The World Family Map is a comprehensive report that identifies and tracks family factors affecting child and family well-being, across 60 countries. The study reveals that in all regions of the world the family itself is undergoing major changes, with declining fertility rates, declining marriage and increasing cohabitation rates, and increasing proportions of children living […]
The CLFC Marriage Enhancement Program is an evidence-based curriculum designed for couples in which one or both partners have been physically and/or emotionally distanced due to incarceration, military service, substance abuse, or other circumstances. The program builds and/or strengthens each partners' relationship skills by developing greater capacity in the areas of communication, conflict resolution, emotional […]
This research brief, from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families, provides a national portrait of low-income Hispanic families in the U.S. Having a better understanding of these families will help programs and policymakers in their efforts to assist these families. We use recent nationally-representative data to describe the relationship and childbearing histories […]
Dr. Gordon’s study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology explores the role of gratitude and appreciation in maintaining long and healthy relationships. In the study, 50 committed couples were given a week to fill out appreciation journals. On days when one partner reported feeling more appreciated, he or she tended to appreciate his […]
This paper explores effects of the Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) program for six subgroups of couples in the study. SHM’s impacts were generally consistent across these subgroups, though some evidence suggests that couples whose marriages were more distressed at study entry may have benefited more from SHM. Overview on MDRC Website
Higher levels of gratitude after receiving thoughtful benefits (e.g. gifts, favors, etc.) predicted higher relationship connection and satisfaction. Read more about the power of gratitude at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
Mediator in a Box is a conflict resolution tool that looks like a board game. Any two people can use it, to guide them through conflict or disagreements to solutions. In a simple and straightforward way, Mediator in a Box provides the structure and safety for two people to discuss with each other their […]
Everyday gratitude serves as a booster to romantic relationships and binds couples together. Check out these resources to learn more: It's the Little Things: Everyday Gratitude as a Booster Shot for Romantic Relationships. (journal article) To Have and to Hold: Gratitude Promotes Relationship Maintenance in Intimate Bond. (journal article) What is Gratitude? (essay) Why Does […]
High levels of divorce, cohabitation, and fragile unions, especially among the less educated in the United States, mean that unprecedented numbers of children are growing up in families without two parents in a healthy, stable relationship. This family instability poses increased risks to children’s well-being and healthy development. This report by Alan J. Hawkins, […]
he authors examine the implications of health and personality characteristics for late-life marital conflict using data from the 2010–2011 wave of the National Social Life Health and Aging Project, a nationally representative study with data on both partners in 955 marital and cohabitational dyads. Using these data, they relate characteristics of husbands to characteristics of […]