Interpersonal ambivalence, perceived relationship adjustment, and conjugalloss

Ambivalence is widely assumed to prolong grief. To examine this hypothesis, the authors developed a measure of ambivalence based on an algorithmic com bination of separate positive and negative evaluations of one's spouse. Pre liminary construct validity was evidenced in relation to emotional difficul ties and to facial expressions of emotion. Bereaved participants, relative to a nonbereaved comparison sample, recollected their relationships as bett er adjusted but were more ambivalent. Ambivalence about spouses was general ly associated with increased distress and poorer perceived health but did n ot predict long-term grief outcome once initial outcome was controlled, In contrast, initial grief and distress predicted increased ambivalence and de creased Dyadic Adjustment Scale scores at 14 months postloss, regardless of initial scores on these measures. Limitations and implications of the find ings are discussed.