Following an extensive initial evaluation, 35 couples with alcoholic husbands decided to participate in couples therapy (acceptors) and 28 couples did not (rejectors). A significant discriminant function indicated that acceptors were characterized by husbands with more education, better marital adjustment, full-time employment, and larger number of alcohol-related arrests. Acceptors also had sought more outpatient help in the past year. Rejectors were characterized by wives with better marital