ABSTRACT
We are interested in the causal processes that destroy marriage and those processes that build marriage. Our goal is to develop a theory that explains the different trajectories toward divorce and marital stability. As Karney and Bradbury (1995) pointed out, it is not enough to predict divorce or marital stability; researchers must be able to explain why marriages fail or succeed. Our research has discovered some of the pathways that lead to marital dissolution. However, causal factors in marital dissolution is not sufficient information to build a model of functional marital processes. Recent findings in our laboratory indicate that stable, happy marriages are based on a series of marital processes and behaviors that are more than just the absence of dysfunctional processes. Constructive activities build strong marital relationships and help the unions withstand the stressful events and transitions that can destroy weaker marriages. Our goal is to identify both those processes that make a marriage work and those that make a marriage dysfunctional. In this chapter we provide an overview of our research findings and theoretical formulations on the functional and dysfunctional dynamics of marriage.
