Publication year
2013
Citation Title
Linguistic indicators of wives' attachment security and communal orientation during military deployment.
Journal Name
Family Process
Journal Volume
52
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
535-554
DOI
10.1111/famp.12031
Summary
Changes in military female spouses' relationship satisfaction were assessed over the course of a deployment cycle (pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment) via a combination of self-report questionnaires and interviews. Findings suggest that relationship satisfaction decreases throughout the deployment cycle. In addition, we-talk (a measure of marital cohesion) may buffer against deployment-related marital distress.
Key Findings
Spouses' pre-deployment relationship satisfaction decreased significantly during deployment and post-deployment.
Greater we-talk (a measure of marital cohesion indicated by using words that relate to the couple such as "we, us, or our" rather than "I, me, mine" predicted relationship satisfaction during deployment (but not afterward).
In the interview data, greater judge-rated narrative of coherence (a measure of attachment) predicted higher relationship satisfaction post-deployment.
Implications for Program Leaders
Disseminate information regarding how deployment can affect military couple's relationship satisfaction and cohesion and ways to maintain couple functioning throughout the deployment cycle
Offer classes that educate military couples about the importance of we-talk and coach them on how to use such language
Encourage collaboration among DoD and community-based programs that work with and support military families throughout the deployment cycle
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to provide support family readiness programs, particularly those focused on maintaining couple's relationships throughout the deployment cycle
Encourage the training of professional development courses for community providers to educate them regarding the unique factors that can influence couple satisfaction throughout the deployment cycle
Support programs that help Service members and their families stay connected during deployment
Methods
Self-report questionnaires and in-person interviews were administered to participants two weeks pre-deployment (n = 41), two weeks into deployment (n = 37), and two weeks post-deployment (n = 20).
Spouses completed pre- and post-deployment online assessments regarding relationship satisfaction, romantic attachment style, and psychological adjustment; an in-person stream-of-conscious narrative was completed during deployment to assess marital cohesion (we-talk).
This study did not include details regarding participant recruitment.
Participants
Participants included 41 female spouses of deployed Service members (83% Air Force) who were living in the Southwestern United States completed interviews and questionnaires.
The majority of spouses were White (76%) with a mean age of 30.24 years (SD = 6.64).
Participants had been married (94%) or cohabitating (7%) for a minimum of two years and 66% of participants had at least one child (66%).
Limitations
This study had a very high level of attrition (over 50% from pre- to post-deployment), possibly reducing validity of results.
The majority of participants were Air Forces spouses; therefore, results may not be generalizable to spouses of Service members in other branches of the military.
The window of measurement (two weeks pre- and post-deployment) may be too narrow to determine long-term changes in relationship satisfaction, limiting what can be garnered from the results.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine long-term effects of deployment on relationship satisfaction and marital cohesion
Investigate the influence of deployment on relationship satisfaction and marital cohesion with a larger and more diverse sample of military families across all service branches
Gather data from both Service members and their spouses in order to get both perspectives of relationship satisfaction and marital cohesion throughout the deployment cycle
Focus
Air Force
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Military deployment affects thousands of families each year, yet little is known about its impact on nondeployed spouses (NDSS) and romantic relationships. This report examines two factors-attachment security and a communal orientation with respect to the deployment-that may be crucial to successful dyadic adjustment by the NDS. Thirty-seven female NDSs reported on their relationship satisfaction before and during their partner's deployment, and 20 also did so 2 weeks following their partner's return. Participants provided a stream-of-consciousness speech sample regarding their relationship during the deployment; linguistic coding of sample transcripts provided measures of each participant's (a) narrative coherence, hypothesized to reflect attachment security with respect to their deployed spouse; and (b) frequency of first person plural pronoun use (we-talk), hypothesized to reflect a communal orientation to coping. More frequent first person plural pronoun use we-talk was uniquely associated with higher relationship satisfaction during the deployment, and greater narrative coherence was uniquely associated with higher relationship satisfaction during postdeployment. Discussion centers on the value of relationship security and communal orientations in predicting how couples cope with deployment and other types of relationship stressors.
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