{"id":{"repo_id":"ohiolink","oai_identifier":"oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1355943711"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ohiolink/oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1355943711","repository":{"repo_id":"ohiolink","name":"OhioLINK","base_url":"https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/oai/oai"},"display":{"title":"Married, Cohabiting, and Dating Couples Presenting for Couple and Family Therapy","abstract":"There is limited research on the nature and presenting concerns of different-sex cohabiting couples attending therapy. Research suggests that cohabiting and dating couples have lower levels of commitment, which makes their participation in therapy idiosyncratic (Smock, 2000). Information on this group of cohabiters and daters presenting for therapy would add to our knowledge of non-married intimate relationships in general, and provide implications for a population that is already participating in family therapy. Given the increasing number of individuals choosing a cohabiting lifestyle, studying this population is imperative in order to understand the changing nature of couple relationships in the US. The primary research question is what are the characteristics of cohabiting and dating couples presenting at therapy? A secondary question is whether therapeutic techniques traditionally used with married couples are equally viable with cohabiting couples? The sample includes two hundred-twenty-eight different-sex couples attending family therapy in a clinic at a mid-west university. Variables of interest include relationship type, relationship duration, relationship satisfaction, commitment, and the level of differentiation of self. From a social exchange perspective, married couples have more barriers to union dissolution, and may rely on societal standards to keep their relationship together despite relational difficulties.","abstract_html":"There is limited research on the nature and presenting concerns of different-sex cohabiting couples attending therapy. Research suggests that cohabiting and dating couples have lower levels of commitment, which makes their participation in therapy idiosyncratic (Smock, 2000). Information on this group of cohabiters and daters presenting for therapy would add to our knowledge of non-married intimate relationships in general, and provide implications for a population that is already participating in family therapy. Given the increasing number of individuals choosing a cohabiting lifestyle, studying this population is imperative in order to understand the changing nature of couple relationships in the US. The primary research question is what are the characteristics of cohabiting and dating couples presenting at therapy? A secondary question is whether therapeutic techniques traditionally used with married couples are equally viable with cohabiting couples? The sample includes two hundred-twenty-eight different-sex couples attending family therapy in a clinic at a mid-west university. Variables of interest include relationship type, relationship duration, relationship satisfaction, commitment, and the level of differentiation of self. From a social exchange perspective, married couples have more barriers to union dissolution, and may rely on societal standards to keep their relationship together despite relational difficulties.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Shannon, Samuel Tomas"],"institution":"The Ohio State University","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Human Ecology: Human Development and Family Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Bartle-Haring, Suzanne"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:36:08Z","subjects":["Families and Family Life","Individual and Family Studies","Therapy","cohabiting","couples and family therapy","satisfaction","commitment"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1355943711","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Bartle-Haring, Suzanne"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Shannon, Samuel Tomas"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2012"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["The Ohio State University / OhioLINK"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Human Ecology: Human Development and Family Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Ohio State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Families and Family Life","Individual and Family Studies","Therapy","cohabiting","couples and family therapy","satisfaction","commitment"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. 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Given the increasing number of individuals choosing a cohabiting lifestyle, studying this population is imperative in order to understand the changing nature of couple relationships in the US. The primary research question is what are the characteristics of cohabiting and dating couples presenting at therapy? A secondary question is whether therapeutic techniques traditionally used with married couples are equally viable with cohabiting couples? The sample includes two hundred-twenty-eight different-sex couples attending family therapy in a clinic at a mid-west university. Variables of interest include relationship type, relationship duration, relationship satisfaction, commitment, and the level of differentiation of self. From a social exchange perspective, married couples have more barriers to union dissolution, and may rely on societal standards to keep their relationship together despite relational difficulties."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf","p.44","851.3 KB"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Married, Cohabiting, and Dating Couples Presenting for Couple and Family Therapy"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Bartle-Haring, Suzanne"],"dc:creator":["Shannon, Samuel Tomas"],"dc:date":["2012"],"dc:description":["There is limited research on the nature and presenting concerns of different-sex cohabiting couples attending therapy. Research suggests that cohabiting and dating couples have lower levels of commitment, which makes their participation in therapy idiosyncratic (Smock, 2000). Information on this group of cohabiters and daters presenting for therapy would add to our knowledge of non-married intimate relationships in general, and provide implications for a population that is already participating in family therapy. Given the increasing number of individuals choosing a cohabiting lifestyle, studying this population is imperative in order to understand the changing nature of couple relationships in the US. The primary research question is what are the characteristics of cohabiting and dating couples presenting at therapy? A secondary question is whether therapeutic techniques traditionally used with married couples are equally viable with cohabiting couples? The sample includes two hundred-twenty-eight different-sex couples attending family therapy in a clinic at a mid-west university. Variables of interest include relationship type, relationship duration, relationship satisfaction, commitment, and the level of differentiation of self. From a social exchange perspective, married couples have more barriers to union dissolution, and may rely on societal standards to keep their relationship together despite relational difficulties."],"dc:format":["application/pdf","p.44","851.3 KB"],"dc:identifier":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1355943711"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["The Ohio State University / OhioLINK"],"dc:rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"dc:subject":["Families and Family Life","Individual and Family Studies","Therapy","cohabiting","couples and family therapy","satisfaction","commitment"],"dc:title":["Married, Cohabiting, and Dating Couples Presenting for Couple and Family Therapy"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Human Ecology: Human Development and Family Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Ohio State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:36:08Z"}