The Couples' Closeness-Distance Scale- Observation through joint-drawing: A pilot dyadic validation study.

Publisher: Blackwell Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7904614 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1752-0606 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 0194472X NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Marital Fam Ther Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: <2007->: Malden, Mass. : Blackwell
Original Publication: Washington, D.C., American Assn. for Marriage and Family Therapy

Interpersonal Relations* ; Spouses*/psychology; Humans ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Pilot Projects ; Personal Satisfaction ; Middle Aged ; Israel ; Object Attachment

The study aimed to evaluate the Couples' Closeness-Distance Scale (CCDS), an observational assessment reflecting couples' relational dynamics; based on joint-drawing, it offers measurable dimensions. Forty cohabiting Israeli couples participated in the joint-drawing task and answered self-report questionnaires for attachment, differentiation of self, and relationship satisfaction. The paintings were assessed by trained observers on the CCDS scales (too distant, too close, autonomy, engagement) for both the women's and men's experiences. A two-level-dyadic model showed that differentiation and relationship satisfaction predicted the CCDS and revealed a "pursue-withdraw cycle": Women sensed the men as too distant, while men sensed the women as too close. Participants' sense of discomfort from their partners' distance related to less autonomy and engagement during the painting, with a greater effect on the women. The pilot implies that the CCDS enables observing dyadic-systemic aspects of couple dynamics and may enrich clinical evaluation.
(© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.)

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75300 Tel Hai college research authority

Keywords: couples' closeness–distance dynamics; couples' relationships; evaluation; joint‐drawing

Date Created: 20240403 Date Completed: 20240704 Latest Revision: 20240704

20240704

10.1111/jmft.12701

38567695