Marriage problems, expression of love, and dyadic adjustment in a community sample of married couples age 50 and up

The present study focused on the relationships between three marital quality variables (marriage problems, expression of love, and dyadic adjustment) and five independent variables (commitment to the spouse as a person (Eskew, 1975), ego development, church attendance, sex of subject, and length of marriage) among married couples age 50 and up and on the development of a marital assessment instrument designed specifically for use with couples in this age group. Seventy-two married couples (144 individuals) age 50 and up from communities in both urban and rural areas of Indiana were studied through the use of structured interviews and written questionnaires. Of the five independent variables studied, commitment to the spouse as a person was the strongest and most consistent predictor of marital quality. Commitment was negatively related to marriage problems and positively related to expression of love and dyadic adjustment. Ego development was negatively related to some of the love expression variables (moral support, material support, and Love Scale total) and to one of the dyadic adjustment variables (affectional expression). In general, church attendance and length of marriage were not found to be effective predictors of the marital quality variables. The data were analyzed for sex differences, but no significant differences were found. A new 50-item self-report marital assessment instrument (the Marriage Problems Scale-50+) was developed, and evidence supporting the reliability and validity of this new scale is presented