100 million dollars per year was earmarked for

○ 100 million dollars per year was earmarked for improving marital outcomes in
low-income families.
○ Assumptions:
■ Children would be better off if they were raised by two, married, biological
parents.
■ We know how to increase healthy marriage among low-income parents.
■ Government has a legitimate role in trying to influence parents marital
behavior.

● These programs overwhelmingly failed
○ Did not improve marital outcome (no evidence)
○ Assumed couples did not value marriage (especially low-income couples)
■ Found that they valued marriage more than higher-income couples.
○ Outside pressures predicted success of marriage
■ The stress of having a low-income affected their marriages
Intervention, Health, and Stress
● A Test of Interventions
○ The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP)
■ Improve communication and commitment
○ Compassionate and Accepting Relationships through Empathy (CARE) Program
■ Uses and ICBT approach to improve acceptance and empathy
○ Relationship Awareness
■ Focuses on the motivation to use the skills they have
○ No treatment
● After Three Years
○ 16.3% of couples had broken up
○ Which group fared the worst?
■ No treatment: 24%
○ Which group fared the best?
■ It was a tie! 11%
● Acute and Chronic Stress
○ We think of stress as a negative thing
■ A feeling of anxiety
■ Not doing your best
○ Acute stress is useful because we want to respond to stressors
■ Diagnosed with an illness- you want to deal with it ASAP
■ Exams- you want to take responsibility in order to be successful
■ It can be adaptive
○ When stressors become chronic, you become furious, but you cannot really deal
with it
○ Chronic stress is less manageable and is more detrimental to people’s health
■ The situation cannot be resolved
● Two Route Model of Stress Effects
○ Route 1: The content of the relationship
○ Route 2: Response to relationship problems
○ Stress gives rise to marital problems and marital satisfaction
○ Stress = poor responses to marital issues, marital satisfaction
○ Stress disrupts ability to communicate effectively
● Social Support
○ The existence of social relationships
■ Social support can intervene with your stress and make you feel better
○ The structure of one’s social networks
○ Enacted social support
■ Actual instances of social support
● What is Enacted Support?
○ Fulfillment of fundamental needs by other people
○ Aid in response to stressful life events
● Paradox of Social Support

○ Perceived support
■ The idea that support is available to one in the future and has been
available in the past
○ Enacted or received support
■ A single instance of support
■ Ex: care package for finals
○ The paradox of social support
■ Perceived support is associated with very positive outcomes, but actual
support is associated with negative outcomes, in particular negative mood