Benefits of Marriage
Healthier lifestyle Longer life expectancy More satisfying sex life More wealth/economic assets Happier/safer environment for children
Trends in Black Marriage
Higher income More conflict Men benefit more than women
Components of Successful Marriage
Independent and mature Love each other and selves Enjoy being together and apart Know selves Established in occupations Assertiveness Foundation in friendship Enlightened self-interest
Assertiveness
Expressing oneself in a direct and positive manner, component of successful marriage.
Law of Enlightened Self-Interest
When you focus on your partner's needs, they tend to focus on yours; component of successful marriage.
Marriage Encounter
Largest marriage education program (1970s).
The Healthy Marriage
Marriage education initiative funded at the federal level (2006).
Stages of Premarital Education
Premarital inventory Training Discussion group Continued enrichment
Premarital Inventory
Couples should assess and receive feedback from a trusted source about it.
Driver's 3 Types of Marriage
Validating Volatile Conflict-avoiding
Gottman's Divorce Predictors
Emotional disengagement Four Horsemen Flooding Bad memories
Four Horsemen
Developed by the Gottman Institute; criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling.
Family of Origin
Family in which an individual was raised throughout childhood.
Vitalized Couples
Strength in communication, conflict resolution, sexual relationship, and finances.
Harmonious Couples
Strength in roles and the ability to resolve conflicts.
Conventional Couples
Strength in spiritual beliefs, roles, and support networks.
Conflicted Couples
Limited strengths, require growth.
Devitalized Couples
Strength in seeking marital therapy.
Role of Self-Forgiveness
Leads to compassion towards self when mistakes are made and provides more marital satisfaction.
Role of Sacrifice
Expresses overall commitment and leads to mutual trust.
Role of Prayer
Forgiveness and a relationship/communication with God lead to satisfaction (amen).
Federal Healthy Marriage Initiative
Attempt to promote healthy marriage throughout a more diverse population, focusing on minority couples specifically.
Wilcox
Said that married/cohabiting parents have a higher degree of happiness than single parents.
Factors of High Marital/Parenting Quality
More education More financial resources Sharing responsibilities Support from family/friends Faith Shared beliefs Sexual satisfaction Generosity
Characteristics of Successful Adoption
Exploring: Open/healthy expectations Demonstrating: Stability, quality, flexibility Creating: Openly acknowledging/communicating situation Understanding: Intensity of commitment/possible issues
Child-Free Alternative
Growing in popularity due to raised costs, wage gaps, and expectations placed on women.
Accelerated-Consensus Trajectory
Same political/personal reproduction beliefs.
Mutual-Negotiation Trajectory
No prior discussion of reproductive beliefs, therefore, the decision is being made together.
Unilateral-Persuasion Trajectory
One partner with stronger reproductive beliefs influences the other who does not have an opinion.
Bilateral-Persuasion Trajectory
Both partners have strong, opposing reproductive beliefs.
Parental Support
Amount of affection a parent exhibits.
Parental Control
Amount of flexibility a parent uses in disciplining child.
Democratic Parenting
Clear rules and expectations; self-reliant, cheerful, and high-achieving child.
Authoritarian Parenting
Rigid rules and strict expectations; conflicted, irritable, unstable, and unhappy child.
Permissive Parenting
Allows child's preferences to take over; impulsive, rebellious, and under-achieving child.
Rejecting Style Parenting
Pay little attention to child's needs; immature and psychologically challenged child.
Uninvolved Parenting
Allow child's preferences to prevail as long as parent is uninterrupted; solitary, withdrawn, and under-achieving child.
Behaviorist Theory
Operate from learning theory/reinforcement perspective.
Bidirectional Effects
Both the parents effect the child and the child effects the parents.
Psychodynamic Theory
Places importance on a positive emotional environment.
Organismic Theory
Strongly encourages developmentally appropriate toys and activities.
TLC Discipline Approach
Time; must be spent with child Limits; if set higher, expectations should be higher too Care; must be expressed
Positive Discipline
Focuses on teaching responsible behavior; shows honor and love to the child.
Corporal Punishment
Use of physical force as behavioral control; is ineffective and leads to further behavioral problems.
Cascading Circumstance
Stress builds to a point where parents use harsh punishment.
NICHD Study of Early Childcare
Higher quality leads to better outcome Time spent in childcare matters Different impacts depending on age Parents/family are more influential than childcare
Coparenting
How parents coordinate and support each other.
Single Mothers
Higher levels of stress, lower income.
Absent Father Phenomenon
Limited initiative of father figure to act as a provider, protector, and caregiver. Leads to poor outcomes.
Middle Age
Age 35-65; between early and late adulthood, overcoming old challenges and facing new ones.
Baby Boom Generation
Post WWII sudden rise in birth and population increase.
Midlife Crisis/Correction
Not necessarily bad but more of a transitional stage, reevaluation of goals, no research to support.
Menopause
Cessation of reproductive ability and menstrual periods for women. Many uncomfortable physiological and emotional symptoms.
Andropause
Male menopause, emotional/physical changes due to a decline in hormone production.
Empty-Nest Syndrome
Feelings of depression when children move out of the house. Can be a positive experience with more free room, time, and finances.
Boomerang Kids
Adult children who return home.
Cluttered Nest
When adult children return home post-grad in order to establish self and save money.
Sandwich Generation
Caretaking of children and aging parents at the same time.
Crisp Retirement
Making a clean break from employment and stopping work entirely.
Blurred Retirement
Repeatedly leaving and returning to work.
Young-Old
65-74 years; retired, in good health, and capable of following new interests.
Old-Old
75-84 years; begin to show age and have more age related issues.
Oldest-Old
85+; commonly characterized by frailty, loneliness, and poverty.
Centenarians
100-109 years old.
Supercentenarians
110+ years old.
Psychological Phenomenon
Mental attitude one has of their past achievements and possibilities of the future.
Biological Reality
Variation among older adults capabilities due to genetics.
Social Phenomenon
How one's social class and standing effects their life expectancy/health.
Family Process
How family members' attitudes lead one to define themselves as they age.
Ageism
Prejudging an older person negatively solely due to their age.
Stress
Daily pressure that is encountered by everyone and how we react to it.
Coping
Actions taken when something is identified as stressful.
Homes & Rahe Social Readjustment Rating
Physical and emotional issues that present throughout major and minor life changes; links stress and physical illness.
Ambiguous Loss
When part of someone becomes absent, but they haven't actually died.
"A" in Family Crisis Model
Stressor event
"B" in Family Crisis Model
Crisis-meeting resources
"C" in Family Crisis Model
Definition given to the event
"X" in Family Crisis Model
Crisis
Family Crisis Model
Deployment
Military personnel leaves the family and engages in training/combat.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Results from traumatic event, disrupts relationships, and is treated with a combination of drugs, therapy, and social networks.
Chinese View of Crisis
That it is dangerous, yet provides opportunity.
Intimate Terrorism
Violence enacted as one partner takes control over another.
Violence Resistance
Response to a partner's abuse.
Situational Couple Violence
When there is a contentious situation within the relationship.
Family Systems Perspective of Abuse
Child from an abusive home has learned how to be a victim and victimize others.
Learned Helplessness Perspective of Abuse
Those who are battered tend to lose sense of confidence.
Catharsis Conflict
Process of venting anger verbally; can lead to physical abuse or loss of control.
Equality Wheel