Marital Communication Across the Generations: Learning and Rebellion, Continuity and Change

Abstract

This study examined the influence of parents' marital styles on their children's marriage. A cross-sectional study of two generations of married couples using Fitzpatrick's Relational Dimensions Instrument found the following. Whereas children do not blindly or totally replicate their parents' marital styles, they do appear to learn some aspects of their own marital style (sharing and traditionalism) from their parents, providing their parents are satisfied with their marriage. The results also show changes in marital styles consistent with common notions of changes in our culture (more sharing and less traditionalism). Young husbands rebelled against their fathers' style of conflict by selecting a different conflict style. Young husbands also married wives with conflict styles unlike their mothers. Young wives married husbands like their fathers in terms of traditionalism. Finally, certain aspects of the marital styles of both fathers and mothers predicted their daughters' marital satisfaction.