engleski

How problematic are (perceived) partner’s negative behaviors for relationship satisfaction?

Evidence suggests that satisfying romantic relationship is closely connected to the quality of life and is considered the best buffer of stress the we encounter in other areas. However, that stress can lead to stress, regardless of its’ source, is a threat to marital satisfaction and its stability. The experience of stress spillover, as well as its’ influence on marital quality is well documented, but the underlying mechanisms remain under investigated. Building on social learning theories, we posited that stress could lead to marital deterioration in two ways: by increasing negative behavior toward partner but also by leading to negative perception of partner’s behavior. The aim of the study was to examine how perceived spouse's affectionate and antagonistic behaviors contribute to one's marital satisfaction. Firstly, we explored who shows more negative behavior, i.e. whether it depends on some contextual factors such as gender, age, length of marriage and family structure. Secondly, we examined the relation between perceived partner's behavior and marital satisfaction (while controlling for love and contextual variables) in order to determine whether positive behaviors can serve as a protective factor for marital satisfaction. Questionnaire assessing love, marital satisfaction, perceived partners' affectionate and antagonistic behaviors and demographic data was administered to a heterogeneous sample of 302 married couples from Croatia with the average marriage length of 18 years and age span of 20–82 years. Findings suggest that contextual factors modify the way partners behave in their relationship. Results also indicate that perceived spouse's affectionate and antagonistic behaviors both contribute to marital satisfaction with the impact of antagonistic behaviors being buffered when it appears in affectionate relationship. This finding suggests that antagonistic behaviors can be interpreted differently depending on the level of affection they are embedded in. Finally, the perception of partner's affectionate and antagonistic behaviors had significant incremental power over feelings of love and other contextual variables when predicting marital satisfaction.

stress; marital satisfaction; perceived spouse's behavior

nije evidentirano