Document Type : Research/Original/Regular

Authors

• Ameneh Habibi ¹
• Somayeh Keshavarz ²
• Alireza Kakavand ³

¹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

² Imam Khomeini International University,Qazvin , Iran

³ Imam Khomeini International University,Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

This study aims to examine the mediating effect of marital intimacy on the association between Affective control and marital adjustment. The study employs a correlation-based approach utilizing path analysis modelling. The population being studied consisted of all married individuals residing in Karaj city. A total of 220 couples were chosen as research participants through an internet survey employing the convenience sampling method. The data were obtained utilizing three questionnaires: the Affective Control Scale (Williams et al., 1997), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976), and the Marital Intimacy Scale (Thompson & Walker, 1989). The data was analyzed using the path analysis method with the assistance of AMOS software. The study's findings suggest an indirect relationship between the regulation of emotions and the level of marital adjustment in couples. This relationship is mediated by marital intimacy, as evidenced by the significant beta coefficient of -0.26 (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the study demonstrated the significant impact of affect control (β=-0.39, P=0.001) and marital intimacy (β=0.61, P=0.001) on marital adjustment. Couples that demonstrated emotional regulation skills had heightened levels of intimacy in their relationship, leading to increased frequency and quality of intimate interactions. That is, the heightened level of intimacy contributed to the improvement of marital adjustment. When developing psychological interventions to enhance marital adjustment, it is crucial to consider significant elements, including affective control and intimacy.
 

Highlights

Background and Purpose

  The marital adjustment holds significant importance in evaluating the stability and longevity of a marital relationship. Marital adjustment serves as the fundamental pillar of family dynamics, fostering a sense of happiness, satisfaction, and mutual fulfilment of needs among couples. This idea holds significant importance as a foundational element in marriage for several couples (Jardavi et al., 2022). Marital adjustment may be influenced by many factors, including the personality traits of the individuals involved, the educational status and environments they are living in, the meaning they attribute to the institution of marriage, as well as their educational background, views, and tendencies (Yavuz & Yıkmış, 2022). The level of adjustment between individuals in a relationship directly influences the quality of their relationship and the degree of closeness experienced by the couple. Hence, the level of marital adjustment could have a strong correlation with the degree of closeness between couples (Davood Vandi et al., 2018; Wagner et al., 2020; Farhadi et al., 2020).

To elucidate, the presence of strong marital intimacy serves as a positive component that has the potential to enhance emotional stability for both spouses while also serving as a safeguard within their relationship (Lee et al., 2021). The regulation of emotions within a romantic partnership is a significant aspect associated with the development of intimacy.Couples that can effectively manage their emotions tend to experience greater levels of marital satisfaction and adjustment, fostering a sense of intimacy between partners (Mazzuca et al., 2019). Mirgain and Cordova (2007) propose that the satisfaction of couples can be influenced by emotion regulation skills, which in turn impact marital intimacy. Given the significance of couples' relationships in the establishment of both the family unit and society at large, along with the dearth of comprehensive research on the factors influencing marital adjustment, intimacy, and emotional control, the primary objective of this study is to examine the association between emotional control and marital adjustment, while considering the mediating influence of intimacy.

Method

The present study is characterized by its foundational nature, employing a quantitative approach and utilizing a correlational research design with path analysis modelling as the chosen methodological approach. The study included the entire population of married individuals residing in Karaj city over the period of 2021-2022. The study sample comprised 220 individuals, with the data of 13 participants who provided partial responses to the questionnaires being excluded. The participants were selected using a convenience sampling procedure. The study's inclusion criteria included the minimum duration of five years of marriage and the provision of informed consent by participants. Conversely, the exclusion criteria consisted of two factors: inadequate information provided by participants and a period of marriage of less than five years. The research instruments employed in this study consisted of the Affective Control Scale developed by Williams et al. (1997), the Marital Intimacy Scale developed by Thompson and Walker (1989), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale developed by Spiner (1984). In the present study, the internal consistency of the total score for the Affective Control Scale was assessed using Cronbach's alpha method, yielding a coefficient of .90. Similarly, the internal consistency coefficients for the Dyadic Intimacy Scale and Marital Intimacy Scale were estimated as .94 and .96, respectively.

Results

The mean age and its corresponding standard deviation of the research participants were reported as 12.63 ± 33.73. The gender distribution of the subjects indicated that 15.5% were male and 84.5% were female. The present study utilized AMOS24 software to conduct data analysis, focusing on the mediation role of marital intimacy in the association between emotional control and marital adjustment among couples. Prior to data analysis, careful examination of the modelling assumptions of path analysis was conducted. The model fit indices indicate that the research model exhibits a strong fit. The findings indicate that there is a statistically significant relationship between emotion control and marital adjustment, as well as between emotion control and marital intimacy among couples. Additionally, a statistically significant relationship was seen between marital intimacy and marital adjustment among couples. The researchers employed the Sobel test to examine the potential mediating effect of marital intimacy on the association between emotional control and marital adjustment in couples. The findings from this analysis are displayed in Figure 1 and summarized in Table 1.

Table 1. The coefficients and significance of the indirect effects of emotion control on marital adjustment

The findings in the table above indicate that emotional control indirectly influences marital adjustment, mediated through marital intimacy (p-value<.05).

Discussion & Conclusion

The findings indicate that the level of marital intimacy between spouses serves as a mediator in the association between emotion control and marital adjustment. Based on the research findings, it can be posited that emotional control indirectly influences marital adjustment through its impact on marital intimacy. Specifically, the lack of emotional control and unregulated expression of emotions can detrimentally affect the level of intimacy experienced by couples. This is attributed to the inability to effectively manage emotions as a barrier, impeding the establishment of closeness between spouses. In the current instance, the individual tries to maintain a certain level of emotional and physical separation from their spouse to avoid the overwhelming emotional responses exhibited by their partner. Indeed, individuals may develop a fear of intimacy with their partners to circumvent any conflicts and tensions within the relationship. Inside this specific kind of relational dynamic, self-disclosure is notably absent among couples, resulting in a dearth of intimacy experienced by spouses inside the marriage.

In contrast, when individuals have strong emotional regulation skills, they are able to overcome any barriers or fears that may impede intimacy. Consequently, couples are empowered to cultivate and foster intimate interactions. On the other hand, when the amount of intimacy between a couple is ideal, it enhances their ability to cope with challenging circumstances and increases their flexibility. Consequently, the presence of strong intimacy within a marriage contributes to marital adjustment. The impact of couples' intimacy on their adjustment can be observed through its influence on emotional regulation. This connection can be likened to a link that facilitates the connection between emotional regulation and marital adjustment. Generally, couples that exhibit more emotional regulation skills tend to enjoy higher levels of intimacy and ultimately exhibit enhanced adjustment with one another.

This study acknowledges the potential influence of intervening variables, specifically mental and internal processes, on participants' responses to the questionnaire. However, it is important to note that the personality characteristics and IQ of the sample group were not considered in this analysis. One of the difficulties encountered in the current study related to the unfeasibility of employing random sample techniques due to the widespread transmission of the Coronavirus. Consequently, alternative sampling approaches were utilized in order to gather data. Ultimately, to enhance the generalizability of the findings, it is recommended to employ alternative sampling techniques and investigate populations encompassing diverse demographic characteristics. Based on the research findings, it is imperative to implement interventions targeting influential aspects, such as emotional regulation and marital intimacy, that impact the level of intimacy experienced by couples. These interventions aim to enhance the overall intimacy within couples.

Keywords

• affective control
• couples
• marital intimacy
• marital adjustment

Main Subjects

• marital adjustment