Project Abstract
This research deals with how couples cope with the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes. It is well documented that stressful life events can have a significant psychological impact on individuals. However, much less research has looked at the impact of traumatic events on significant relationships, such as the intimate relationship. An important question will be what these "successful" couples do to maintain relationship quality. This research consists of 2 parts: 1) couples will complete questionnaires 4 times over 12 months (starting November 2011) and 2) a subset of couples will complete a short, daily questionnaire every night for 14 consecutive nights.
