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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Psychology
Notes
- Abstract:
- In general, marital satisfaction decreases dramatically after the birth of a child. In women, the decrease is associated with physical, emotional and social changes. In men, financial stressors and role conflicts are linked to decreased satisfaction. Despite the differences, in both men and women, there are three factors that emerge as strong predictors of overall marital satisfaction post childbirth: communication, distribution of marital responsibilities and adjustments in sexual activity. The literature strongly indicates that couples who report higher levels on measures of the three domains report higher measures of overall marital satisfaction post childbirth. The current study examined which of the following three factors, communication, distribution of marital responsibilities and adjustments in sexual activity are the strongest predictors of marital satisfaction post childbirth. It was hypothesized that communication and adjustments in sexual activity would be the best predictors of overall marital satisfaction post childbirth. The study included 79 female participants, ages 18-years and older, who are or have been married and have had their first child within the last 48 months. The participants were recruited from two social media outlets and asked to complete an online survey posted through surveymonkey.com. A bivariate correlation was performed on the four scales: Marital Satisfaction Scale, Sexual Satisfaction Scale, Communication Scale, and Distribution of Responsibilities Scale which demonstrated that the relationships were significant. A multiple regression was also performed and was significant, F (3, 78) = 55.08, p < .001. In addition, R squared = .688 and Adjusted R squared = .675, indicating that approximately 68% of the variance of marital satisfaction can be accounted for by the model. A review of the betas indicates that communication and distribution of marital responsibilities were both significant predictors. The hypothesis was partially supported. Consistent with the current literature on marital satisfaction, communication was the strongest predictor of marital satisfaction. Distribution of marital responsibilities followed as the second highest predictor of marital satisfaction. Contrary to the literature, results showed no significant link between adjustments in sexual activity and marital satisfaction. The results of this study indicate that women place greater value on communication and satisfaction with the distribution of marital responsibilities rather than sexual adjustment.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (M.S.)--Barry University, 2015.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-44).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Jacqueline Pablos. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- HQ21.P33 2015_PablosJaqueline ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- HQ21.P33 2015 ( lcc )
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