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Abstract(s)
The central theme in this dissertation consists of a number of psychosocial variables which have a potential impact on the personal and relational well-being of individuals in a couple relationship. Considering that a successful couple relationship is a significant component of most individuals' life plans, the main goal of this thesis was to expand the knowledge on the promotion of optimal dyadic functioning, from a proactive perspective, deeming the latter as intrinsically important, and not merely an adjunct to disturbance and rupture prevention. Considering a vast body of scientific research and literature on the effects of family stability versus family fragmentation, a growing public and private interest has emerged in other countries, particularly over the last decade, in helping couples construct and maintain strong and healthy conjugal relationships. Such is not the case in Portugal, hence, through an innovative approach, we set out to identify a set of pro-relationship processes and to enable the development of a marriage education program, as a theoretical and empirically based intervention. The conceptual perspectives of Marriage Education and Positive Psychology underlie the seven empirical studies presented herein, and the final proposal of a range of guidelines regarding proactive and preventive intervention with couples. By means of a mixed exploratory approach (document analysis, qualitative and quantitative data) and based on the perspectives of both married and cohabiting individuals, the main focus of analysis was on conjugal relationships in their first ten years, precisely those considered to be the most difficult and demanding years in love committed relationships. The results highlight several dimensions that are relevant to couples’ relational experience, which are consistent with existing research, but also innovative in some cases. Commitment, conjugal prospective coping (as a way of coping based on resourcefulness, responsibility and vision regarding the relationship), savoring strategies (as emotion regulation processes moderating the effect of positive events on positive feelings) and dyadic coping (referring to the interplay between the stress signals of one partner and the coping reactions of the other) may be deemed important dimensions within the couplehood context. As a result of this reflection on the data and literature, the marriage education program “Ties that bind us” [Nós e os laços, in the original xvi version] aims to be a useful resource in contributing to the development of stable and satisfying couple relationships.
Description
Tese de doutoramento, Psicologia (Psicologia da Educação), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2015
Keywords
Teses de doutoramento - 2015