AHSC 313 Family Communication
Case Study Paper: Guidelines, Evaluation Criteria, & Case (40%)

Guidelines
Read the book: Gottman, J.M. (1994). Why marriages succeed or fail. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Read the case of Jack & Sydney, a young married couple, by: Waite, C., & Ruan, R. (nondated). Tumbling down the cascade. Northwestern University (last four pages of this document you are reading right now).
Write the paper by responding to a total of four (4) questions from below.

Select two questions from Part A and two questions from Part B.
Part A (Select two questions from Part A)

Which of Gottman’s couple types best describes the relationship between Sydney and Jack? Explain.
How does the first interaction between Sydney and Jack differ from their second interaction? Explain.
Name the different types of negative interactions between Sydney and Jack and give example(s) for each type.
Which of Jack and Sydney’s private thoughts are particularly distressing to their relationship?
On page 150, Gottman identifies the most common gender-related problems found in marriages. Do any of these problems apply to Sydney and Jack? Give examples.

Part B (Select two questions from Part B)

Gottman suggests four keys to improving a marriage. How do these strategies apply to Jack and Sydney? Describe specific things they could do to improve their marriage.
Which pieces of Gottman’s advice for productive disagreements would be particularly useful for Sydney and Jack? Explain how these pieces could be used.
What gender-specific advice would Gottman give to Sydney and Jack to help improve their relationship?