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Relationship Beliefs and Expectations of Satisfaction in Marital Relationships: Implications for Family Practitioners

Ohio State University

Andrew I. Schwebel

Department of Psychology, Ohio State University

Cognitive-behavioral models suggest that the beliefs and expectations individuals bring into relationships affect their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and satisfaction in them. This article presents the findings of two studies that measured the relationship expectations of young adults, their level of irrational relationship-related beliefs, and their satisfaction in their current relationships. Some results included the following: Participants expected their own relationship satisfaction, when dating, engaged, and married, to exceed their perception of the average American's; and participants expected their relationships to progress from dating through marriage with ever-increasing levels of satisfaction (an outcome contrary to what couples typically experience). Those participants who had lower levels of irrational relationship beliefs than did their peers found their current dating relationships more satisfyzng. The zmplications of these findings for practice are discussed in this article.

The Family Journal, Vol. 3, No. 4, 298-305 (1995)
DOI: 10.1177/1066480795034003


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