MARITAL POWER, MARITAL ADJUSTMENT, AND THERAPY OUTCOME

This study examined the association of marital power type to (a) marit al adjustment and (b) response to behavioral marital therapy. A behavi oral measure was used to classify 53 distressed couples into egalitari an, husband-dominant, wife-dominant, or anarchic power patterns. Marit al adjustment was assessed by measures of marital satisfaction, desire d relationship change, and 2 communication indexes. At pretreatment, e galitarian couples showed the best overall marital adjustment, and ana rchic couples showed the worst; at posttreatment, egalitarian and wife -led couples reported the highest marital satisfaction, and anarchic c ouples reported the lowest. Wife-dominant couples improved the most, r eporting increased marital satisfaction and demonstrating improved com munication. The discussion considers the special treatment needs of an archic couples for whom improved communication occurred in a context o f continued marital dissatisfaction.