
Male
Marital Relations
Marital Satisfaction
Marital stability
Marriage
Marriage - psychology
Physiology
Prediction
Psychological Theory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social psychology
Time Factors
Variables
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Summary:This is a report on what predicts the deterioration of affective marital interaction over a 4‐year period. Four models were compared for their ability to predict Time‐2 dysfunctional marital interaction (a set of reliable predictors of marital dissolution). These four models were: (1) baseline physiology at Time‐1; (2) interaction physiology at Time‐1; (3) a balance model based on the ratio of positivity to negativity at Time‐1; and, (4) cognitions about the relationship operationalized from our coding of the Oral History Interview. All four models predicted Time‐2 dysfunctional marital interaction. All four models were also able to predict change, operationalized as predicting Time‐2 interaction, controlling for Time‐1 interaction, that is, using a covariance regression analysis. The most powerful model in predicting change was the balance ratio model.
ISSN:0014-7370
1545-5300
DOI:10.1111/j.1545-5300.1999.00143.x