How Couple's Relationship Lasts Over Time? A Model for Marital Satisfaction.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Relationship Science

Background:

• High divorce rates highlight the need for models explaining marital satisfaction and resilience.
• Understanding factors influencing relationship stability across the family life cycle is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a model explaining marital satisfaction by examining communication, motivation, cohesion, flexibility, and sociodemographic factors.
• To identify key predictors of marital satisfaction in couples.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 331 Portuguese couples completed questionnaires on sociodemographics, marital satisfaction, communication, cohesion, flexibility, and motivation.
• Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the proposed model.

Main Results:

• The study identified five significant predictors of marital satisfaction, explaining 85% of the variability.
• Intrinsic motivation (β = .64) and communication (β = .31) were the strongest positive predictors.
• Having young children (β = -.08), teenagers (β = -.07), and professional/academic status (β = .06) also influenced marital satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The developed model provides insights into couple resilience and fragility throughout the life cycle.
• Findings can inform clinical interventions aimed at promoting healthier marital relationships.