Dysfunctional Beliefs, Belief Similarity, and Marital Distress: A Comparison of Models

Although often examined separately, the joint influence of belief similarity and dysfunctionality on relationship satisfaction has not been investigated, and conceptual models to guide this inquiry are lacking. The present study compared five models of how similarity and irrationality may contribute individually and jointly to marital distress. Multiple measures of those constructs were administered to 49 nonclinical married couples. A content model received support when actual similarity was considered, such that dysfunctional relationship beliefs (assessed by the Relationship Belief Inventory, Eidelson & Epstein, 1982), but not actual similarity in those beliefs, were associated with distress. Also, marriage-relevant beliefs were associated more strongly with distress than were more general irrational beliefs. When spouses' perceived belief similarity was examined, both dysfunctionality and perceived similarity predicted distress, supporting an additive model for females and an interactive model for males. The ability to accurately predict one's spouse's relationship beliefs was unrelated to marital distress.