Attributions in marriage: State or trait? A growth curve analysis

Research on attributions in marriage rests on 2 assumptions. First, the att ributions spouses make for their partners' behaviors have been treated as a style or a trait, reflecting enduring aspects of the perceiver. Second, at tributions have been described as a causal factor in the development of the marriage over time. To evaluate the evidence for these assumptions, the au thors analyzed 8 waves of longitudinal data from a sample of newlywed coupl es. Results offered no support for the idea of an enduring attributional st yle; attributions changed linearly, and changes in attributions were strong ly associated with changes in marital satisfaction within each spouse. Neve rtheless, controlling for these associations, initial levels of attribution s predicted changes in marital satisfaction more than initial satisfaction predicted changes in attributions. Effects of neuroticism and effects on ma rital dissolution were also examined.