U4_A1__DimensionsOfRelationships

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Running head: DEFINING AND ASSESSING FOUR DIMENSIONS OF COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS 1 Defining and Assessing Four Dimensions of Couple Relationships Capella University MFT 5106: Assessments, Measures, Tests for MFT Practice February 2, 2024 Dimensions of Couple Relationships

Running head: DEFINING AND ASSESSING FOUR DIMENSIONS OF COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS 2 Relationship satisfaction (or lack thereof) often catalyzes couples to seek counseling and treatment. In Western society, the pursuit of individual happiness has steadily become intertwined with marital happiness, or at least positivity in a primary relationship (FOWERS, 1998). However, when looking through much of the literature and research available on general martial issues, many of the concerns focus on communication as a main factor in marital satisfaction- indeed, the “quality of communication between spouses is associated with marital satisfaction and stability (Kline Rhoades & Stocker, 2006).” This idea suggests that relationship satisfaction also dictates the quality of communication between partners; to improve general relationship satisfaction and therefore communication quality, partners must consider important aspects of their relationship, including mindfulness, vulnerability, non-judgment, and relational patterns. Mindfulness Mindfulness is described as an “intentional approach to living” and incorporates awareness of one’s own emotional experience and present surroundings. Using a mindfulness approach can assist with emotional regulation, negative emotion management, connections with others, and general relationship satisfaction (Leavitt et al., 2021). Mindfulness encourages “constructive efforts” within relationships, guiding one to act in the best interests of their partners and for the good of the relationship and increases “relational flourishing,” allowing partners to create positive meanings within their relationship, encourage personal growth, and share goals with one another (Leavitt et al., 2021). With this in mind, it may be an important aspect in partners believing and creating positive interactions within their relationship-“illusions” which help partners inspire, create, and realize their ideals about marriage and relationships

Running head: DEFINING AND ASSESSING FOUR DIMENSIONS OF COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS 3 (FOWERS, 1998) as it encourages “competence, relatedness, and autonomy within a close relationship” and fostering “deep engagement (Leavitt et al., 2021).” Vulnerability Generally, there is a level of vulnerability expected in close relationships, such as couple and marital relationships. Vulnerability can include self-expression or self-disclosure, and spending additional time with someone, and intentionally talking about feelings, as well as maintaining meaningful conversations (FOWERS, 1998). Self-disclosure allows partners to learn to learn to understand each other, receive validation from their partners, and presents partners with opportunities to learn and support each other’s needs (Zhaoyang et al., 2018). The incorporation of vulnerability in relationships is a positive experience for everyone in the relationship as it allows partners to “free their mind of unwanted thoughts, desensitize upsetting events and improve connections within the relationship (Zhaoyang et al., 2018).” Non-Judgment Vulnerability can increase relationship closeness, but this is often only effective in cases where one is confident that they will not be “punished” by others, but rather reinforced or validated. Intimacy between partners includes engaging in “behaviors that are vulnerable to interpersonal punishment,” as long as it is met with non-judgment and reinforcing responses (Cordova & Scott, 2001). Partners that feel safe in their vulnerable disclosures will feel more satisfied in their relationships and general well-being as they are able to “speak up for their needs” and feel supported in meeting goals to maintain their well-being (Leavitt et al., 2021). Relational Patterns

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Running head: DEFINING AND ASSESSING FOUR DIMENSIONS OF COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS 4 Naturally, individuals tend to develop “signature patterns of engagement and interaction (Butler et al., 2020)” throughout their lives, usually learned from parents/guardians in one’s life; within one’s own relationships, though these configurations may not always be helpful in conflict situations. This is impacted by how one partner views themselves in relation to the other partner (Butler et al., 2020). Maladaptive patterns tend to “polarize” partners and encourages feelings of hopelessness within the relationship; helpful patterns allow partners to exercise vulnerability and non-judgment and increases intimacy, therefore allowing the relationship to be strengthened (Sperry, 2019). Naturally, more positive exchanges within a relationship and decreased negative exchanges lead to improved marital satisfaction (Cazzell et al., 2022); working to adjust relational patterns to increase positive interactions can help change relationship dynamics throughout treatment as the increase of positive engagements in relationships also “buffers the impact” of negative interactions (Cazzell et al., 2022). Assessment Assessing the roles that partners play within a couple relationship is integral to formulating an appropriate case conceptualization to allow the clinician to accurately and effectively collect data and focus treatment for a couple (Sperry, 2019). Through case conceptualization, therapists assess and identify couple relational interaction patterns, including the dimensions of mindfulness, vulnerability, non-judgment, and patterns of engagement. Generally, observational assessments would be used to assess how these dimensions fit into a couple relationship. The Circumplex CRS with Couples and Families may be appropriate for these dimensions as it measures the levels of Cohesion, Flexibility, and Communication in couples- all of which are related to the dimensions previously discussed- and connects these

Running head: DEFINING AND ASSESSING FOUR DIMENSIONS OF COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS 5 dimensions to the quality of communication present within the relationship, and shows how they fit within family functioning (Sperry, 2019). Further, the Circumplex model also helps identify couple configurations and how these relational patterns affect relationships by mapping the View of Self in Relation to Other (VSRIO) in relation to the existing couple configurations (Butler et al., 2020).

Running head: DEFINING AND ASSESSING FOUR DIMENSIONS OF COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS 6 References Butler, M. H., Spencer, T. J., & Seedall, R. B. (2020). Reshaping Couple Configurations that Get in the Way of Relationship Repair and Healing. Family Process , 59 (3), 1334–1352. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12475 Cazzell, A. R., Rivers, A. S., Sanford, K., & Schnitker, S. A. (2022). Positive exchanges buffer negative exchanges: Associations with marital satisfaction among U.S. mixed-sex couples. Journal of Family Psychology , 36 (7), 1050–1060. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000963 Cordova, J. V., & Scott, R. L. (2001). Intimacy: A behavioral interpretation. The Behavior Analyst , 24 (1), 75–86. FOWERS, B. J. (1998). Psychology and the Good Marriage: Social Theory as Practice. American Behavioral Scientist , 41 (4), 516–541. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764298041004005 Kline Rhoades, G., & Stocker, C. M. (2006). Can Spouses Provide Knowledge of Each Other’s Communication Patterns? A Study of Self-Reports, Spouses’ Reports, and Observational Coding. Family Process , 45 (4), 499–511. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2006.00185.x Leavitt, C. E., Maurer, T. F., Clyde, T. L., Clarke, R. W., Busby, D. M., Yorgason, J. B., Holmes, E. K., & James, S. (2021). Linking Sexual Mindfulness to Mixed-Sex Couples’ Relational Flourishing, Sexual Harmony, and Orgasm. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 50 (6), 2589–2602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02054-0 Sperry, L. (2019). Couple and Family Assessment (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis. https://capella.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781351051606/epubcfi/6/26[%3Bvnd.vst.idref %3DC07_chapter2]!/4/2/10/6/4/1:879[ion%2Cs.] Zhaoyang, R., Martire, L. M., & Stanford, A. M. (2018). Disclosure and holding back: Communication, psychological adjustment, and marital satisfaction among couples coping with osteoarthritis. Journal of Family Psychology , 32 (3), 412–418. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000390

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