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AbstractFamily scholars and practitioners rely on theories of relationships to guide our understanding and promotion of healthy intimate relationships; however, assumptions about the self are often implicit and unquestioned. This article describes a strongly relational view of the self that can transform family science by accounting for partners' ethical responsiveness and dialogical way of being (I–It vs. I–Thou), concepts long understood in philosophy but largely neglected in family science. We emphasize the importance of ethical responsiveness and way of being as fundamental to both understanding and improving intimate relationships and propose a framework and conceptual model to guide both research and practice. We integrate empirical evidence with the work of Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas to provide an understanding of factors that may lead to meaningful and flourishing relationships. We discuss implications for empirical research and practice to advance family science.

The strong relationality model of relationship flourishing emphasizes the role of ethical responsiveness (how well a person intrinsically responds to the manifest or identifiable needs of others) as a direct predictor of relationship quality and as an indirect pathway for explaining the influence of vulnerabilities. This study is among the first explicit tests of the theorized role of ethical responsiveness. The sample consisted of 1432 adults in a romantic relationship, from the United States and Canada. Modeled as latent variables, ethical responsiveness served as a path between the variables of depression, anxiety, and friend and family support, and the dependent variable of relationship-focused relationship quality. Depression and friend support predicted ethical responsiveness. Ethical responsiveness, both supports, and depression predicted relationship quality. Friend support and depression had an indirect effect through ethical responsiveness. Our findings support the role of ethical responsiveness and suggest continued research into how and why it influences relationships.

As we consider what both family scientists and practitioners can learn from each other, we discuss important advances in relationship and marriage education (RME). We note best practices for research and review recent evaluative findings from randomized controlled trial studies that have important implications for RME. An almost singular RME focus on teaching communication and conflict resolution skills may not be as valuable as it was believed to be. We discuss recent shifts in RME, share results from recent research, and advocate for a balanced approach that incorporates both skill‐based and principles‐based approaches. Important insights can be gained from disciplines outside of family and relationship science, and we encourage both family scientists and practitioners to broaden the scope of models of healthy relationship functioning. Finally, we offer some direction for future progress and issue a call for more integrative and rigorous efforts in both the science of discovery and practice.

ObjectiveFollowing a training in relationship and marriage education (RME), examine whether applying information at 2 months is associated with application at 6 months and how participants' confidence, utility, and self‐efficacy is associated with learning transfer and application at 2 months posttraining.BackgroundChild welfare professionals are required to receive numerous trainings each year with the expectation of understanding, retaining, and transferring this learning into practice.MethodWith a sample of 324 child welfare professionals across 5 states who completed a 1‐day training in RME, we used structural equation modeling with participant self‐efficacy, utility, and confidence as predictors of application of RME concepts at 2 months posttraining. We also assessed how application of RME concepts at 2 months predicted self‐efficacy, confidence, and application at 6 months.ResultsOnly the combined effect of both higher self‐efficacy and higher utility was related to applying concepts at 2 months. Those who apply the concepts at 2 months are more likely both to report higher confidence at 6 months and to apply the concepts at 6 months.ConclusionsEvaluations of trainings should move beyond measurement of immediate learning outcomes to better understanding how to motivate immediate learning transfer.ImplicationsIf participants do not feel like they have actually learned new skills and, more importantly, do not implement the skills with individuals or clients soon after a training, they will be much less likely to use them in the future. A combination of learning concrete principles and skills with confidence they can implement the materials may result in future implementation.

Using meta‐analysis, we reviewed the effectiveness of resident fathering education programs. Our review identified 16 studies with over 200 reported effect sizes. Results revealed a significant overall effect size of d = .26, with specific significant outcomes ranging from d = .14 to d = .61. Studies with father‐only reports produced significantly larger effects than multiple‐reporter studies; studies with no‐treatment control groups produced larger effects than studies with minimal‐treatment comparison groups. A lack of long‐term follow‐up evaluation limited our ability to examine the strength of these effects over time. Although there is some reason for optimism, more fathering education program research is needed. Indeed, the dearth of work in this area may be the most important finding of this meta‐analysis.

This study explores family formation–work fit (i.e., beliefs that work demands fit with desired family size) and its relation to achievement of desired family size, work–family facilitation and conflict, and marital satisfaction using a subsample ( N = 690) drawn from the nationally representative Singapore National Study of Work–Life Harmony. Results indicate that family formation–work fit was positively related to desired family size achievement. Importantly, those with desired family size achievement had more than twice as many children as those who had not achieved their desired family size. In addition, workplace schedule flexibility, work-to-family facilitation, and marital satisfaction were associated with higher family formation–work fit, while family-to-work conflict and work-to-family conflict were associated with lower family formation–work fit. These findings indicate the importance of considering family formation–work fit when studying family fertility decisions, particularly in nations with low fertility rates.

Using family systems theory and an actor–partner interdependence model, we examine the influence of the division of family work (including fathers' participation in child rearing) on father–child relationship quality, satisfaction with the family work division, and marital quality. The strongest effect on both spouses' marital quality is wives' perception of father–child relationship quality. Following this, wives' perceptions of father participation in child rearing are positively associated with both spouses' reports of marital quality. Furthermore, both husbands and wives report higher marital quality when they are more satisfied with the division of labor. When wives report their husbands have greater responsibility for family tasks, both spouses report higher satisfaction with the division of labor. Post hoc analyses revealed that wives are more satisfied with the division of labor when they work with their spouse rather than alone. All findings support a systemic relational orientation to family work, the division of roles, and relationship quality.

AbstractLongitudinal dyadic research provides significant benefits for our understanding of romantic couple relationships. In this systematic review, we begin by providing a broad overview of topical trends and approaches in longitudinal couple relationships research from 2002 through 2021. Then, we narrow our review to dyadic relationship quality articles, highlighting key themes as well as noting important gaps in the research. Using an intersectional perspective that acknowledges multiple ways that disadvantage, power, and oppression may be seen in both research and in couples' lived experience, we note prominent paradigms used in examining couple relationships, what types of questions have been most valued, and what groups and approaches are underrepresented in the literature. Most longitudinal couple relationships research is quantitative, relies on self‐report approaches from American couples in the early‐to‐middle years of their relationships, concentrates more on negative aspects of relationships than positives, and takes a communication‐satisfaction paradigm in studying couples. We see a clear need to increase the use of methodologies beyond self‐report measures, conduct more studies with within‐group minority, older adult, culturally‐diverse, and context‐specific samples to explore the diversity of relationships, and fully consider both strengths and positive processes in relationships as well as the challenges couples experience.

A growing body of literature has examined relations among qualities of character—or marital virtues—and marital outcomes. Results of past research have suggested positive relations between qualities such as generosity, kindness, and forgiveness, and marital well‐being. We expand on previous research by examining relations between three qualities of character and marital satisfaction with 1,513 respondents randomly selected from three states. Specifically, we examined the effects of participants' perceptions of their partners' humility, compassion, and positivity on their own marital satisfaction. Results indicated statistically significant, positive associations between each of these qualities and marital satisfaction, although results vary by gender. Furthermore, a statistically significant interaction effect suggested that spousal humility may be a protective factor against marital stress among women. Implications for practice and program development are discussed.