MARITAL STRENGTHS IN ENDURING MARRIAGES

Fifteen couples who had been married at least 30 years were asked to give their perceptions of the qualities which had sustained their relationship in times of closeness and relational strain. Key characteristics identified were intimacy balanced with autonomy, commitment, communication, religious orientation, and congruent perceptions of the relationship. Interrelationships among the variables emerged, suggesting direction for future empirical research. Implications for the findings are discussed in terms of enrichment and intervention.