The Effects of Relevant Intrapersonal Indices and Recent Life Stress on the Efficiency of Marital Conflict Resolution

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of husband identification, recent life stress, and psychological ‘disturbance’ on conflict resolution interaction in marital dyads. The major aims were the investigation of the effects on conflict resolution process of: I. husbands' positive identification with their fathers II. joint low levels of perceived stress in the couples III. the absence of manifest psychological disturbance of either spouse Fifty married couples were evaluated in conflict resolution that was generated by the Revealed Differences Test. Husband identification was assessed using the Semantic Differential technique, a subjective appraisal of stress was obtained from the Schedule of Recent Experiences, and psychological 'disturbance’ was rated utilizing the Personal Disturbance Scale of the Symptom-Sign Inventory. Effects of these three independent variables were assessed with an analysis of variance design, with number of 'acts’, or interchanges, in resolving conflict as the dependent variable. None of the independent variables was significant in predicting 'acts'. "Agreement/disagreement" ratings were then made of the three issues each couple discussed and a further analysis of variance was performed on the data, using the same independent variables and 'number of conflict issues resolved’ (of three attempted) as the dependent variable. In this analysis, none of the independent variables was significantly related to the ‘number of conflict issues resolved’. Incorporating the original independent variables with demographic data, Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) scores, and wives' identification data, two further analyses were performed predicting 'acts' and 'number of conflict issues resolved'. In these analyses, a multiple regression was performed predicting ‘acts’ and an analysis of covariance predicting 'number of conflict issues resolved'. In the multiple regression analysis, when the effects of several variables were considered, couple 'disturbance' was found to be significantly negatively related to 'acts' (t = -2.66, p<.01), and husbands’ E-scores were significantly positively related to 'acts' (t = 2.44, p<.01). Couple stress level was positively related to 'acts' (t= 2.28, p<.05), and number of children was negatively related to 'acts' (t = -2.07, p<.05). In the analysis of covariance, wives' E-scores were highly significant in affecting the 'number of conflict issues resolved' (t = -5.12, p<.001). When terms were removed from this analysis to obtain minimum error variance, it was the wives' ‘disturbance' that significantly affected the low 'number of conflict issues resolved' (F = 7.04, p<.01). In this analysis, two couples with husbands reporting least identification with their fathers actually resolved significantly more conflict, issues (F = 3.70, p<.05) than their counterparts. With this exception, 'wife' variables were found to be significantly negatively associated with conflict resolution, rather than the predicted 'husband,' variables. Implications of these findings are discussed within the context of previous research, and suggestions made for further research.