Determinants of Marital Flourishing among Married Individuals: An Asian Perspective

Authors

  • Samar Fahd National Institute of Psychology,Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Rubina Hanif National Institute of Psychology,Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26710/reads.v5i1.513

Keywords:

Marriage, Flourishing, Emotion Expressivity, Communal Orientation, Gender

Abstract

Marital flourishing is a concept used to assess optimal quality of a marital relationship. Despite abundance of research to understand the factors underlying a happy and satisfying relationship, the determinant of a flourishing marital bonding remains limited.  The present study focuses communal and emotional processes as possible causes underlying beneath a flourishing marital relationship. A data from 569 wives and 433 husbands from Pakistan was collected and analyzed through regression analysis. Findings demonstrated that expression of emotions negatively predicts relationship and individual dimension of marital flourishing. Moreover, positive communal orientation positively predicts individual dimension of flourishing. While, negative communal orientation negatively predicts relationship dimension of marital flourishing but positively predicts individual dimension of relationship flourishing. Gender wise analysis of the study variables exhibits that Asian wives are high in marital flourishing as compared to Asian husbands. Asian husbands show high level of negative emotional expressivity and negative communal orientation as compared to the Asian wives. The study signifies the determinants of marital flourishing thereby, highlighting the role of emotional and communal processes within Asian marriages. Findings of study are being discussed examining possible universal and culture-specific aspects of marital flourishing from indigenous Asian perspective.

 

References

Adler, M. G., &Fagley, N. S. (2005). Appreciation: Individual differences in finding value and meaning as a unique predictor of subjective well-being. Journal of Personality, 73, 79-114.

Amato, P.R., Booth, A.,Johnson, D.R., & Rogers, S.J. (2007). Alone together: How marriage in America is Changing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Askari, Z. (2016), Forgiveness and Its Relationship with Marital Satisfaction: A Sectional Study. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 3, (3), No. 10, DIO: 18.01.181/20160303.

Barry, R. A., Bunde, M., Brock, R. L., & Lawrence, E. (2009). Validity and utility of a multidimensional model of received support in intimate relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(1), 48-57.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0014174

Beach, S. R., Fincham, F. D., Katz, J., & Bradbury, T. N. (1996). Social support in marriage: A cognitive perspective. In G. R. Pierce, B. R. Sarason, & I. G. Sarason (Eds.), Handbook of social support and the family (pp. 43-65). New York, NY: Plenum Press.

Blanchard, V. L., Hawkins, A. J., Baldwin, Scott A., & Fawcett, E. B. (2009).Investigating the effects of marriage and relationship education on couples’ communication skills: A meta-analytic study. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(2), 203-214. doi: 10.1037/a0015211.

Brody L.R., & Hall, J.A.(1993). Gender and Emotion. In: Lewis M, Haviland J.M., editors. Handbook of emotions. Guilford Press; New York, pp. 447–460.

Bryan, A.D., Hammer, J.C., & Fisher, J.D. (2000). Whose hands reach out to the homeless? Patterns of helping among high and low communally oriented individuals. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 30, 887-905.

Buunk, A. P., & De Dreu, K.W. (2006).The Moderating Role of Communal Orientation on Equity Considerations in Close Relationships.Traduction en français », Revue internationale de psychologiesociale, 19, 121-144.

Canevello, A., & Crocker, J. (2010).Creating good relationships: Responsiveness, relationship quality, and interpersonal goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99(1), 78-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0018186

Carstensen, L.L, Gottman, J.M, &Levenson, R.W. (1995).Emotional behavior in long-term marriage. Psychology and Aging, 10,(1), 140–149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.10.1.140

Chen H.Y.,&Boore J.R. (2010). Translation and back-translation in qualitative nursing research: methodological review. Journal of Clinical Nursery, 19(1-2), 234-9.

Clark, M. S., &Finkel, E. J. (2005). Willingness to express emotion: The impact of relationship type, communal orientation, and their interaction. Personal Relationships, 12(2), 169-180. DOI: 10.1111/j.1350-4126.2005.00109.x

Clark, M. S., Ouellette, R., Powell, M. C., & Milberg, S. (1987). Recipient's mood, relationship type, and helping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 94-103.

Crocker, J., &Canevello, A. (2008). Creating and undermining social support in communal relationships: The role of compassionate and self-image goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 555-575.

Diener, E., Wirtz D., Tov W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D., Oishi, S., &Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). New well-being measures: Short scales to assess flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Social Indicators Research. 97, 143–156.

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003).Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389. Doi.org/10.1037/002-3514.84.2.377

Fardis, M. (2007).Expression and Regulation of Emotions in Romantic Relationships.Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/423

Feeney, J. A. (2002). Attachment, marital interaction, and relationship satisfaction: A diary study. Personal Relationships, 9(1), 39-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1475-6811.00003

Feeney, J. A., Noller, P., &Callan, V. J. (1994).Attachment style, communication and satisfaction in the early years of marriage.In K. Bartholomew & D. Perlman (Eds.), Advances in personal relationships, Vol. 5. Attachment processes in adulthood (pp. 269-308). London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Fowers, B. J., &Owenz, M. B. (2010).A eudaimonic theory of marital quality. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 2, 334–352. doi .org/10.1111/j.1756-2589.2010.00065.x

Fujita, F., Diener, Ed, &Sandvik, Ed. (1991). Gender differences in negative affect and well-being: The case for emotional intensity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,61.427-434.

Gill, D. S., Christensen, A., &Fincham, F. D. (1999). Predicting marital satisfaction from behavior: Do all roads really lead to Rome? Personal Relationships, 6(3), 369-387. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1999.tb00198.x

Gordon, C. L., Arnette, R. A. M., & Smith, R. E. (2011). Have you thanked your spouse today? Felt and expressed gratitude among married couples. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 339–343. doi:10.1016/ j.paid.2010.10.012

Gottman, J. M. (1999). The Marriage Clinic: A Scientifically Based Marital Therapy. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Gross, J. J. (1999). Emotion regulation: Past, present, future. Cognition and Emotion, 13(5), 551-

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/026999399379186 ...

Gross, J. J., & John, O.P. (1995). Facets of emotional expressivity: Three self-report factors and their correlates. Personality and Individual Differences, 19, 555-568.

Guerrero, L.K., Andersen, P. A., &Trost, M. R. (1998). Communication and emotion: Basic concepts and approaches. In P.A. Anderson & L.K. Guerrero (Eds.).The handbook of communication and emotion: Research, theory, applications and contexts (pp.3-27). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Halberstadt A. G., Cassidy J., Stifter C. A., Parke R. D., Fox N. A. (1995). Self-expressiveness within the family context: psychometric support for a new measure. Psychological Assessment. 7, 93–103 10.1037/1040-3590.7.1.93

Huppert, F. A., & So, T. T. C. (2013).Flourishing across Europe: Application of a new conceptual framework for de?ning well-being. Social Indicators Research, 110 (3), 837–861.

Jones, D. C, & Vaughan, K. (1990). Close friendship among senior adults. Psychology and Aging, 5, 451–457.

Keyes C.LM. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 43, 207–222. doi: 10.2307/3090197.

Kring, A. M., & Gordon, A. H. (1998). Sex differences in emotion: Expression, experience, and physiology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(3), 686-703. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.3.686

Kurdek, L. A. (2005). What do we know about gay and lesbian couples? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(5), 251-254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0963 7214.2005.00375.x

Mills, J., & Clark, M. S. (1982). Communal and exchange relationships. In L. Wheeler (Ed.), Annual review of personality and social psychology {pp. 121-144). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Mills, J., & Clark, M.S. (1994). Communal and exhange relationships: Controversies and research. In: R. Erber& R. Gilmour (Eds.). Theoretical frameworks for personal relationships (pp. 29-42). Hillsdale, NJ, England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Mirgain, S. A., & Cordova, J. V. (2007). Emotion skills and marital health: The association between observed and self-reported emotion skills, intimacy, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26(9), 983-1009. http://dx.doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2007.26.9.983

Murstein, B.I., Cerreto, M., & MacDonald, M.G. (1977).A theory and investigation of the effect of exhange-orientation on marriage and friendship. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39, 543-548.

Planalp, S. (1998).Communicating emotion in everyday life: Cues, channels, and processes. In P. A. Andersen & L. K. Guerrero (Eds.), Handbook of communication and emotion: Research, theory, applications, and contexts (pp. 29-48). San Diego, CA, US: Academic Press.

Rauver, A J., &Volling, B.L. (2005).The Role of Husband’s and Wives’ Emotional Expressivity in the Marital Relationship. Sex Roles, 52, (9-10), 577-587.

Roberts, L. J., &Krokoff, L. J. (1990).A time-series analysis of withdrawal, hostility, and displeasure in satisfied and dissatisfied marriages. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52(1), 95-105. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/352842

Rose, G. (2008). Places that Support Human.Flourishing: Lessons from Later Life. Planning Theory & Practice, 9, (2), 145 — 163.

Searle, B., &Meara, N. M. (1999). Affective dimensions of attachment styles: Exploring self-reported attachment style, gender, and emotional experience among college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 46(2), 147 158.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.46.2.147

Seligman, M.E.P.(2011).Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York: Free Press.

Simon, R. W., &Nath, L. E. (2014). Gender and emotion in the United States: Do men and women differ in self reports of feelings and expressive behavior? American Journal of Sociology, 109(5), 1137–1176.

Thompson, L., &DeHarpport, T. (1998).Relationships, goal incompatibility, and communal orientation in negotiations. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 20, 33-44.

Watkins, P., Woodward, K., Stone, T., &Kolts, R. (2003). Gratitude and happiness: Development of a measure of gratitude and relationships with subjective well-being. Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 31, 431-452. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2003.31.5.431

Williamson, G.M., & Schulz, R. (1990).Relationship orientation, quality of prior relationship, and distress among caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. Psychology and Aging, 5, 502-509.

Williamson,G.M.,& Clark, M.S.(1992).Impact of desired relationship type on affective reactions to choosing and being required to help. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 18, 10-18.

Yedirira, S., Hamarta,E. (2015). Emotional Expression and Spousal Support as Predictors of Marital Satisfaction: The Case of Turkey. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 15(6), 1549-1558

Yoo, H., Bartle-Haring, S., Day, R. D., &Gangamma, R. (2014).Couple communication, emotional and sexual intimacy, and relationship satisfaction. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 40 (4), 275-293. DOI: 10.1080/0092623X.2012.751072

Ziv, A., &Gadish, O. (2010). Humor and Marital Satisfaction. Journal of Social Psychology, 129, (6), 759-768. https://Doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1989.9712084

Downloads

Published

2020-07-26

How to Cite

Samar Fahd, & Rubina Hanif. (2020). Determinants of Marital Flourishing among Married Individuals: An Asian Perspective . Review of Economics and Development Studies, 5(1), 95-108. https://doi.org/10.26710/reads.v5i1.513