Personal Assessment Of Intimacy Research Articles

Does Web-Based Relationship Education Improve Sexual Intimacy? Initial Examination, Replication, and Exploration of Moderation in a Low-Income Sample.

Sexual intimacy, characterized as the experience between individuals of sharing general affection and sexual activity with one another within the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships inventory, is positively related to relationship satisfaction and stability. However, many studies of couple therapy have shown that it only results in small-sized (and often non-significant) improvements in sexual intimacy. Furthermore, there are numerous financial, logistical, and psychological barriers to couple therapy. Thus, the current study sought to examine whether two brief online relationship education programs (OurRelationship and ePREP) could overcome these barriers and yield similar-sized effects to more intensive couple therapy. In two independently collected samples of low-income couples (NSample 1 = 742 Couples; M AgeSample 1 = 33.19; NSample 2 = 671 Couples; M AgeSample 2 = 33.48), the current study found that: OurRelationship (d = 0.24-0.28) and ePREP (d = 0.26-0.34) produced small-sized changes in sexual intimacy relative to a waitlist control condition in both samples, the magnitude of the effect size replicated in a second sample and, with rare exception, these changes were generally not moderated by key variables of interest. Given that web-based relationship education is significantly shorter, less expensive, and more accessible than in-person couple interventions, web-based relationship education could be considered a viable candidate for couples experiencing concerns with sexual intimacy.

(095) The Elicitors of Intimacy: A Behavioral Checklist

Abstract Introduction Intimacy is crucial for developing successful relationships as it strengthens bonds between partners. Intimacy has been ill-defined and inconsistently measured for decades; however, theorists and researchers consistently agree that intimacy features components of love, affection, self-disclosure, and mutual validation. These constructs feature both cognitive and behavioral aspects of human connection. Despite the importance of intimacy in relationships, there is no widely accepted measure that captures the full spectrum of this multidimensional construct. Popular measures like the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS), the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR), and the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS) each address assess subjective feelings of intimacy. Though they may include behavioral items, the outcome of the scale is cognitive conceptualizations of feelings of intimacy. Extant scales do not sufficiently focus on the behavioral aspect of intimacy in relationships. The widely-accepted Interpersonal Process Model of Intimacy suggests that the exchange of intimate behaviors and experiences over time create these feelings of intimacy and its theorized components in a couple. As such, the development of a more inclusive, behavioral intimacy assessment would benefit both researchers and clinicians and help advance our understanding of this construct. Objective The current study aimed to identify specific acts or behaviors that elicited feelings of intimacy for individuals in order to develop a more nuanced, behavioral measure for use in future research and clinical practice. Methods In Study 1, 297 participants nominated over 2,700 items that “elicited feelings of intimacy” for them. Examples of nominations included: trust, communication, touch, attraction, and sex. Trained raters condensed duplicate items (e.g., kiss, kissing) and created a final list of unique nominations for use in Study 2. Five experts in the field of sex research submitted additional items for consideration in Study 2 based on previous conceptualizations of this construct. This process results in 45 distinct items; however, some of the items were behaviors like “sex, acts of service, and attention.” As such, the authors created items for self and partner initiated acts to reflect both the giving and receiving of intimate behaviors (e.g. giving and receiving acts of service). 105 items were compiled from Study 1 and Study 2. Results These 105 behavioral elicitors of intimacy comprise the Intimacy Checklist. In Study 2, 301 participants rated and confirmed that the items created in Study 1 were important to intimacy in varying degrees. Study 2 attempted but failed to identify a significant factor structure for the items. Conclusions The lack of a clear factor structure speaks to the complexity of this multidimensional construct; this is actually consistent with previous literature as there are numerous studies that suggest different factor structures of the same construct (i.e., 4 factor versus 8 factor models). The resulting Intimacy Checklist is a potentially powerful tool for identifying person-specific experiences of intimacy and preferences for intimate interactions in both clinical work and research. A follow up study will be conducted to determine if individuals who feel more satisfied with their intimate interactions are more sexually and relationally satisfied overall. Disclosure No

Trust and communication as predictors of marital intimacy among individuals in dual-earner marriages

Every year, the labor force grows, owing to an increase in the number of women employed and dual-earner couples, including in Indonesia. Individuals in dual-earner marriages face several problems, such as marital intimacy. This study aimed to investigate the role of trust and communication in marital intimacy among individuals in dual-earner marriages in Surabaya. Participants in this study were 103 individuals in dual-earner marriages in Surabaya, chosen using the convenience sampling technique. This study used three scales: Trust Scale, Communication Scale, and Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationship (PAIR) Inventory. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show trust and communication contributed significantly to marital intimacy, with the total effective contribution of the two variables being 74 percent. Trust contributed bigger than that of communication, 68.7 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively. This study concludes that trust and communication simultaneously and partially play a significant role in marital intimacy among individuals in dual-earner marriages in Surabaya. Therefore, to maintain marital intimacy, individuals in dual-earner marriages need to develop trust in their husband or wife.

A Multidimensional Evaluation of Intimacy

ABSTRACT Introduction Intimacy is crucial for developing successful relationships as it strengthens bonds between partners. Intimacy has been hypothesized to comprise four central components: self-disclosure, love and affection, validation, and trust. Despite the importance of intimacy in developing strong relationships, to our knowledge, there is not a widely accepted measure that captures the full spectrum of intimacy. Popular measures like the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS), the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR), and the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS) each address only some facets of this multidimensional construct. As such, the development of a more inclusive relational intimacy scale would benefit both researchers and clinicians and help advance our understanding of this construct. Objective The current study had two primary aims: (1) to identify what acts and experiences elicit feelings of intimacy among individuals in order to develop a more nuanced, complete measure for use in future research and clinical practice; and (2) to evaluate how the factor structure of these items compares to pre-existing measures of intimacy. Methods In Study 1, participants nominated over 2,700 items that “elicited feelings of intimacy” for them. Examples of nominations included: trust, communication, touch, attraction, and sex. Trained raters condensed duplicate items and created a final list of unique nominations for use in Study 2. Five experts in the field of sex research submitted additional items for consideration in Study 2 based on previous conceptualizations of this construct. Study 2 identified the factor structure of these items and validated the measure. Results Data collection for Study 2 is ongoing, but will be completed in January 2021. Results will be updated with an addendum after data analysis. Conclusions Discussion will focus on individual differences in the factor structure of intimacy based on gender, age, and relationship duration and status. We will conclude by positioning our new model of intimacy within the existing theoretical framework of this construct, and elucidate how our measure can improve psychological and clinical research. Disclosure No

Effects of Emotionally-focused Couples Therapy on the Marital Intimacy and Harmony of Maladjusted Couples in Behbahan, Iran

Background: Dissatisfaction with marital relations and an emotional breach between couples increase the risk of divorce. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of emotionally-focused couples therapy on the marital intimacy and harmony of maladjusted couples in Behbahan, Iran. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The sample population included the maladjusted couples vising the counseling centers in Behbahan in 2020. Via convenience sampling, 30 couples were selected and randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control (n = 15 couples per group). Data were collected using the personal assessment of intimacy in relationships and the Marital Harmony Questionnaire. The experimental group received nine sessions of emotionally-focused couples therapy (90-minute sessions, twice a week), and the control group received no intervention. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 25. Results: The mean posttest scores of marital intimacy and harmony were 115.63 ± 10.22 and 31.66 ± 2.21 in the experimental group and 91.39 ± 9.04 and 22.93 ± 2.19 in the control group, respectively. A significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups in terms of marital intimacy and harmony (P < 0.001). In addition, emotionally-focused couples therapy significantly enhanced marital intimacy and harmony in the experimental group. Conclusions: According to the results, emotionally-focused couples therapy could effectively improve the marital indicators of the maladjusted couples (intimacy and harmony).

Patients and spouses coping with inflammatory arthritis: Impact of communication and spousal perceived social support and burden.

To guide Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) programs to improve patients' and spouses' perceived health, we aimed to analyze the effect of the spouse health state and patient-spouse relationship on functional impairment, mental health and self-efficacy of patients with RA or SpA. In this observational cross-sectional study, inclusion criteria were age≥18years and diagnosis of RA or SpA. The outcome criteria were functional impairment and mental health measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 12-item version (SF-12-MCS); mental health measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12); and self-efficacy by the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE Scale). Caregiver-patient relationship was assessed by the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR) questionnaire and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS); social support by the Social Support Questionnaire-6 and spousal burden by the Zarit questionnaire. A total of 88 patient-spouse couples were included. Patients were mostly female (n=68, 77%), with mean age 59 (SD 12.6) years; 69% had RA. On bivariate analyses, only spousal burden was associated with patients' functional impairment. Patients' mental health was associated with satisfaction with social support and the dyad relationship. Self-efficacy of patients was associated with spousal burden, satisfaction with social support, spousal anxiety/depression and the dyad relationship. On multivariate analysis, improved mental health and perceived self-efficacy of patients were associated with spousal satisfaction with social support (Beta=0.8, P=0.1 with GHQ-12) good communication in the couple (Beta=0.5, P=0.04 with SF-12-MCS and Beta=0.4, P=0.04 with GSE Scale) and low spousal-assessed burden (Beta=-0.2, P=0.003 with GSE Scale). This study has identified potential focus for intervention. It has highlighted the importance of recognizing the role of couple communication (experiencing an open and fluent exchange of ideas) in the patient's mental health and self-efficacy but also perceived satisfaction with social support of both members of the couple on the patient's mental health.

ЗВ'ЯЗОК АКТИВНОСТІ В СОЦІАЛЬНИХ МЕРЕЖАХ І ЗАДОВОЛЕНОСТІ РОМАНТИЧНИМИ СТОСУНКАМИ

The active use of social media can potentially jeopardize the quality of romantic relationships. The present study contributes to the existing research body investigating the connection between social media use and relationship satisfaction, by focusing on the users’ social media activity, their relationship visibility, relationship satisfaction and the different types of intimacy. We conducted a web-based data collection where participants (n 418) completed various types of questionnaires, namely the Social Media Use Integration Scale (SMUIS) (Jenkins-Guarnieri, 2013), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, 1985), the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) (Hendrick, 1988), Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR) (Schaefer & Olson, 1981), and an additional questionnaire created to study the visibility of romantic relationships on social media. To analyze the collected data, first a correlation analysis was conducted. The findings show that there is a negative correlation between social media activity and romantic relationship satisfaction. Besides, social media activity is negatively associated with emotional, intellectual, recreational and social intimacy. No negative correlation has been found regarding social media activity and sexual intimacy. The correlation analysis also indicates that the users’ visibility on social networks is negatively associated with relationship satisfaction and with all types of intimacy, predominantly with social and recreational intimacy. In the second part of the study, a series of moderated regression analysis were carried out. These analyses have shown that social media activity does not moderate the association between romantic relationships’ visibility on social media and relationship satisfaction.

War can harm intimacy: consequences for refugees who escaped Syria.

BackgroundSyrians seeking refuge have been exposed to atrocities and trauma beyond comprehension. This study examines how personal, interpersonal, displacement and war-related factors have impacted married refugees’ intimate lives.MethodsData included 158 married Syrian refugee individuals who live in the host communities of Jordan. Refugees reported on their personal, interpersonal, current-displacement and past-war related experiences. Traumatic impacts were assessed using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), K6 screening scale for serious mental illness (SMI), The War Events Questionnaire (WEQ), and Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR). Stepwise multiple regressions were used to determine the factors associated with refugees’ intimacy-total score and its six dimensions.ResultsMost refugees (94.2%) experienced war events, and 34% screened positive on the PTSD-HTQ scale. Overall intimacy scores were low, scoring M (±standard deviation) = 2.4 (±1.1) of a possible five on average. Intimacy scores were lower for refugees who screened positive on the PTSD-HTQ (M = 1.95 ± 65) compared to the ones screening negative, respectively (M = 2.23 ± 66). Furthermore, the higher the PTSD symptoms reported, the lower the couples’ intimacy. PTSD and forced marriage were the strongest factors to predict decreased total-intimacy scores (β = -0.23, P = 0.002; β = -0.32, P < 0.001), and decreased scores on four dimensions of intimacy (emotional, sexual, intellectual and recreational). Whereas gender was the second strongest factor associated with decreased total-intimacy scores (β = -0.29, P < 0.001), and decreased scores on three dimensions of intimacy (emotional, social and anger), meaning that women reported suffering more than men from deteriorated intimacy in their marital relationships. Other displacement and war-related factors associated with intimacy were: decreased sexual intimacy associated with having been raped; increased intellectual intimacy associated with escaped from Syria with one’s spouse; decreased recreational intimacy associated with the number of family members lived with; decreased sexual, emotional and total-intimacy scores associated with number of children; and years of education as a seemingly personal protective factor associated with increased intellectual and recreational intimacy.ConclusionsAddressing Syrian refugees’ intimacy issues in interventions is essential, as well as raising the awareness of stakeholders and community leaders to the negative impacts of PTSD, forced marriage, rape, and displacement difficulties endured by the already challenged and distressed married refugees.

The influence of an androgen deprivation therapy educational program on dyadic quality and intimacy for prostate cancer patients and their partners.

178 Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a common treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PCa), but ADT typically impairs men’s sexual function and couples’ relationships. We offer an educational program to help PCa patients and their partners manage ADT related side effects and to maintain a strong dyadic relationship while the patient is on ADT. Methods: Patients and partners attended a one time 1.5 hour ADT Class. Patients received a copy of the book Androgen Deprivation Therapy: An essential guide for men with prostate cancer and their partners (DEMOS Health, NY), which covers how to manage ADT side effects and make healthy lifestyle changes. We emphasize the importance of physical exercise in preventing or reducing many of the side effects of ADT. 79 couples (patients = 68.8±7.5 years old, partners = 64.9±8.8 years old; relationship duration = 34.6±16.4 years) completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships, and the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise questionnaires at baseline and again 2-3 months later to assess their relational intimacy and dyadic quality. At baseline 73% of patients either had not started or been on ADT for &lt; 3 weeks. Results: Attending the ADT Educational Program was associated with improved dyadic adjustment and relational intimacy but age, relationship duration, baseline strain in the relationship and physical exercise all influence these effects. Specifically, dyadic cohesion improved in patients ≥68 years old. Recreational intimacy increased in patients ≤60 years old and for those in a relationship ≥50 years. Recreational intimacy also improved in partners who had been in a 20-49 years relationship or those reporting at baseline little strain in their relationship. Dyadic cohesion was maintained in participants who increased their frequency of physical exercise. For the above results, all P &lt; 0.05. Conclusions: The ADT Educational Program improves dyadic cohesion and relational intimacy for some patients and partners but age, relationship duration, baseline quality of the relationship, and physical exercise frequency appear to influence the effectiveness of the program.

Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships with Individuals in Same-Sex Couple Relationships

ABSTRACTAs a concept, romantic intimacy may be examined through Schaefer and Olson's (1981) measure, the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR), which identified five dimensions of intimacy: emotional, intellectual, recreational, sexual, and social intimacy. Moore, McCabe, and Stockdale's (1998) attempt to replicate this five-factor model was not successful, and they instead proposed a three-factor model of intimacy: engagement, communication, and shared friendships. The objective of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the PAIR with individuals involved in same-sex couple relationships using these two models. Three hundred fifty participants completed the PAIR, the Experiences in Close Relationships, and the brief 4-item version of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Confirmatory factor analyses were not able to replicate both the original five-factor structure and the proposed three-factor structure of the PAIR. Rather, results supported the factor structure, reliability, and concurrent validity of our revised version of Moore et al.'s (1998) three-factor model of intimacy, which retained the three dimensions after various modifications (i.e., addition of covariance terms, deletion of an item, and transference of items) were made. Links were found between these three dimensions of intimacy and insecure romantic attachment, as well as relationship happiness.

Hubungan antara Kelekatan dengan Orangtua dan Keintiman Dalam Bepacaran pada Dewasa Awal

Attachment is a lasting effective bond characterized by a tendency to seek and maintain the closeness of one individual to another, which can provide a sense of security, depending on the quality of the relationship. Based on the quality of the relationship, indivisuals will develop an internal working model that can lasts throughout a lifetime and will likely to affect the intimate relationships during adulthood. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between attachment and intimacy in young adults. One hundred and four subjects participated in this research, consisted in early adulthood between the age of 20 to 30 years old, who were in a relationship dating. The instruments of this research is Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) scale and Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationship (PAIR) scale. The research shows a corelation beetwen parent attachment (mother) and intimacy r = 0,320 p = 0,001 (p<0,05) and corelation of parent attachment (father) with intimacy r = 0,256 p = 0,009 (p<0,05). The result shows a significant positive relationship between parent attachment and intimacy it means the higher of the attachment then will also higher of intimacy in relatioonship.   Keywords: attachment, intimacy, young adulthood

Adult Romantic Attachment and Couple Conflict Behaviors: Intimacy as a Multi-Dimensional Mediator

This study investigated associations between adult romantic attachment and couples’ conflict behaviors and the potential mediating role of intimacy. A community sample of 74 couples reported on their attachment security style on the Attachment Style Measure (ASM) (Simpson, 1990) and on multiple dimensions of intimacy on the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR) (Schaefer & Olson, 1981). Couples’ conflict behaviors were assessed via behavioral observations and coded for positive and negative dimensions of conflict. Path analyses indicated numerous actor and partner effects in the links between attachment, intimacy, and conflict. For men, both avoidant and anxious attachment styles were predictive of their own and their partner’s intimacy. For women though, both secure and avoidant attachment styles were predictive of their own and their partner’s intimacy. For men, all domains of intimacy were predictive of their own or their partner’s conflict behaviors. For women, only emotional intimacy was predictive of conflict behaviors. All domains of men’s intimacy emerged as significant mediators of associations between attachment and couples’ conflict behaviors. For women, only emotional intimacy mediated these associations. Implications for the treatment of relationally-discordant couples are discussed.

Relatedness and Individuation Among Young Adults Born Preterm: The Role of Relationships with Parents and Death Anxiety

Preterm birth may constitute a risk factor for long-term difficulties when facing developmental tasks of relatedness and individuation in young adulthood. Since these early experiences might leave individuals more susceptible to anxiety, we examined whether relationships with parents and death anxiety mediated the associations between preterm birth and difficulties in relatedness and individuation. The sample included 57 emerging adults who were born preterm, and a paired control group that filled out questionnaires: The Perceptions of Adult Attachment Questionnaire, Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships, the death anxiety test, and projective assessment of death anxiety. Preterm young adults and their counterparts exhibited similar levels of closeness with their parents, with romantic partner, and with best friend. A different picture emerged with regard to differentiation and death anxiety. Preterm young adults exhibited higher levels of emotional reactivity and fusion with others, and higher levels of death anxiety than their counterparts. Death anxiety mediated the relations between preterm birth status and differentiation. It appears that, despite the fact that these youngsters experienced a traumatic event early in their lives, they overcame this difficult experience and were successful in maintaining closeness with close others. In contrast, the traces of the preterm birth might be more pronounced in the domain of differentiation. People who experienced separations from significant others, especially early in life, may develop high levels of death anxiety as death is experienced as the ultimate separation from a close person. Enduring death anxiety might complicate the individuation process. Gender differences that were found are in accord with previous findings. The strengths and limitations of the study as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

Androgen Deprivation Therapy and maintenance of intimacy: A randomized controlled pilot study of an educational intervention for patients and their partners

PurposeAndrogen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer is associated with many treatment side effects that tend to erode couples' intimacy. We piloted a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of an educational intervention designed to preserve couples' intimacy in the face of ADT. MethodsCouples were recruited at the time the patient was first prescribed ADT and were randomized to a treatment or control group. Those in the treatment group were asked to read an educational guide and participate in an educational session designed to inform couples about possible ADT side effects and management strategies. To assess changes in the couples' relationships, they were administered the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships questionnaire prior to randomization and again at 6months. ResultsWhile results were not statistically significant, trends and effect sizes suggest that the educational intervention helped attenuate declines in intimacy for patients, but not for their partners. Couples who participated in the intervention were more successful at maintaining sexual activity than were couples in the control group. ConclusionsADT places considerable strain on intimate relationships, particularly for the partners. It appears that patients who receive help in anticipating and managing ADT related changes report better dyadic adjustment and closer intimacy. More efforts are needed to develop interventions to benefit patients' partners. We conclude that the intervention holds promise and that a full-scale evaluation of the intervention is both feasible and warranted.

The Effectiveness of an Internet‐Based Psychological Treatment Program for Female Sexual Dysfunction

There has been limited evaluation of the effectiveness of psychological interventions for female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Furthermore, none of these studies have evaluated the effectiveness of these programs delivered over the Internet. The current study evaluated an Internet-based psychological treatment program for FSD. Revive consisted of three well-established and validated treatment components: communication skills training, sensate focus exercises, and regular contact with a therapist. Outcome measures included: the Female Sexual Function Index; the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale; the Sexual Function Scale; and the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships. In total, 39 women (17 in treatment group and 22 in control group) completed the program. The mean age for the treatment group was 34.91 (standard deviation [SD] = 10.27) and 33.30 years (SD = 9.34) for the control group. The results demonstrated that women who completed treatment reported improved sexual and relationship functioning in comparison with those who received no treatment. These findings highlight the suitability of the Internet for providing psychological treatment for FSD and for targeting the individual and relationship factors often associated with these disorders.

Psychological adjustment to Type 2 diabetes and relationship quality

To examine the associations between psychological adjustment to Type 2 diabetes and the reported quality and type of relationships with partners. All participants (n=88) completed a number of questionnaires, including two measures of relationship quality: the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Scale, the Diabetes Quality of Life Scale and the ATT-19 (which assesses personal integration of diabetes). Additionally, HbA(1c) levels were obtained from medical notes. Measures of relationship quality significantly contributed to the explanation of two outcomes: personal integration of diabetes and satisfaction with the burden of self-management behaviours. More specifically, the findings demonstrate that a specific aspect of relationship quality--intimacy in recreational activities--is positively associated with the outcomes mentioned above. People with Type 2 diabetes who are not taking insulin, who share engagement in physical activities with their partner are more likely to be psychologically well-adjusted to their diagnosis of diabetes.

Sexuality, Intimacy, and Marital Satisfaction in Iranian First-Time Parents

This study aims at investigating the sexual relationship and intimate of postpartum spouses and the effect of those relationships on their marital satisfaction. A sample of 128 postpartum couples having given birth to their first child (6–36 weeks postpartum) participated in this study during 2009. A nonexperimental, cross-sectional survey design was conducted using Sexual Interest and Desire Inventory, Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationship Scale and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Using univariate and multivariate regression analysis, results suggested that there were higher levels of sexual desire reported by husbands and there was a significant positive relationship between sexuality and marital satisfaction, for both genders. Moreover, high intimacy diminished the negative effects of marital satisfaction due to reported low sexual satisfaction. Regarding negative effects of marital dissatisfaction in first-time families, it is important to assess main related issues such as postpartum sexuality and intimacy, to obtain knowledge for health care providers to provide support to the postpartum families.

Marital ideals of the newly-married: A longitudinal analysis

Although marital ideals influence a couple's behavior, the specific content of marital ideals for engaged and newly-married couples remains largely uninvestigated. This longitudinal study investigated couples' marital ideals over the first year of marriage. Thirty-eight engaged couples completed a standardized measure of relationship intimacy ideals using Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR; Schaefer &amp; Olson, 1981) in addition to free writing essays to open-ended questions regarding partner, relationship, and conflict ideals. Eleven couples also completed follow-up assessments at six months and one year of marriage. Results indicated that marital ideals are qualitatively different than those for dating relationships. Marital ideals were primarily intimate and traditional, but not romanticized. Conflict ideals were primarily practical rather than romantic, and became more practical over time.

Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Marital Disillusionment Scale

The Marital Disillusionment Scale, together with measures of divorce proneness, marital disaffection, work addiction, sensation seeking, intimacy, and marital satisfaction (using the subscales Marital Disharmony and Disaffection), was administered to 116 married people (42 men, 74 women) in a university town in the western USA. Scores on the Marital Disillusionment Scale had significant positive correlations with scores on the Marital Instability Scale (r = .54), the Marital Disaffection Scale (r = .72), and the two subscales Disharmony (r = .53) and Disaffection (r = .75) of the eMarital Satisfaction Inventory. Scores for the Marital Disillusionment Scale were negatively correlated with those for the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Inventory (r = -.65) but were not significantly associated with scores for the Work Addiction Risk Test and the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale. The results support the convergent and discriminant validity of the Marital Disillusionment Scale.

Big five personality variables and relationship constructs

Associations between the personality variables of the five-factor model and close relationship variables (love styles, relationship satisfaction, and intimacy) were explored. Participants ( N=196) from committed relationships were administered the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised, the Love Attitudes Scale-Short Form, the Relationship Assessment Scale, the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships, and a demographic questionnaire. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that neuroticism was negatively associated with and predictive of satisfaction and intimacy. The association between neuroticism and relationship satisfaction was completely mediated by possessive, dependent love for females. Extraversion and agreeableness were positively associated with relationship satisfaction and intimacy, especially for males. Conscientiousness was positively correlated with intimacy for males. Implications of these findings are discussed.