Given the high rate of divorce in the U.S., the alleviation of marital distress and the prevention of marital and family breakdown is a priority for clinicians and researchers. This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of the Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills (PAIRS) program for enhancing marital relationships. Married program participants (N=137) from 5 […]

There has been a revolution in the way many people think about marriage. Many scholars have moved from a medical approach (watching for symptoms, considering diagnoses, treating disease) to a wellness approach (cultivating strengths, tolerating some limitations, preventing problems). One result of this revolution is less focus on problem-centered communication and increased emphasis on relationship […]

It is a fair question to ask: “”Why a survey on married Arkansans?”” Arkansas has one of the highest divorce rates in country; however, beyond these alarming statistics, this survey was prompted by additional concerns found in local and national data that encouraged marriage educators and providers to work together. In an exploratory stage of […]

The purpose of this document is to assist you in understanding what Marriage Education is, to explore its potential role over time, and to encourage a wide range of people and organizations to be engaged in offering some form of Marriage Education within their communities, religious groups, and globally. (Author abstract)

This paper was first published as Chapter 15 in Couples in Conflict, edited by Alan Booth, Ann C. Crouter, and Mari Clements (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001). It sketches the broad outlines of the landscape of the current policy response to different types of couple conflict, and to the separate but related issue of domestic violence. […]