cycle of violence:Conflict, violence, apology, and reconciliation.With each repetition, the
violence can escalate.
demandingness:Baumrind’s term for parental control, based on how parents work to
integrate a child into the family whole.
democratic family:More gender-balanced family of the mid- to late 1800s which had two
functions: emotional and civil. It was to meet the emotional needs of family members and
to teach good citizenship skills.
dependent variable:Part of a hypothesis which specifies aneffect.
destructive conflict:Disagreements which are not constructively resolved, resulting in
avoidance, coercion, or violence. These kinds of conflict often destroy the relationship.
devitalized marriage:Dissatisfaction in all nine dimensions of marriage.
differentiation:The process through which a married person separates from the family of
origin and establishes a new family.
disengaged marriage: These couples have the second highest rate of divorce. There is little
emphasis on intimacy and a great deal of emphasis on independence so couples drift along
until they drift apart.
disillusionment model:Couple’s idealized view of one another deteriorates and can lead to
divorce.
domesticity:A view that a woman’s role was to devote herself to her husband, domestic
duties, and childcare.
dyadic formation theory of mate selection:Suggests relationships begin with attraction and
proceed through six stages.
embryo adoption:Implantation of a frozen embryo from another couple into the uterus.
emergent-distress model:Negativity corrodes happiness of early marriage.
endogamy:Choosing a mate within one’s status group.
enduring dynamics model:Behavior patterns established early will lead to stability or
instability.
equity theory of mate selection:Similar to exchange theory, it requires equity and fairness in
what people give and receive in the relationship.
equity:Justice and fairness in relationships.
Erickson’s eight stages:The eight stages of Erik Erickson’s development theory of the human
life cycle, from infancy to death.
eros:A Greek word describing romantic physical desire, as in passion.
Glossary