ABSTRACT

This chapter expresses that straddling the fence between positivism and pragmatism should be more deeply considered, where an increased emphasis on the pragmatic truth criterion may be essential if expanding the scope of study in marriage beyond conflict is to adequately translate into useful knowledge. Bradbury, Rogge, and Lawrence argued that the marital field's emphasis on conflict, although it has proven fruitful to date, may also be limiting progress. Within the philosopher Richard Rorty's formulation, they might be better conceived as the fundamental assumptions one make about the purpose or function that data are intended to serve. Traditionally, interventions for couple distress have been at the tertiary level; providing treatment for couples distressed enough to actively seek therapy. The chapter outlines the Marriage Checkup (MC) program to serve as an example demonstrating the essential role that broad and pragmatically informed basic couples research can play in prevention efforts.