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Conflict in marraige: implications for working with couples.

F D Fincham¹, S R Beach

¹fincham@cf.ac.uk

Annual Review of Psychology

|March 12, 2004

Summary

Marital conflict research offers a clear view of conflict behaviors but lacks a unified theory. A goal-directed framework can integrate treatment, prevention, and future research for healthier relationships.

Area of Science:

Psychology
Family Studies
Clinical Psychology

Background:

Over 25 years of marital conflict research has detailed conflict behaviors but its clinical relevance is debated.
Current research is largely atheoretical, hindering the development of effective interventions.
Marital conflict significantly impacts mental, physical, and family health.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the impact of marital conflict on health and its nature.
To propose a unified theoretical framework for marital conflict research and clinical practice.
To illustrate how a goal-directed conceptualization can integrate treatment, prevention, and research.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on marital conflict.
Analysis of theoretically grounded advances in the field.

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Conceptualization of marital conflict behavior as goal-directed.

Main Results:

A clear understanding of marital conflict behavior's topography exists.
The clinical utility of current conflict research remains controversial.
A goal-directed framework offers an integrative approach to marital conflict.

Conclusions:

A unified theoretical framework is needed to advance marital conflict research and clinical applications.
Conceptualizing marital conflict as goal-directed provides a promising integrative model.
This framework can guide future research, treatment strategies, and prevention efforts.