Understanding the development of low-income marriages : investigating the antecedents and outcomes of marital functioning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jeremy B. Kanter
Keyword(s):  
Marital Satisfaction ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Marital Functioning ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
White Middle Class

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Change in marital satisfaction is a salient research topic for social scientists, especially given the association between marital functioning and adult and child well-being. Scholars have begun to recognize a decline in marital satisfaction is avoidable for the majority of couples, and recent work has demonstrated the antecedents and outcomes associated with different marital experiences. However, most work has used White, middle-class couples. Thus, it is unclear if these patterns replicate for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, what resources are associated with different relational pathways, and if relationship functioning is associated with psychological functioning. Using three waves of data from a sample of low-income newlywed couples in the Supporting Healthy Marriages project, I identified three classes of couples. The majority of spouses reported stable, high relationship functioning during the early years of marriage. Gender differences emerged, with husbands reporting more stable marital functioning than wives. Guided by the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model, I also found individual (family-of-origin experiences), dyadic (e.g., perceptions of support), and structural (e.g., neighborhood safety) factors were associated with different marital experiences. Last, I found that change in marital satisfaction was influential to change in psychological distress. These results advance scholarship on the inequalities and resilience factors prevalent in low-income populations.

The longitudinal association between marital and psychological functioning in socioeconomically disadvantaged relationships

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110117
Author(s):  
Jeremy B. Kanter ◽  
Christine M. Proulx
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Marital Satisfaction ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged ◽  
Marital Functioning ◽  
Longitudinal Association ◽  
Individual Functioning ◽  
Marital Change ◽  
Practical Implications

Marital functioning is associated with individuals’ psychological functioning. However, it is unclear if the association between marital and individual functioning extends to socioeconomically disadvantaged newlyweds (those with low educational attainment/income), and if changes in psychological distress differ between husbands and wives. Using three waves of data from 530 couples in the Supporting Healthy Marriage study, we investigated if improvements and deterioration in marital satisfaction were differentially associated with patterns of individuals’ psychological distress. We also examined if spouses’ divergent marital change patterns were associated with distress trajectories. For wives, improvements in marital satisfaction were more strongly associated with decreases in psychological distress compared to declines in satisfaction. Additionally, wives’ psychological distress was more adversely impacted than was husbands’ when they reported worse marital functioning. We provide empirical and practical implications for helping reduce disparities in psychological functioning observed in low-income populations.

Stress Spillover in Policing and Negative Relationship Functioning for Law Enforcement Marriages

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke McQuerrey Tuttle ◽  
Zachary Giano ◽  
Michael J. Merten
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Occupational Stress ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Marital Functioning ◽  
Unique Type

The nature of police work includes toxic work environments and uncertain danger which imparts a unique type of occupational stress spillover or the transfer of stress from work life to home life for law enforcement officers. Work stress places officers at risk for negative health and psychosocial outcomes. While it has been shown that occupational stress can compromise the well-being of police officers, little is known about how spillover can effect other areas of life for officers such as marital relationships. This study investigates the association between work demands, emotional stress spillover, and marital functioning in a law enforcement sample. Data from 1,180 married law enforcement respondents to the Police Officer Questionnaire which included 148 items assessing work stress, health, family, and support were examined. Responses were analyzed using regression analyses. Results showed that career demands and emotional spillover were statistically significant predictors of the variance in marital functioning. Social and emotional spillover of work-related stress carries negative consequences for communication and emotion regulation within law enforcement marriages.

Couples' Co-Construction of the Story of Their Child's Birth: Associations With Marital Adaptation

1996 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Oppenheim ◽  
Frederick S. Wamboldt ◽  
Leslie A. Gavin ◽  
Andrew G. Renouf ◽  
Robert N. Emde
Keyword(s):  
Marital Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Marital Relationships ◽  
Marital Functioning ◽  
Important Distinction ◽  
Emotional Adaptation ◽  
Family Narratives ◽  
Marital Adaptation ◽  
Dyadic Process ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Recent research showing links between family narratives and emotional adaptation has raised questions regarding the significance of the coherence of marital narratives for couple adaptation, the important distinction between the narratives couples co-construct and the dyadic process during the co-construction, and the roles of individual psychological functioning and marital functioning in co-constructed narratives. In order to address these questions, we investigated the associations between couples' narratives about the birth of their child and their marital satisfaction and individual psychological wellbeing at the time the narrative was constructed as well as 1 and 2 years later. Results show that the emotional coherence of couples' narratives was associated with their marital satisfaction at the time the narrative was constructed as well as 1 and 2 years later, and similar results were found regarding the emotional expressiveness of the narratives. These associations remained significant when the individual psychological distress of marital partners was held constant and suggest that co-constructed marital narratives are important windows into marital relationships. (Psychology)

Young People and Disadvantaged Environments in Affluent Countries

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Visser
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Rural Environments

Many social scientists over the last decades have focused on the question of the impacts of poverty on people. Studies in this field primarily examine the effects of social, cultural, and economic resources and structural factors on the development, social outcomes, and well-being of an individual. In the last decades, scholarly interest has increasingly focused on poverty among children and adolescents (hereafter “young people”). Young people are seen as a nation’s future, which forms a reason for societal concern with their well-being and developmental outcomes. In addition, scholars increasingly acknowledge that poverty is multidimensional and heterogenous: the effects of poverty differ according to personal characteristics such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, or disability, but they are also exemplified by the disadvantaged environments in which young people find themselves, such as dysfunctional families, deprived neighborhoods, and low-quality schools. This article gives an overview of the most important works in the field of the effects of poverty and disadvantaged environments on young people (0–18 years of age). As the nature of poverty differs significantly between affluent countries and low-income developing countries, this review is focused on studies in the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Given the fact that disadvantage, and the different effects thereof on young people, can be approached from the perspectives offered by different social sciences, publications from geography, sociology, social work, anthropology, economics, and (environmental) psychology are included in this review. This article departs from the idea of ecological models, assuming that poverty impacts children within their various contexts such as the home, school, and neighborhood. After presenting general works on poverty among young people, attention is given to the impacts of disadvantages in home, neighborhood, and school environments. Most studies that are discussed in this review deal with disadvantage in urban areas, reflecting the focus of the overall literature in affluent countries. However, poverty and disadvantage also differ between urban and rural environments. Therefore, the article ends with an overview of literature on poverty among young people in rural areas.

scholarly journals Trajectories of Marital Satisfaction in Diverse Newlywed Couples

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 597-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah C. Williamson ◽  
Justin A. Lavner
Keyword(s):  
Marital Satisfaction ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Predominantly White ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Marital Stability ◽  
White Middle Class ◽  
Sociodemographic Risk

Couples’ marital satisfaction is thought to decline over the newlywed years, but recent research indicates that the majority of spouses have high, stable trajectories during this period, and significant declines occur only among initially dissatisfied spouses. These findings are drawn from predominantly White, middle-class samples, however, which may overestimate marital stability compared to samples with higher levels of sociodemographic risk. Accordingly, the current study tested the generalizability of newlyweds’ marital stability by examining satisfaction trajectories among 431 ethnically diverse newlywed couples living in low-income neighborhoods. Consistent with previous work, most spouses had high levels of satisfaction, substantial declines were limited to spouses with lower initial levels of satisfaction, and divorce significantly differed between groups. Wives with higher levels of sociodemographic risk started marriage less satisfied and declined more in satisfaction. Overall, these findings reveal risky and resilient relationships among disadvantaged couples, with considerable stability during the newlywed years.

Chinese adult children’s perceived parents’ satisfaction with adult children’s marriage, in-law relationship quality, and adult children’s marital satisfaction

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1098-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongjian Cao ◽  
Mark Fine ◽  
Xiaoyi Fang ◽  
Nan Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Marital Satisfaction ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Parental Satisfaction ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Single Model ◽  
Chinese Adult ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Interdependent Relationships

Based on three annual waves of data obtained from 265 Chinese couples during the early years of marriage and using an actor–partner interdependence mediation model with latent difference scores, this study examined the associations among adult children’s perceived parents’ satisfaction with their (i.e., adult children’s) marriage, in-law relationship quality, and adult children’s marital satisfaction. Results indicated that husbands’ and wives’ perceived parental satisfaction with their (i.e., adult children’s) marriage was indirectly associated with the changes in their (i.e., adult children’s) marital satisfaction via their (i.e., adult children’s) perceived relationship quality with either fathers-in-law (FILs) or mothers-in-law (MILs); however, when husbands’ and wives’ perceived relationship quality with FILs and MILs was considered simultaneously in a single model, only two indirect pathways were still retained: Husbands’ and wives’ perceived parents’ satisfaction (HPS and WPS) with adult children’s marriage was associated with the changes in wives’ marital satisfaction exclusively via wives’ perceived relationship quality with their MILs. Such findings suggest the particularly salient roles of the relationship between daughters-in-law and MILs in shaping Chinese adult children’s marital well-being and also highlight the importance of conceptualizing families as configurations of interdependent relationships across multiple households and examining marital well-being from ecological and social network perspectives.

scholarly journals The Sign 4 Little Talkers Intervention to Improve Listening, Understanding, Speaking, and Behavior in Hearing Preschool Children: Outcome Evaluation

10.2196/15348 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e15348
Author(s):  
Rosemary Davidson ◽  
Gurch Randhawa
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Early Years ◽  
School Factors ◽  
Language And Communication ◽  
And Behavior

Background Gaining age-appropriate proficiency in speech and language in the early years is crucial to later life chances; however, a significant proportion of children fail to meet the expected standards in these early years outcomes when they start school. Factors influencing the development of language and communication include low income, gender, and having English as an additional language (EAL). Objective This study aimed to determine whether the Sign 4 Little Talkers (S4LT) program improves key developmental outcomes in hearing preschool children. S4LT was developed to address gaps in the attainment of vocabulary and communication skills in preschool children, identified through routine monitoring of outcomes in early years. Signs were adapted and incorporated into storybooks to improve vocabulary, communication, and behavior in hearing children. Methods An evaluation of S4LT was conducted to measure key outcomes pre- and postintervention in 8 early years settings in Luton, United Kingdom. A total of 118 preschool children were tested in 4 early years outcomes domains—listening, speaking, understanding, and managing feelings and behavior—as well as Leuven well-being scales and the number of key words understood and spoken. Results Statistically significant results were found for all measures tested: words spoken (P<.001) and understood (P<.001), speaking (P<.001), managing feelings and behavior (P<.001), understanding (P<.001), listening and attention (P<.001), and well-being (P<.001). Approximately two-thirds of the children made expected or good progress, often progressing multiple steps in educational attainment after being assessed as developmentally behind at baseline. Conclusions The findings reported here suggest that S4LT may help children to catch up with their peers at a crucial stage in development and become school ready by improving their command of language and communication as well as learning social skills. Our analysis also highlights specific groups of children who are not responding as well as expected, namely boys with EAL, and who require additional, tailored support.

scholarly journals The Sign 4 Little Talkers Intervention to Improve Listening, Understanding, Speaking, and Behavior in Hearing Preschool Children: Outcome Evaluation (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary Davidson ◽  
Gurch Randhawa
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Early Years ◽  
School Factors ◽  
Language And Communication ◽  
And Behavior

BACKGROUND Gaining age-appropriate proficiency in speech and language in the early years is crucial to later life chances; however, a significant proportion of children fail to meet the expected standards in these early years outcomes when they start school. Factors influencing the development of language and communication include low income, gender, and having English as an additional language (EAL). OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine whether the Sign 4 Little Talkers (S4LT) program improves key developmental outcomes in hearing preschool children. S4LT was developed to address gaps in the attainment of vocabulary and communication skills in preschool children, identified through routine monitoring of outcomes in early years. Signs were adapted and incorporated into storybooks to improve vocabulary, communication, and behavior in hearing children. METHODS An evaluation of S4LT was conducted to measure key outcomes pre- and postintervention in 8 early years settings in Luton, United Kingdom. A total of 118 preschool children were tested in 4 early years outcomes domains—listening, speaking, understanding, and managing feelings and behavior—as well as Leuven well-being scales and the number of key words understood and spoken. RESULTS Statistically significant results were found for all measures tested: words spoken (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) and understood (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), speaking (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), managing feelings and behavior (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), understanding (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), listening and attention (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), and well-being (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). Approximately two-thirds of the children made expected or good progress, often progressing multiple steps in educational attainment after being assessed as developmentally behind at baseline. CONCLUSIONS The findings reported here suggest that S4LT may help children to catch up with their peers at a crucial stage in development and become <i>school ready</i> by improving their command of language and communication as well as learning social skills. Our analysis also highlights specific groups of children who are not responding as well as expected, namely boys with EAL, and who require additional, tailored support.

The Unique Contribution of Positive Orientation to Optimal Functioning

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Alessandri ◽  
Gian Vittorio Caprara ◽  
John Tisak
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Critical Component ◽  
Positive Orientation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Common Mode ◽  
Optimal Functioning

Literature documents that the judgments people hold about themselves, their life, and their future are important ingredients of their psychological functioning and well-being, and are commonly related to each other. In this paper, results from a large cross-sectional sample (N = 1,331, 48% males) are presented attesting to the hypothesis that evaluations about oneself, one’s life, and one’s future rest on a common mode of viewing experiences named “Positive Orientation.” These results corroborate the utility of the new construct as a critical component of individuals’ well functioning.

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