| Abstract: | To test 2 theories concerning the marital choices of neurotics, 13 neurotic and 37 nonneurotic "engaged" couples in a college setting were selected from scores on the MMPI. The traditional psychoanalytic position favors unconscious perception in the choice of marital partner, which leads to the conclusion that neurotics choose each other in marriage. However, stimulus-value-role theory states that neurotics "settle" for each other because of their limited rewarding power for others. It was hypothesized therefore that (a) neurotics would be less satisfied with a neurotic partner than would normals with a normal partner, and (b) perceptual congruence would be greater for nonneurotics than neurotic couples. Administration of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule produced conflicting evidence for the 1st hypothesis, but the 2nd was clearly supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
