3 key factors associated with marital satisfaction. Part 1 (Introduction).
Posted on September 22, 2013 by Hadi Yassin, One of Thousands of Family Coaches on Noomii.
There are three factors associated with marital satisfaction including, Communication, Sexual Satisfaction, and love/ adult attachment.
Marital Satisfaction
Marital satisfaction is the result of a happy and satisfying quality of marriage. While studies have found that marriage can promote mental and physical well-being (Johnson, Backlund, Sorlie, & Loveness, 2000), it is the marital “quality” or satisfaction that provides the benefits, not merely marital status (Dush, Tylor, & Kroeger, 2008). In the last 20 years, research studies have found that marital satisfaction/ success results from a number of different factors, including demographic and belief similarities, personality qualities, communication, sexual satisfaction, love, and partner attachment.
Demographic and belief similarities. The tendency to select others who are similar to one’s self as a partner is called “homogamy”. Homogamy has been reported for numerous characteristics including similarity in socioeconomic status (Chu, Hardaker, & Lycett, 2007), religious beliefs (Asmari, Solberg, & Solon, 2008), years of education (Greitemeyer, 2007), physical attractiveness (Penton-Voak, Perrett, & Peirec 1999), and age (Buss & Shackleford, 2008). Even in culturally-diverse settings, individuals tend to select partners with similar and easily observable traits (e.g., racial characteristics) (Blackwell & Lichter, 2004). In general, studies have found that similarities between couples are related to marital satisfaction and the stability of marital relationships (O’Rourke, Claxton, Chou, Smith, & Hadjistavropoulos, 2011). Because homogamy may serve to reduce marital friction, spouses who have similar attitudes, personalities, or backgrounds may be less prone to engage in maladaptive conflicts with one another (Arrindell & Luteijn, 2000).
Personality qualities. Personality qualities have also been associated with the dynamics of romantic relationships, including marital satisfaction (Deal, Halverson, & Havill, 2005; Rouke et al., 2011). Neuroticism, for example, has been found to be problematic to marital satisfaction in that high levels of neuroticism are associated with lower levels of marital satisfaction and relationship stability (Fisher & McNulty, 2008; Schmitt, Kliegel, & Shapiro, 2007). Individuals who have higher levels of neuroticism tend to be less satisfied with their lives, possibly because they perceive life events more negatively (Fisher & McNulty, 2008). According to Costa and McCrae (1992), “people high in neuroticism are prone to have irrational ideas, be less able to control their impulses, and to cope more poorly than others with stress” (p. 14) which may be why neuroticism tends to be associated with negative marital outcomes.
Some studies have reported a positive correlation between extraversion and marital satisfaction (Watson et al., 2000). Extraverts are generally positive, social, joyful, and interested in other people. Individuals who score high on extraversion generally report fewer relationship conflicts (Bono et al., 2002). Wives’ extraversion may be especially positively related to husbands’ marital satisfaction (Chan et al., 2007), while husbands’ extraversion has been related to low marital satisfaction (Belsky & Hsieh, 1998). (There is no clear explanation for this gender difference).
Finally, some studies have found that lower levels of spousal openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are been associated with lower levels of marital satisfaction during the first two years of marriage (e.g., Watson & Humrichouse, 2006).
