Marital Satisfaction
Running Head: WHY DO SOME PEOPLE EXPERIENCE MORE MARITAL SATISFACTION?
Why Do Some People Experience More
Marital Satisfaction Than Others?
A Look into the Institution of Marriage
Kiley Munch
University of North Dakota
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Marital Satisfaction
Introduction
What is the meaning of marriage? Is it relevant anymore in the day and age of
single motherhood and cohabitation outside of marriage? This paper outlines the effects of
certain variables, such as: age in relation to marriage, emotions and conflict, division of labor,
partner perceptions, religiosity, disease, and cohabitation on marital satisfaction.
Without a doubt, the institution of marriage has evolved over time. What used to be
deemed necessary only for its financial benefit toward a family has shifted to be derived from a
single emotion, love. African American slaves were not allowed to marry at all without approval
by their slave owners. Our country has come a long way in a short amount of time, as far as this
institution is concerned. The marriage movement is transforming from an instrumental model to
a companionate model, focusing today on compatibility and relational growth. Marriage was
once considered a necessity for a woman trying to prove her place in the world. Big changes are
taking place. They will lead us into the future.
America is a nation of individualism. We are constantly trying to prove that we can make
it in the world relying on no one but our own self. Teenaged couples are moving in with each
other out of their parents’ home. Do these couples stand a chance? Dual- earner couples are
becoming the norm and working longer hours. Does this affect whether they are happy in their
marital relationship as well? Does it affect the amount of housework they are able to
accomplish? Who should be held responsible for the house work? Does the amount of
housework an individual is responsible for affect their marital satisfaction? People are getting
married older. Are they as happy as couples who marry younger and set out to achieve their
ambitions together? Are diseases prone to elderly people affecting marriages more? These are
all important issues in our society. In this paper, I will be addressing each of these subjects in
depth.
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Marital Satisfaction
Findings
Age in Relation to Marriage
Glenn, Uecker, and Love (2010) examined previously conducted research on the age of
marriage and marital satisfaction. They found that couples who married later in life had greater
survival rates in their marriage, but a lower quality of marriage. They also found that couples in
the age range 22-25 were most likely to be together and happy in their marriage. This is
significant in that it demonstrates a difference in forms of marital satisfaction, happiness versus
retention.
A second study of age and marital satisfaction was conducted by Weinstein, Powers, and
Laverghetta (2010). They assessed whether age plays a role in marital satisfaction. The sample
consisted of 69 students at a university in Oklahoma. The article did not specify how the specific
subjects were chosen. They were assessed through a self-report questionnaire as well as the
Quality of Marriage Index (QMI). The questionnaire determined demographic information, while
the Quality of Marriage Index (QMI) measured relationship satisfaction. The key finding in this
study was the positive correlation between age and relationship satisfaction. They found that
older individuals experience more relationship satisfaction.
Another factor, the age of the marriage itself, was studied by Anderson, Van Ryzin, and
Doherty (2010). This study analyzed marital satisfaction among continuously married couples.
They studied 706 individuals, 271 men and 435 women. The dependent variable in this study
was marital satisfaction. The independent variables were continuously married individuals. They
did not specify how the subjects were chosen. The study resulted in a couple key findings. High
levels of marital problems were reported by the lowest declining marital happiness trajectory.
This is because the couples already reported being unhappy in their marriages. Marital
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Marital Satisfaction
satisfaction among this segment of the study remained steadily negative. They also found that
those couples who reported low levels of problems within their marriage also had the highest
levels of marital stability. Basically, less marital problems, such as money issues or infidelity,
lead to higher marital satisfaction. Although continuously married individuals reported marital
dissatisfaction, another study found that partner aggression can also cause decreasing marital
satisfaction among newlyweds.
Emotions and Conflict
Panuzio and DiLillo (2010) analyzed conflict by looking at the link between partner
aggression and marital satisfaction. They measured marital satisfaction against the independent
variables, which were physical, psychological, and sexual intimate partner aggression. The
sample consisted of 22 heterosexual couples in their first year of marriage, recruited from a
database of marriage licenses in Nebraska. A two part study involved a phone screen and a
computerized self report. Many key findings were reached through this study. Wives were more
likely to initiate physical and psychological Intimate Partner Aggression (IPA). They also found
that husbands were more likely to initiate sexual IPA. There were no significant differences in
physical IPA or marital satisfaction among males or females. Both husbands and wives
associated their partner’s IPA with poor marital satisfaction. In other words, aggression among
spouses may lead to a negative correlation with marital satisfaction.
Another study was conducted in relation to conflict by Gubbins, Perosa, and BartleHaring (2010). They analyzed marital satisfaction in relation to emotional reactivity, conflict
behaviors, and experiences with triangulation among parents. The sample consisted of 169
married couples found through churches, universities, day care centers, schools, and newspaper
advertisements in a large Midwestern city. They did not specify how the individual locations
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Marital Satisfaction
were chosen. The volunteers completed surveys. The results indicated that women tended to
have healthy emotional levels, a healthy relationship with their parents, and were satisfied in
their current marriage. Hence, they found that these factors may contribute to marital
satisfaction.
A final study of conflict was conducted by Minnotte, Minnotte, Pederson, Mannon, and
Kiger (2010). They examined the relationship between marital satisfaction, gender ideologies,
and work to family conflict. The sample consisted of 156 dual-earner couples who cohabitated.
They chose subjects based on random sampling done on a computer program. The program
picked people from a list of residential addresses. Gender was found to play a significant role.
The study found that women who experience high levels of work to family conflict generally
experience low levels of marital satisfaction as well. This gap becomes more pronounced among
“egalitarian” women. More traditional women who experience high levels of work to family
conflict may report slightly higher levels of marital satisfaction. Work to family conflict seems to
be more detrimental to the marital satisfaction of less traditional women than more traditional
women. A major issue relating work to family conflict to marital satisfaction is the division of
household labor. This can also be a factor affecting marital satisfaction.
Division of Labor
The influence of the division of labor on marital satisfaction was studied by Helms,
Walls, Crouter, and McHale (2010). The study examined marital satisfaction against role
overload and division of housework. The sample was composed of dual earner spouses drawn
from the first three phases of a study previously done on family relationships in dual earner
households. Letters were sent home with Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth grade students in a
Pennsylvania school. 400 families participated in the study. The main finding of this work was
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Marital Satisfaction
that parents who shared “breadwinning” responsibilities also reported the greatest marital
satisfaction. Those who reported similar views as far as employment behavior and how the
money should be earned also reported higher levels of marital satisfaction. Couples who claimed
low levels of marital satisfaction also claimed to have large gaps in provider role-overload. The
women who reported low levels of marital satisfaction also reported high levels of stress related
to the amount of housework they were expected to do. Therefore, this study suggests that the
happiest couples are those who share career aspirations as well as household responsibilities.
Household responsibilities can also affect one’s perception of their partner, which can, in turn, be
a variable affecting marital satisfaction.
Partner Perceptions
Luo, Zhang, Watson, and Snider (2010) studied the effect of partner perceptions on
marital satisfaction. The sample consisted of couples residing in one of two Midwestern cities.
They did not specify how the sample was chosen. They assessed the couples via a questionnaire
completed in groups of no more than three couples each. They found that both partner
perceptions as well as marital satisfaction were statistically significant. Interestingly enough, the
results showed that marital satisfaction may affect partner perceptions rather than the other way
around. While the effects of partner perceptions on marital satisfaction have not been studied
extensively, religiosity was a topic that was mentioned numerous times throughout the various
articles.
Religiosity
Religiosity and relational variables with regard to perceptions of fidelity and marital
satisfaction were studied by Mattingly, Wilson, Clark, Bequette, and Weidler (2010). The sample
consisted of 82 participants, 52 women and 30 men. They were surveyed through a questionnaire
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Marital Satisfaction
called the Perceptions of Dating Infidelity Scale (PDIS), designed to indicate cheating by
dividing the respondent’s answers into three categories: ambiguous, deceptive, and explicit. The
results showed that ambiguous behaviors, such as hugging, eating/drinking, and dancing, are
generally more positively associated with religious and relationally satisfied individuals. Ratings
of the deceptive and explicit behaviors did not prove to be correlated with religiosity,
commitment, or relational satisfaction.
Another study on religiosity was conducted by DeMaris, Mahoney, and Pargament
(2010). The study analyzed how religiosity and gender impact marital satisfaction. The sample
consisted of 178 couples in their third trimester of pregnancy with their first child. They recruited
the subjects mainly through child birthing classes. However, they also obtained subjects through
responses from announcements in medical centers, retail stores, word of mouth, newspaper ads,
and direct mail. They narrowed them down further by selecting only those couples who reported
to be religious. This study was significant in that marital satisfaction was fairly high for both
spouses. Although both husbands and wives both reported conflict, they also tended to have
fairly low depression and anxiety levels, especially among the husbands.
A third study involved religiosity and marital satisfaction. Wilcox and Dew (2010)
examined the impact of modern and traditional ways of viewing marriage. The independent
variables in this case were the social model of marriage and the soul mate model of marriage.
The study consisted of 1414 married individuals obtained from the Marriage Matters Survey.
They were randomly selected from a list of marriage licenses in seven different Louisiana
parishes. Subjects completed three surveys in total. The first was completed at the beginning of
the study. They completed the second 18 months following the first, and the third 32-42 months
following the second. This resulted in a couple key findings. The women who reported frequent
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Marital Satisfaction
religious attendance also reported high family role traditionalism, marital stability, and social
support for their marriage. They also found that husbands not supported by the soul mate model
of marriage were less likely to support traditional purposes of marriage, religious attendance, the
importance of marital stability, family role traditionalism, and had less support for their
marriage. Overall, people who employ a soul mate centered relationship also tend to support
more traditional views of marriage, consider religiosity more important, and are more satisfied
with their relationships.
Disease
Fitzpatrick and Vacha- Haase analyzed the levels of marital satisfaction among
caregivers who had spouses suffering from dementia. They did not specify how the subjects were
chosen. The study found that people who had been married a long time were generally more
satisfied in their marriages. They also found that marriage can serve as a buffer from stressors
that may enter their life. Not surprisingly, they found that spouses of Alzheimer’s patients
reported lower levels of marital satisfaction. Therefore, terminal illnesses can have a severe
detrimental effect on marital satisfaction.
The association between gender differences in depression and marital satisfaction was
studied by Gabriel, Beach, and Bodenmann (2010). They studies 62 Swiss couples seeking
treatment for depression. Of these, 16 distressed couples with depressed wives, 21 non-distressed
couples with depressed wives, 18 stressed couples with depressed husbands, and 7 non-distressed
with depressed husbands were examined. They were recruited for participation in a treatment
study focusing on depression. Referrals were given by doctors as well as newspaper
advertisements. Subjects were screened over the phone, given questionnaires, and videotaped in
interactions with spouses. The highest level of negative behavior occurred within the depressive
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Marital Satisfaction
wives segment. The lowest level of positive behavior was associated with depressed husbands.
Increased gender role demanding/ withdraw patterns were demonstrated more in distressed
couples with a depressed wife than non-distressed couples with a depressed wife. This study
indicates, yet again, that disease can affect marital satisfaction significantly.
Cohabitation
A study conducted by Staley, Rhoades, Amato, Markman, and Johnson (2010) looked at
the results of cohabitation before marriage on the respondents’ first and second marriages. They
used a random sampling of 437 individuals in their first marriage and 200 individuals in their
second marriage. They also used a sample of people who reported instability in their first
marriages, 521 of which had intact marriages and 124 of which were divorced. They found that,
among the first marriages, cohabitation before marriage or engagement led to negative
interactions between the couples, many times leading to divorce. They also found that it led to
negative interactions in second marriages, but not necessarily divorce. This is important as
cohabitation and divorce are becoming more commonplace in our culture as a whole. Marital
satisfaction and cohabitation seem to be directly related to each other.
Discussion
Given the information discussed above, there are many different considerations to take
into account when assessing marital satisfaction. The most significant piece of information, to
me, involved the research done by Stanley et al. (2010). The fact that couples who cohabitate are
almost sure to divorce their first spouse surprised me. As so many couples move in together, in
the years following high school especially, they should consider this fact. People seem to be
valuing the institution less despite the fact that there are many emotional and physical benefits
attained through marriage.
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Marital Satisfaction
A second point to consider is the age in which marriage is deemed satisfactory. As
evidenced by Glenn et al. (2010), couples in the age range 22-25 tended to be happiest in their
marriage. However, couples who married later in life tended to have better survival rates. Which
is more important? Can the happiness elicited from marrying young lead to a relationship that
can thrive? This statistic was one of the more interesting pieces I found over the course of the
research process. Personally, I believe it is possible to marry young, remain happy, and together.
However, I also think there is something to be said about marrying older, after one really know
herself and has established her presence in the world.
These facts should be better conveyed to teenagers and families. It is my belief that
teenagers would have lower levels of cohabitation if they knew the actual statistics against a
relationship that may survive. This in turn could solve teenage pregnancy and other such social
issues. I also think if those individuals who helped families were informed in these areas, they
could help people make better decisions about their life. This would also be beneficial to society
as a whole.
I would enjoy more research in the area of how views of the institution of marriage affect
marital satisfaction. For example, does a man who once found marriage to be unimportant and
insignificant experience the same level of marital satisfaction as a man who always found it to be
important?
Conclusion
The institution of marriage is something that is highly important in American society.
Young girls grow up looking for the prince charming that will whisk them away into the sunset.
They spend their whole life imagining their dream wedding. Age in relation to marriage,
emotions and conflict, division of labor, partner perceptions, religiosity, disease, and
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Marital Satisfaction
cohabitation are some issues they should take into consideration when the time actually comes.
In order to make a relationship last, there are some clear boundaries that must not be crossed as
these have proven to be very significant variables affecting marital satisfaction.
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Marital Satisfaction
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