| In previous research, cluster analysis identified five types of marriage---Vitalized, Harmonious, Traditional, Conflicted, and Devitalized-based on 10 relationship scales from the ENRICH Inventory, designed for couples therapy and marriage enrichment. This study assessed the ability of several new intrapersonal and interpersonal scales to discriminate between these five types. The sample consisted of 10,000 husbands and wives, or 2,000 couples of each type who were randomly selected from a national sample 21,501 couples.; This study is aligned with theoretical models that portray ecosystemic influences on marital quality and satisfaction. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to examine the relative importance of predictors grouped within four domains: intrapersonal, interpersonal, family system, and background. In addition, paired samples t-tests were conducted to analyze differences between husbands and wives of each type.; Intrapersonal characteristics are reflected by measures of individual functioning that relate to psychological well being (self-confidence and happiness in life) and relationship behaviors (assertiveness, avoidance, partner dominance). Interpersonal characteristics are reflected by measures of couple functioning (closeness and flexibility) and problem histories (abuse by partner and problem alcohol or drug use). Family system characteristics are measured by perceptions of closeness and flexibility and reports of problems in each partner's family of origin. Background characteristics include individual and couple demographics such as education, income, number of children, and years married.; Intrapersonal and interpersonal characteristics were the most influential and equally important in predicting couple type. Family-of-origin and background characteristics were important as context but not as predictors. Assertiveness was the single best predictor, followed by partner dominance, couple flexibility, and couple closeness.; Especially in Vitalized marriages, the partners had many positive perceptions of the relationship and ranked high on indicators of psychological well being. Harmonious couples were most similar to Vitalized, although in some respects they resembled Traditional couples who had moderate scores on the scales. Conflicted and Devitalized partners had the most discrepant perceptions and the most extreme levels of functioning.; This study demonstrated the empirical strength of the ENRICH typology and its implications for theory, research, and practice. The findings are useful for therapists and educators to consider interventions for each couple type. |
