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Notes from:

Weigel, D. J. (2003). A communication approach to the construction of commitment in

                the early years of marriage: A qualitative study. The Journal of Family

       Communication, 3, 1-19.

1. According to Weigel, although a number of avenues have been taken to understand relationship commitment, little research has investigated how couples construct their perceptions of commitment through                                                                                                                                                      .

2. What is the purpose of Weigel’s study?                                                                                                     

3.  Although the commitment literature has made good progress at explaining why people stay in relationship, much of the research on commitment has come from an                                       perspective.

4. Weigel cites the work of Surra and Hughes (1997) who believed that although research from an outsiders perspective is informative about some aspects of commitment it ignores the                                                        of commitment (i.e., events, conditions, and interactions that people themselves say are relevant to the construction and maintenance of commitment.

5. Weigel cites Marston (1998) who stated that there are an infinite number of perceptions associated with commitment and an indefinite number of ways it can be experienced. A case in point may be a newly wed man who may experience both                                                 and                                                  with the fulfillment of a life long expectation. He may also fear the                                        and                                         limitations his marriage may bring. She might feel a sense of                                                    and                                                         but may have concerns over a new sense of                                                         and the                                                  loss of her previous lifestyle.

6.  What theory may be useful in helping to understand the process of how people construct meaning about commitment in relationships?                                                                                                                                                

7. Meaning is not a set of                                                    about the world. People create meaning in relationing to others.

8. It is through                                       both                                                       and                                                                        by which couples construct their joint realities of commitment.

9. As with any system, partners create their own unique realities with their own processes, structures, and routines. These internal realities represent couples                                                                                                                  of their relationships and provide a basis for interpreting what they say and do. Wood termed these

10.  Given the more active construction of meaning during the early years of marriage, this study explored                                                                                                                                                                                                 

11.  A                                      approach was used to examine the couple’s subjective experience of commitment in their relationship.

12.  To explore the meanings of commitment held by a couple, a                                                                             framework was employed. 

13.  The setting for the study was the                                                                                                                             

14.  Emily and Bill were first interviewed                                                         for approximately                                               each but then were brought                                                                                                                   

15.  To analyze the interview data, four categories were constructed. They were:

          1.

2.

3.

                                What were the general themes?

                                1.

                                2.

                                3.

                                4.

16.  When did Bill want to marry Emily?                                                                                                                          

17.  In terms of the themes that emerged from Bill’s responses regarding the meaning of commitment to Bill, what was the strongest response?                                                                                                                             

18.  What was the interviewer’s impression of Bill’s concept of commitment?                                                     

19.  What were the two sources of influence that seem to underlie Bill’s commitment?

    1.

    2.

20.  How do Bill and Emily maintain their commitment through communication?

21.  Bill’s story about communicating through adversity involved                                                                          

22.  The weekend encounter sponsored by Bill’s church where couples spent the weekend talking about family, love, and commitment was called an                                                                                                                                               

23.  Bill tries to communicate his commitment “though                                                                             ”

24.  What is an example of the everyday things Bill thought Emily does to communicate commitment?                                                                                                                                                      

25.  Emily felt her marriage was strong from the start, most of it due to                                                                 

26.  What was Emily’s response to Weigel’s question about what commitment meant to her?

27.  What was another important theme in Emily’s commitment?                                                                          

28.  What were Emily’s thoughts on what commitment meant to Bill?                                                                  

29.  Like Bill, Emily’s concept of commitment was                                                                                                    

30.  What were two sources of Emily’s commitment?                                                                                                

31.  In terms of the prominence of communication in their relationship, Emily said “communication is a                                                                       

32.  Emily had doubts about Bill’s commitment when they were dating because some of Bill’s friends “                                                                       “

33.  Like Bill, Emily mentioned the                                                                                   when it comes to showing her commitment.

34.  What were common themes Bill and Emily shared that make up their joint reality of commitment?                                                                                                                                                                                                      

35.  What are things only Bill mentioned?                       What were things only Emily mentioned?                    

36.  What three previously published findings did this study confirm?

1.

2.

3. 

37.  What are three suggestions for future research Weigel provides?

1.

2.

3.

38.  The results of this study show that the everyday                                                                                                 

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