Contexts or Environments

Contexts and environments are the settings in which individual and couple traits are developed. These influential contexts are placed at the bottom of the Marriage Triangle because they form the foundation of the development of individual and couple interactional traits. Larson divides these contexts into two general domains personal contexts and relationship contexts. According to Larson, personal context characteristics include family of origin influences, such as the degree of love and unity in the family in which you grew up, the quality of your parents marriage, and your degree of autonomy in your family of origin. Relationship context refers to the situation or environment in which your relationship currently exists. Examples of relationship context factors include support from in laws, chronically unresolved marital problems, and stress caused by spending too much time or energy in raising children, dealing with financial problems, and so on.