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This version was published on June 1, 2008
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 34, No. 6, 723-740 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167208315355
© 2008 Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

The Importance of the Organization of Partner Knowledge in Understanding Perceptions of Relationship Quality and Conflict Resolution Behavior in Married Couples

Lorne Campbell

University of Western Ontario, lcampb23{at}uwo.ca

Bethany Butzer

University of Western Ontario

Joanne Wong

University of Western Ontario

This research investigated how the organization of partner knowledge was related to global relationship evaluations and specific interpersonal behaviors in a sample of 107 married couples. Spouses first completed several questionnaires and later participated in a 12-min videotaped conflict resolution task. As expected, wives in older relationships exhibited greater marital quality (self-reported and observed) when they had (a) an integrative knowledge structure and used many negative traits to describe their spouse or (b) a compartmentalized knowledge structure and used few negative traits to describe their spouse. Greater marital quality, however, was found for husbands when they were (a) in older relationships and possessed an integrative structure or (b) in newer relationships and possessed a compartmentalized structure. Exploratory analyses suggested that in some circumstances people may have greater marital quality when they share an organizational style with their spouse.

Key Words: marital satisfaction • marital interaction • cognitive organization


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