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The Relationship Between Marital Satisfaction, Family Relation And Psychological Distress
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Among these traits are
personality and the physical and mental health of the spouse. For
example, depression (Whisman, Uebelacker, & Weinstock, 2004),
neuroticism, chronic stress, low self-esteem, trait anger (Lavner &
Bradbury, 2010) and impulsivity (Kelly & Conley, 1987) were found to
negatively affect marital stability. Individual behaviors such as
substance abuse, specifically heavy alcohol consumption and cigarette
smoking, were also shown to have a negative effect on marital
satisfaction (Homish, Leonard, Kozlowski, & Cornelius, 2009). On the
other hand, sociability was found to positively influence marital
stability and quality (Bentler & Newcomb, 1978).
Couples'
interactional processes that have an impact on marital satisfaction
arehomogamy and interpersonal similarity (including similarity in
socio-economic backgrounds, religious affiliation, values and beliefs),
as well as interactional history of the couple (Larson & Holman,
1994). For example, Dew (2007, 2008, 2009) found that spouses’ different
views on financial matters have a negative effect on their marital
satisfaction. Disagreements related to spending patterns may lead to
tension and conflict, decrease in time spouses spend together, as well
as increase in the likelihood of divorce.
The interactional history
of the couple reflected in acquaintance, cohabitation, premarital sex,
premarital pregnancy; as well as interactional processes, such as
communication, conflict, and consensus building also have an influence
on marital satisfaction (Larson & Holman, 1994). Such interactional
processes as “verbal and physical aggression, observed expressions of
interest, affection, and humor, and for wives only, observed expressions
of anger and contempt†(Lavner & Bradbury, 2010, p. 1183) also were
found to be different for satisfied and unsatisfied couples. Equality
in sharing household responsibilities is another factor affecting
marital satisfaction (Helms et al., 2010; Perrone et al., 2005).
Conflict
is one of the most often discussed interactional processes in studies
on marital satisfaction. While conflict in relationships may lead to
divorce (Booth & Amato, 2001), it does not always result in
dissolution of the union. In fact, according to Conflict Theory (White
& Klein, 2008), a certain amount of conflict is needed in the family
in order to resolve issues and disagreements, as well as to improve
communication and interaction between family members. However, what is
important is what kind of conflict family engages in (constructive or
destructive). Destructive behavior (such as yelling and criticizing) by
either husband or wife, as well as withdrawal behavior among husbands,
were found to be associated with a decrease in marital satisfaction
(Birditt, Brown, Orbuch, & McIlvane, 2010). Interestingly, while
constructive behavior (such as active listening) is usually assumed to
be beneficial for relationships, Birditt et al. found that constructive
behavior worked only when both partners were engaged in it. In cases
when one spouse was involved in constructive communication and the other
spouse withdrew, the potential for divorce did not decrease. The
authors speculated that withdrawal by one spouse may be perceived by the
other spouse as indifference and a lack of involvement in the
relationships and, thus, be associated with lower marital satisfaction.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]Marital satisfaction is no longer a given in today’s world, with different factors contributing to the poor marital quality experienced in most marriages. This study attempted to find out if there is any relationship between factors affecting marriages. Participants were chosen via purposive sampling, where married people were the intended target. Marital satisfaction, family relations and psychological distress were carefully examined to see if there is any relationship between them. Als ... Continue reading---
