For better or worse: Marital satisfaction variables across the lifetime of a relationship

In recent decades interest in marital and couples' therapy has placed it in the limelight. The majority of longitudinal research has focused on broad, nonspecific trends, leaving therapists with little practical knowledge. Through a quasiexperimental project the researcher aimed to provide a more holistic view of variables individuals in marital and common-law relationships deem important for yielding satisfaction. Using a cross-sectional design the researcher compared satisfaction importance variables for four participant cohorts based on the age of their relationships. The sample of 120 participants completed a derivate of Gottman's (2009) Area of Strength Checklist and a sociodemographic measure. There were significant results for each cohort. Results indicated that the early relationship cohort was the least satisfied and deemed fewer factors important for satisfaction. This suggests that therapists must understand how to most appropriately support couples in this relationship stage who may be struggling with the demands of their relationship.