Premium
INTERACTING INDIVIDUAL BELIEF SYSTEMS IN MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS
Author(s) -
Israelstam Kenneth V.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.1989.tb00776.x
Subject(s) - psychology , alienation , happiness , belief system , social psychology , religious belief , conflict resolution , epistemology , philosophy , political science , law
Drawing on Maturana's concept of structure determinism and Bowlby's attachment theory, a model of marital interactions is described based on the nature of the “fit” between each individual's belief systems, particularly those related to the fears inherent in intimacy. It is proposed that these marital interactions can be either belief‐con firming, leading to alienation, conflict and unhappiness, or belief‐disconfirming, leading to intimacy, successful conflict resolution and happiness. Suggestions are made as to how therapists can intervene in troubled relationships to facilitate negative belief‐disconfirming interactions, interrupt negative belief‐confirming interactions and prevent the development of negative belief‐generating interactions.