Marital aggrandizement as a mediator of burden among spouses of suspected dementia patients

Recent research suggests that the single strongest predictor of burden amon g dementia caregivers is a measure of marital aggrandizement (Marital Conve ntionalization Scale). The current study corroborates the significant inver se relation between these constructs. In addition, there appears to be litt le association between this response style and more standard social desirab ility constructs (i.e. self-deception, impression management). Furthermore, the tendency to discount negative experience in one's marital history appe ars distinct from emotion- and problem-focussed coping as defined within La zarus and Folkman's cognitive phenomenological model. The propensity to ide alize one's spouse and marriage is discussed relative to the reconstruction ist theory of memory and social exchange theory.