Religion, coping and marital satisfaction

Abstract

College of Arts & Science

The aim of this study was to unpack the relationship between religious discrepancies among spouses and marital satisfaction. Specifically, we focused on ways in which coping- both adaptive and maladaptive- affected that marital relationship. Vignettes were used as analogs to real life stressor situations and questions were asked to assess appraisal, coping, and emotions in response to these situations. Along with demographic and religious background information, we assessed intrinsic versus extrinsic religious orientation, perceived stress, depressive symptoms, as well as life and marital satisfaction questionnaires and a few other religious measures. We hypothesized that those with greater religious discrepancies would exhibit more maladaptive coping and in turn, lower marital satisfaction. Our results supported this hypothesis in that the religious discrepancy was strongly correlated with both maladaptive coping and lower marital satisfaction, and path analyses indicated that the data were consistent with a mediational model in which the maladaptive coping, prompted by the discrepancy, was at least partially responsible for the lower marital satisfaction.