Bradbury and Fincham review and critique research on marital attributions, emphasizing their role in shaping marital satisfaction. They argue that current behavioral models of marriage need to incorporate covert processes, such as attributions spouses make for each other's behaviors. Studies show that dissatisfied spouses tend to attribute their partner's actions negatively, while satisfied spouses view behaviors more positively. Experimental, clinical, and longitudinal data suggest that attributions influence marital satisfaction. The authors propose a framework integrating attributions, behavior, and satisfaction, highlighting areas needing further research. They note that marital distress has significant negative effects on physical and emotional well-being, prompting interest in marital quality. Early research focused on demographic and personality factors, but later studies shifted to examining covert variables like attributions. The most researched area is how spouses attribute events in their marriage. The authors review studies showing that distressed spouses tend to attribute positive events to specific, unstable causes and negative events to global, stable causes. They also find that distressed spouses are more likely to attribute negative behaviors to the partner's internal traits, while satisfied spouses see behaviors as more external. The authors critique the current literature for lacking coherence and direction, suggesting future research should focus on specific dimensions like locus, stability, and intent. They propose a framework to guide research on attributions in marriage, emphasizing the need for more systematic studies. The authors conclude that understanding marital attributions has significant potential to enrich behavioral models of marriage.Bradbury and Fincham review and critique research on marital attributions, emphasizing their role in shaping marital satisfaction. They argue that current behavioral models of marriage need to incorporate covert processes, such as attributions spouses make for each other's behaviors. Studies show that dissatisfied spouses tend to attribute their partner's actions negatively, while satisfied spouses view behaviors more positively. Experimental, clinical, and longitudinal data suggest that attributions influence marital satisfaction. The authors propose a framework integrating attributions, behavior, and satisfaction, highlighting areas needing further research. They note that marital distress has significant negative effects on physical and emotional well-being, prompting interest in marital quality. Early research focused on demographic and personality factors, but later studies shifted to examining covert variables like attributions. The most researched area is how spouses attribute events in their marriage. The authors review studies showing that distressed spouses tend to attribute positive events to specific, unstable causes and negative events to global, stable causes. They also find that distressed spouses are more likely to attribute negative behaviors to the partner's internal traits, while satisfied spouses see behaviors as more external. The authors critique the current literature for lacking coherence and direction, suggesting future research should focus on specific dimensions like locus, stability, and intent. They propose a framework to guide research on attributions in marriage, emphasizing the need for more systematic studies. The authors conclude that understanding marital attributions has significant potential to enrich behavioral models of marriage.