Most research is directed to understanding causal relationships. Consider the following propositions: Conflict in marriage erodes marital satisfaction; dissatisfaction with the sexual aspects of the marriage foretells more general disenchantment with the spouse; similarity between newlyweds in gender-role attitudes and leisure interests accounts, in part, for their later marital satisfaction. These statements are of the "if-then" category, suggesting a causal linkage between variables. Since most of you will create hypotheses of a causal nature, you will need to consider a number of issues pertaining to making inferences about causality.