A study by a University of Oregon graduate student finds that one of the biggest obstacles to newlywed bliss is a husband's dependence on his mom. "To be successful, every new married couple needs to transfer primary emotional involvement from their parents to their new spouse. If they don't, it's a recipe for disaster," says study co-author Brent Mallinckrodt, who taught at the Counseling Psychology Program at the UO College of Education when the research was done. Mallinckrodt worked on the study with UO graduate student and lead researcher Wendy Hass. The study, soon to be published in the American Journal of Family Therapy, focused on 25 newlywed couples in Lane County. Malinckrodt and Haas also found that although the bride's relationship with her mother also can be troublesome, they also found it is more important for women than for men to maintain some tie to mom and dad--even after marriage. SOURCE: Brent Mallinckrodt, former UO professor of psychology, (541) 485-0738. -30- #T-6063/Day