Marital decision making as applied to family planning

The manner in which couples decide on a course of action presents a vital and complex clinical and research issue. This paper discusses couple decision making with reference to a specific problem, that of family planning. A decision process is suggested that involves three central factors: (a) the motivations of each partner; (b) the level of incentive to resolve their differences, which depends both on forces of affection and the balance of power in the marriage; and (c) the ability of the spouses to perceive, conceptualize, and communicate about their differences. The literature and research in the field is reviewed as background for the proposed model.