GENDER ROLE ORIENTATION, RELIGIOSITY, AND SELF DETERMINATION AS PREDICTORS OF MARITAL SATISFACTION AMONG HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                                                                 Page

Title Page                                                                                                               i

Certification                                                                                                         ii

Dedication                                                                                                                   iii

Acknowledgement                                                                                                     iv

Table of Contents                                                                                                      v

List of Tables                                                                                                            vii

List of Appendices                                                                                       viii

Abstract                                                                                                            ix

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION                                                                                           1

Statement of Problem                                                                                              12

Purpose of Study                                                                                                 12

Operational Definition of Terms                                                                            13

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW                                                                             15

Theoretical Review                                                                                  15

Family Systems Theory                                                                                          15

Family Development Theory                                                                           19

Self-Determination Theory                                                                              20

Cognitive Evaluation Theory                                                                   23

Social Exchange Theory                                                                          26

Gender Roles, Equity Theory                                                                                 30

Theories of Social Construction of Gender                                 34

Attachment Theory and Psychology of Religion                         38

Empirical Review                                                                                                    42

Gender Role Orientation and Marital Satisfaction                   42

Religiosity and Marital Satisfaction                                                         47

Self- Determination and Marital Satisfaction                                51

Summary of Literature Review                                                                             53

Hypotheses                                                                                                                             55

CHAPTER THREE

METHOD                                                                                                                              56

Participants                                                                                                                             56

Instruments                                                                                                          56

Procedure                                                                                                                59

Design and Statistics                                                                                      60

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS                                                                                                      61

Summary of Findings                                                                           64

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION

Implication of the Study                                                                                 70

Limitations of the Study                                                                                       71

Suggestions for Further Research                                                                       72

Summary and Conclusion                                                    73

REFERENCES         

APPENDICES

List of Tables

Table 1            Table of Correlations for the study variables.

Table 2            Table of Regression coefficients for marital satisfaction from gender role   orientation, religiosity, and self-determination.

List of Appendices                                                         

Appendix A:  Bem Sex role Inventory Short Form- (BSRI-SF)

Appendix B:  Basic Need Satisfaction in General Scale (BNSGS)

Appendix C:   Index of Marital Satisfaction IMS (IMS)

Appendix D:Religious Commitment Inventory-10 (RCI)

Appendix E:    Computer printouts showing SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) analysis result

ABSTRACT

This study investigated gender role orientation, religiosity, and self-determination as predictors of marital satisfaction among married couples. Participants were one hundred and eighty seven (187) married couples, drawn from three religions namely Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion. Theirages ranged from 21 years to 50 years, and were categorized.Cross Sectional design was adopted.Four instruments were used for data collection; Bem Sex role Inventory Short Form, Basic Need Satisfaction in General Scale,Index of Marital Satisfaction and Religious Commitment Inventory-10.Three hypotheses were tested. Hierarchical multipleregression was the main statistic used for dataanalysis. Results of the regression analysisindicated that gender role orientation (p< .001), religiosity (p<.05), intrapersonal (p<.05), self-determination (p<.001),autonomy (p<.01), as well as competence (p<.001) all were shown to be significant predictors of marital satisfaction among couples. Interpersonal dimension of religiosity and relatedness dimension of self-determination were not significant predictors of marital satisfaction among couples. One nascent implication of thisfinding is that couples seeing themselves as one other than strictly emphasizing on gender role will increase rate of marital satisfaction in our society. Other implicationswere also stated, limitations and suggestions for furtherstudies were made.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

            People get married with the expectation of happiness ever after, but it doesn’t always work out that way. There may be too many fights, too few good times and the sense that one and his/her spouse are growing farther apart rather than closer together.However, despite how good or sad marital life may look; understanding what professionals have discovered about marital satisfaction may help couples focus on how to improve their relationship.

Many people believe that, after the initial joy of getting married, the spark inevitably goes out of love and boredom sets in. Interestingly, researchers found that sometimes stresses originating outside the marriage can seriously affect the relationship, especially when spouses are less adept at problem-solving. However, unhappiness isn’t necessarily a result of boredom with each other or a sign that one’s relationship is doomed, but rather may be in reaction to challenges outside the relationship that can be dealt with and addressed.

            Human development entails transition and accomplishment of developmental tasks at different stages. For example, the transition from adolescence to adulthood has been noted to be of high importance (Arnett, 2004; Montgomery & Cote, 2003). For this, Arnett (2000, 2004) conceptualized the transition from adolescence to adulthood as ‘emerging adulthood’. Similarly, Arnett (2004) postulates that the age range for attaining adulthood is approximately 18 to 25 years of age. Hence, section 29 (4) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) Constitution provides that legal age at which individual attains maturity and accountability is 18 years. At this point, social activities such as marriage, parenthood, occupational advancement, and child rearing are some of the significant markers that buttress maturity and adulthood. In Erikson’s sixth developmental stage intimacy versus isolation, individuals are faced with the task of forming intimate relationship with others. This relationship most times tends to be consummated into marriage. When healthy friendship takes place, an intimate relationship with another individual is formed, and intimacy will be achieved but if not the result is isolation. In this case, the marital relationship is threatened.            In view of the purpose that propel people into marriage;Relationship Indicators Survey conducted byRelationships Australia and Catholic University of American (2008)showed the following as reasons why people marry: “…For love, companionship, procreation, security for children, make public commitment to each other, legal status or for financial security, religious beliefs, response to family pressures, desire for a special occasion” For our Nigerian society, one adage that confirms her position on marital life opines that “a man without a wife is like a vase without flowers”; while “a woman without a husband is like a house without a roof”. May be this is probably why some men and women rush into marriage as to be counted or seen as being responsible. But some interesting questions that need to be answered include; are all marriages a bed of roses? To what extent are the couples happy and satisfied?In reference to these questions, Haidari, Zarei, and Sadeglifard (2013) maintained that one important aspect of the family system is the satisfaction that couples experience.Therefore, Ellis (1992)defined marital satisfaction as contentment, satisfaction and pleasure experienced by couples and believes that ignoring the other side’s interests and mind- set causes disappointment and frustration in the marital relationship.