Dr. David Olson Performed Additional Analysis with My Dissertation Data

It was such a surprise when I received an email from Dr. David Olson telling me that he had done additional analysis with my dissertation data. Dr. Olson, from the University of Minnesota has authored 100s of publications, including four marital satisfaction inventories that have been used by millions of couples. He’s like a guru in the marriage and family field and he used my research. I thank God for this. It came out of the blue – like a gift from heaven. Olson used the same data I used for my dissertation and did a comparison of the four groups on couple typology. It is unreal how similar the percentages are in each type across the four groups. He is featuring it in the PREPARE/ENRICH Newsletter since they are coming out with the Empowering Couples book in Spanish. You can read a short summary at this address - http://image.exacttarget.com/members/3362/hispanic_study.pdf - Or I pasted the summary below. _________________________

Hispanic and Caucasian Couples have Similar Couple Types Jeffery Garrett & David Olson (2006)

Although it is often assumed that couples from different ethnic groups will have unique patterns of marriage, this study found considerable similarity in the ENRICH couple types across four ethnic combinations (both Hispanic, both Caucasian, Male Hispanic—Female Caucasian, Male Caucasian—Female Hispanic) of married couples. The results indicate that the four groups had very similar numbers of couples in each of the five ENRICH types. These findings are based on ENRICH data used in a dissertation by Jeffery Garrett (2004) who found no significant differences between the four groups of couples on the major ENRICH scales (i.e. marital satisfaction, communication, conflict resolution). Using a national sample of 868 married couples who took ENRICH, these four groups of married couples were compared on the ENRICH Couple typology. The average age of the males was about 35 and females was 33 and they were married an average of 9 years. The individuals were second or third generation Hispanics. As illustrated in Figure I (see http://image.exacttarget.com/members/3362/hispanic_study.pdf), there are no significant differences in the percentage of the four groups of couples in any of the five couple types. About 20-25% of the couples were Vitalized, 5-10% were Harmonious, 10-15% were Traditional, 20-30% were Conflicted and about 25-35% were Devitalized. The only difference (not statistically significant) was that there were slightly more Hispanic couples that were Traditional and Devitalized, and fewer that were Conflicted than the other ethnic groups. This study clearly demonstrates the ENRICH Couple typology is relevant to Hispanic couples where one or both are Hispanic. It also demonstrates there is no significant differences between the Caucasian and Hispanic ethnic groups using this couple typology. These findings are similar to a study by Bill Allen and David Olson (2001) that found no significant difference between African American couples and Caucasian couples on the ENRICH couple typology. In summary, the current and earlier studies demonstrate that the five couple types based on ENRICH are valid for use with Hispanic, African American and Caucasian marriages. This is a powerful and important finding since it says that marriages across ethnic groups are not that different in terms of their underlying patterns. References: Allen, W.D. & Olson, D.H. (2001) Five types of African American Marriages based on ENRICH. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy. 27, 3, 301-314. Garrett, J. (2004) The Marital Satisfaction of Hispanic-White Interracial Couples. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Counselor Education, Ohio University. Garrett, J. & Olson, D.H. (2006) ENRICH Couple Typology and Hispanic and Caucasian Married Couples. Unpublished manuscript. Minneapolis, MN: Life Innovations.

Back home with our girls

The Greenbrier was great and it's good to be back home. I love my girls. They are so precious and dear to me. Kim and I had a great time. I was happy with my presentation and I thank God for the opportunity. I also thank Pat Chambers - she's great!

From the Greenbrier

Kim is sleeping. I am rehearsing i.e., preparing for my talk in the morning. We had dinner with Pat, two sisters, the president and president elect of the auxiliary, a volunteer and her son (who was a graduate of Bob Jones University) and the CEO of St Mary’s and his wife. Pat is wonderful. Her personality is perfect for her job as director. We had a pleasant evening at the table with 11 people. It was a 3 course dinner plus dissert. We thank Pat for the treat. This was a special night for Kim and me. I pray I do a good job in the morning. I have to get back to rehearsing it.

Headed to the Greenbrier Hotel

Kim and I will leave in the morning for the Greenbrier Hotel. My friend Pat Chambers invited be to speak to the Directors of Volunteer Services for hospitals in WV. It’s a special treat for Kim and I and I pray I do a good job speaking.

A Prayer for My Classmates

I emailed this prayer to my classmates and posted it on our blog. I thought I would share it. _____________________________ Classmates, I hope you don't mind me saying a little prayer for our class. I just feel like praying for everyone. So here is my prayer .... Father, Thank you for the wonderful time we had at the reunion. Thank you for our friendships that last forever. We seldom get to see each other but when we get together it’s like we were never apart. We feel just as close and connected as we did when we were teenagers. We truly love and care for each other and it is so great. We realize all of this comes from you. So thank you God. Thank you for taking care of us. Thank you for blessing our families. Thank you for our parents and brothers and sisters. Thank you for our children. It means so much to see our friends’ families. We realize that everything good comes from you and we thank you Lord. It was great to learn about all the wonderful things our classmates are doing in their community. We are homemakers and dentil hygienists and coalminers and construction workers and electricians and computer technicians and communication specialists and teachers and school administrators and real estate agents and car dealership owners and restaurant managers and office administrators and secretaries and truck drivers and businesswomen and businessmen and computer programmers and on and on. Our classmates are gifted and talented. They are making the world a better place. We are spread out from California to Virginia and from Indiana to Florida. Our class is making a positive difference in the world. Thank you for blessing our friends with all of these abilities and the contribution they are making. We know all these good things come from you. Thank you Lord! We are sadden because we have lost some of our friends to death. Please bless and comfort their families. Thank you for the time we had with them. Now, after thanking you for all of these things, we want to ask you to bless us more. Please keep us and our families healthy and safe. Cover us with your protection. Send strong angels to guard our children. Help us to trust Jesus Christ, your Son, and bless us with faith to believe you, hope for the future, and love. Help us to love you and to love others as you love us. Bless us financially and materially, but most of all bless us spiritually so that we are close to you. Bless us in everyway and we will give you all the glory and thanks. Lord, in five years, bring us all back together again for another reunion. The older we get the more important it becomes. Until then, we will remember our 25th Year Reunion. We will remember the smiles, the laughter, the hugs, the music, the dancing, the stories – we will remember it all and give you thanks for allowing us to grow up together and to be friends. So bring us all back together in five years. And then one day, take us all home to be with you. Please forgive all our sins and take everyone of us to the big reunion you have planned for us in heaven. In Jesus Name, Amen! Jeff

Long Time No See

I've been absent from this blog because I have been working on four other blogs. Two for my students at Marshall (which would probably bore you to tears) and two for my high school reunion. My high school reunion was wonderful! I loved it! If you you would like to see a slide show of my reunion (my daughter Amber helped me with this slide show on myspace. Amber is great with this stuff!) just click this link and turn up the music - http://www.myspace.com/scott_high_1981

Tristate Chinese School

My friends, Berlin and Fountane Fang, began the Tristate Chinese School which meets in our church building. It is growing! Berlin and Fountain (and their children Faith and Frank) are an amazing family. They shine so bright because they are full of Christ. Watch this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6v2X2xvm-Q