stage 1:In the Nichols’marital life cycle, this stage involves separating from parents and
establishing an identity as a couple.
stage 2:In the Nichols’marital life cycle, this stage involves early marriage and the early
addition of children.
stage 3:In the Nichols’marital life cycle, this stage involves the middle years of marriage,
during which couples examine the integrity of their relationship.
stage 4:In the Nichols’marital life cycle, this final stage of marriage involves reviewing the
successes of a couple’s married life, anticipating the losses to come, and seeking fulfillment
in their remaining time together.
stage theories of mate selection:Describe how we move through distinct stages as we
develop.
stepfamily:A family formed when two people marry and bring a child from a previous
marriage or relationship into the present marriage.
Sternberg’s triangular theory of love:Characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment.
stimulus stage of SVR theory:Evaluating people based on physical appearance.
Stimulus-Value-Role (SVR) theory of mate selection:Suggests people select friends and
partners through a three-stage model, filtering out people in each stage.
storge:A Greek word describing our natural affection for things and people.
strength:A powerful attribute or inherent asset a family possesses.
strong family:A family who exhibits six major qualities or themes: commitment,
appreciation and affection, positive communication, time together, spiritual well-being,
and the ability to cope with stress and crisis.
superwoman syndrome:The strategy of juggling home, work, and family by trying to“do it
all.”
survey:A questionnaire or interview used to collect data systematically.
symmetrical style of conflict:Both parties react to each other in similar ways.
systematic observation:A scientific way of gathering data by carefully observing some
behavior.
time:A social construct meaning different things in different cultures.
tithe:To give a portion of your income to God.
traditional family:A nostalgic image of families which include a husband, wife and their
biological and adopted children.
traditional marriage:A stable marriage in which partners have defined traditional roles.As
long as both spouses agree on the roles and one partner doesn’t decide to change them,
Glossary