Title

Fiery Wives And Icy Husbands: Pre-Marital Counseling And Covenant Marriage As Buffers Against Effects Of Childhood Abuse On Gendered Marital Communication?

Keywords

Childhood abuse; Covenant marriage; Pre-marital counseling

Abstract

We examine relationships between childhood abuse and two maladaptive marital communication patterns - hostile and withdrawing - and test whether covenant marriage or pre-marital counseling mediate the effects of childhood abuse. Drawing on a sample from the Marriage Matters (1997-2004) data, we find both gendered differences in communication and in the relationship between childhood abuse and negative communication patterns. Wives are more likely to use a hostile style of communication, whereas husbands are more likely to use a withdrawing style. We also find that childhood abuse affects hostile communication for both spouses but influences only wives' withdrawing. Neither covenant marriage nor pre-marital counseling is associated with hostile communication for either spouse. Covenant marriage increases husbands' withdrawal from conflict, whereas pre-marital counseling increases the use of withdrawing communication in both wives and husbands. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.

Publication Date

9-1-2010

Publication Title

Social Science Research

Volume

39

Issue

5

Number of Pages

700-714

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2010.05.003

Socpus ID

77955559143 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/77955559143

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