PREDICTION OF DYADIC ADJUSTMENT IN TEENAGE MARRIED COUPLES (PREMARITAL COUNSELING)

NANCY W HOMAN, Purdue University

Abstract

This study sought to explore the predictive value of five premarital factors in predicting later dyadic adjustment. The five factors included parental marital status, similarity of personality, length of relationship prior to engagement, marital adjustment prediction score on the Sixteen PF personality test, and ordinal position in family of origin. The instrument used to measure dyadic adjustment was the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale. A secondary purpose of the study was to evaluate the marriage preparation program of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. The subjects of the study were 100 teenage couples who had participated in a marriage preparation program offered by the Catholic Church in the Lafayette Diocese. The couples were contacted 3-4 years after their marriage and were asked to provide information concerning dyadic adjustment and perceptions of their marriage preparation experience. Using multiple regression, the usefulness of the various premarital factors was assessed. Two factors demonstrated a significant level of predictive ability. The first factor was the length of the couple's relationship prior to engagement. The longer the relationship the higher the couple's dyadic adjustment. The second factor was the degree of personality similarity between partners. The more similar the couple's personalities the higher their dyadic adjustment. The evaluation of the marriage preparation program provided by the Diocese of Lafayette revealed that most couples believed the experience improved communication with their spouse, but that other areas were not seen as particularly useful. Many of the couples (73 percent) stated that they would consider recommending the program to a friend, indicating a general level of satisfaction with the program. The study concludes with suggestions for future research in the area of marital preparation, along with recommendations for improvements in marriage preparation programs.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Academic guidance counseling

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