A dyadic examination of family-of-origin influence on newlyweds' marital satisfaction

The present study examined the influence of family-of-origin characteristics on current newlywed husbands' and wives' marital satisfaction, as well as possible mediation by current conflict resolution style. Results of a series of structural equation models, based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), indicated that the family-of-origin characteristics (e.g., parental divorce, interparental conflict) were associated with lower marital satisfaction, especially for wives. Mixed evidence was found to indicate that conflict resolution style may partially mediate this relationship. Current findings provide evidence to support the phenomenon of the intergenerational transmission of marital quality found in the extant literature, but add to this literature by utilizing the APIM, including dyadic data collection and analyses techniques. Interpretations and implications are discussed, and future directions for research are suggested.