University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences Family Sciences 2012 THREE STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL INFLUENCES ON MARITAL CONFLICT Claire Kimberly University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Kimberly, Claire, "THREE STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL INFLUENCES ON MARITAL CONFLICT" (2012). Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences. 1. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/hes_etds/1 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Family Sciences at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. 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Claire Kimberly, Student Dr. Ronald Werner-Wilson, Major Professor Dr. Jason Hans, Director of Graduate Studies THREE STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL INFLUENCES ON MARITAL CONFLICT _________________________________________ DISSERTATION _________________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Family Sciences in the College of Agriculture, School of Human and Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Claire Kimberly Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Ronald Werner-Wilson, Professor of Family Sciences 2012 Copyright © Claire Kimberly 2012 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION THREE STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL INFLUENCES ON MARITAL CONFLICT Research is beginning to find a positive and significant relationship between marriage and health. Even though the current literature shows that separation and divorce have strong negative consequences for the mental and physical health of both spouses (Dush & Amato, 2005), the answer to why and how this occurs has yet to be solved. A comprehensive perspective that could greatly benefit the analysis of this connection is the use of social neuroscientific methods in a biopsychosocial model. By including biological factors, social elements, and psychological variables in analyzing marriages, researchers would be able to further understand both the intra- and interpersonal elements of a relationship and their subsequent influence on marital stability. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation was to use social neuroscientific techniques to provide a comprehensive biological, psychological, and social assessments of couples, and compare that comprehension with marital satisfaction. This was accomplished by performing three studies focused on each section of the model: heart and brain reactions for biological, familial influence for social, and personal definition of love for psychological. The sample used for the first study involved 20 married couples that were recruited through flyers on the University’s campus and through announcements on a website (i.e., Craigslist). The participants came into the Family Interaction Resource Lab located on campus and were instructed to engage in a conflict interaction while being connected to a device used to measure heart and brain waves. The sample used for studies two and three included 635 participants that were recruited through mailouts, emails, and recruitment on a website (i.e., Facebook). These participants completed an online questionnaire using Qualtrics software and were all currently married. The insights provided by the results helped to (1) advance current knowledge surrounding interpersonal relationships, (2) elucidate on marital conflict for therapists and educators working with couples, (3) expand upon a rarely used research procedure for analyzing relationships, and (4) build upon the extant literature across numerous disciplines. KEYWORDS: Biopsychosocial, Social Neuroscience, Marital Conflict, John Gottman, Mary Fitzpatrick Claire Kimberly Student’s Signature April 25, 2012 Date THREE STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL INFLUENCES ON MARITAL CONFLICT By Claire Kimberly Dr. Ronald Werner-Wilson Director of Dissertation Dr. Jason Hans Director of Graduate Studies April 25, 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although this dissertation is credited to individual work, there are many people that must also be acknowledged for their indirect—and direct—contribution. My dissertation chair, Dr. Ronald Werner-Wilson, has surpassed his role as just the committee chair into a mentor, educator, and role model. Without his guidance, this dissertation and all other academic accomplishments would truly have not been possible. I also wish to thank the other members of my dissertation committee: Drs. Kelly Bradley, Trent Parker, and Donna Smith. I want to thank them not only for their time, but also for their valuable feedback in polishing this literature. The lessons learned will truly be present in any future work that I do. In addition, I wish to thank Dr. Jason Hans for his contribution to other publications we have written together. The lessons taught on producing and publishing research has eased the process of the present study tremendously. It goes without saying that none of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family. To my father, your perseverance during times of struggle has given me strength to surpass the obstacles placed before me. To my mother, your love and kindness has always reminded me to be humble and to thank those around me. To my sister and brother-in-law, the example you have provided of balancing work and family has been inspiring and has allowed me to never forget my goal. To my new husband, the support you have given me is something that I do not believe I will ever be able to repay; I am extremely lucky to have you in my life. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables .............................................................................................................. vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................. viii Chapter I: Introduction and Conceptual Approach ...........................................................1 Conceptual Approach ..................................................................................................2 Biopsychosocial Model ............................................................................................3 Social Neuroscience .................................................................................................4 History ................................................................................................................5 Purpose Statment .........................................................................................................6 Dissertation Format .....................................................................................................7 Chapter II: Introduction to Relevant Literature ................................................................8 Biopsychosocial Characteristics of Marital Disruption .................................................9 Education.................................................................................................................9 Race ............................................................................................................... 10 Parental Influence .................................................................................................. 11 Communication...................................................................................................... 11 Gottman’s Seminal Research on Marriage ................................................................. 12 Negative Communication ....................................................................................... 12 Gottman’s Typologies ............................................................................................ 13 Conflict and Typologies .................................................................................... 15 Relevance to Present Investigation ........................................................................