Fundamental Factors in Marital Satisfaction: An Assessment of Brazilian Couples
ABSTRACT
In this research we aimed to study how couples perceive their marital relationships. More specifically, our goal was to ascertain the way middle class couples, living in Brazil, evaluate the quality of their current marital relationships. 100 cohabiting couples were asked to fulfill the Marriage and Relationship Questionnaire (MARQ), and we found that 86% lived together for 12.62 years on average and declared to be satisfied with their relationship. Jealousy, partnership and love were found to be the most relevant factors for marital satisfaction, thereby reaffirming the Evolutionary Psychology hypotheses about the omnipresence of love and jealousy as elements of cohesion in humans. Selection for those factors may have occurred from early mankind on, particularly with regard to the establishment and maintenance of affective partnerships.
Cite this paper
Rebello, K. , Junior, M. & Brito, R. (2014). Fundamental Factors in Marital Satisfaction: An Assessment of Brazilian Couples. Psychology, 5, 777-784. doi: 10.4236/psych.2014.57088.
Rebello, K. , Junior, M. & Brito, R. (2014). Fundamental Factors in Marital Satisfaction: An Assessment of Brazilian Couples. Psychology, 5, 777-784. doi: 10.4236/psych.2014.57088.
References
[1] Acevedo, B., Aron, A., Fisher, H., & Brown, L. (2012). Neural Correlates of Marital Satisfaction and Well-Being: Reward, Empathy, and Affect. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 9, 20-31. [2] Almeida, T., Rodrigues, K. R. B., & Silva, A. A. (2008). O ciume romantico e os relacionamentos amorosos heterossexuais contemporaneos. Estudos de Psicologia, 13, 83-90. [3] Bartels, A., & Zecki, S. (2000). The Neural Basis of Romantic Love. Neuroreport, 11, 1-6.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00001756-200011270-00046 [4] Berger, P., & Kellner, H. (1970). Marriage and the Construction of Reality. In H. P. Dreitzel (Ed.), Patterns of Communicative Behaviour Recent Sociology, no 2. [5] Buss, D. M. (2000). A paixao perigosa: por que o ciume e tao necessario quanto o amor e o sexo, traducao Myriam Campelo, Objetiva (3rd ed). Traducao de The Dangerous Passion. [6] Buss, D. M. (2007). The Evolution of Human Mating. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 39, 502-512. [7] Buss, D. M., & Shackelford, T. K. (1997). From Vigilance to Violence: Mate Retention Tactics in Married Couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 346-361.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.2.346 [8] Carter, C. S (1998). Neuroendocrine Perspectives on Social Attachment and Love. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 23, 779-818.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4530(98)00055-9 [9] Daly, M., & Wilson, M. (1996). Evolutionary Psychology and Marital Conflict: The Relevance of Stepchildren. In D. M. Buss, & N. Malamuth (Eds.), Sex, Power, Conflict: Feminist and Evolutionary Perspectives (pp. 9-28). New York: Oxford University Press. [10] Diamond, L. M. (2003). What Does Sexual Orientation Orient? A biobehavioral Model Distinguishing Romantic Love and Sexual Desire. Psychological Review, 110, 173-192.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.110.1.173 [11] Epstein, E., & Guttman, R. (1985). Mate Selection in Man: Evidence, Theory and Outcome. Social Biology, 31, 351-361. [12] Feeney, J. A. (1999). Adult Attachment, Emotional Control and Marital Satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 6, 169-185.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1999.tb00185.x [13] Feeney, J. A., & Noller, P. (1990). Attachment Style as Predictor of Adult Romantic Relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 281-291.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.2.281 [14] Feeney, J. A., & Noller, P. (1992). Attachment Style and Romantic Love: Relationship Dissolution. Australian Journal of Psychology, 44, 69-74.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00049539208260145 [15] Feres-Carneiro, T., & Feres-Carneiro, T. (1999). Conjugalidade: um estudo sobre as diferentes dimensoes da relacao amorosa heterossexual e homossexual. Casal e familia: Entre a tradicao e a transformacao (pp. 96-117). [16] Fisher, H. (1998). Lust, Attraction and Attachment in Mammalian Reproduction. Human Nature, 9, 23-52.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12110-998-1010-5 [17] Fisher, H. (2000). Lust, Attraction, Attachment: Biology and Evolution of the Three Primary Emotions Systems for Mating, Reproduction and Parenting. Journal of Sexual Education and Therapy, 25, 96. [18] Fisher, H. (2004). Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love. New York: Henry Holt and Company. [19] Fisher, H., Aron, A., Mashek, D., Li, H., Strong, G., & Brown, L. (2002). Defining the Brain Systems of Lust, Romantic Attraction and Attachment. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31, 5 413-419.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1019888024255 [20] Gottman, J. M. (1993). The Roles of Conflict Engagement, Escalation, and Avoidance in Marital Interaction: A Longitudinal View of Five Types of Couples. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 6-15.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.61.1.6 [21] Hazan, C., & Zeifman, D. (1999). Pair-Bonds as Attachments: Evaluating the Evidence. In J. Cassidy, & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of Attachment Theory and Research (pp. 336-354). New York: Guilford. [22] Hollingshead, A. B. (1975). Department of Sociology. Unpublished Working Paper, New Havens, CT: Yale University. [23] Jablonski, B. (2010). A divisao de tarefas domesticas entre homens e mulheres no cotidiano do casamento. Psicologia: Ciencia e Profissao, 30, 262-275.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1414-98932010000200004 [24] Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (1995). The Longitudinal Course of Marital Quality and Stability: A Review of Theory, Methods, and Research. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 3-34.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.118.1.3 [25] Lalonde, R. N., Hynie, M., Pannu, M., & Tatla, S. (2004). The Role of Culture in Interpersonal Relationships: Do Second Generation South Asian Canadians Want a Traditional Partner? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 503-524.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022022104268386 [26] Lucas, T., Parkhill, M. R., Wendorf, C. A., Imamoglu, E. O., Weisfeld, C. C., Weisfeld, G. E., & Shen, J. C. (2008). Cultural and Evolutionary Components of Marital Satisfaction: A Multidimensional Assessment of Measurement Invariance. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 39, 109-123.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022022107311969 [27] Marazziti, D., Akiskal, H. S., Rossi, A., & Cassano, G. B. (1999). Alteration of the Platelet Serotonin Transporter in Romantic Love. Psychological Medicine, 29, 741-745. [28] Mosmann, C., & Falcke, D. (2011). Conflitos conjugais: motivos e frequencia. motivos e frequencia. Revista da SPAGESP, 12, 5-16. [29] Mosmann, C., Wagner, A., & Feres-Carneiro, T. (2007). Qualidade Conjugal: Mapeando Conceitos. Paideia, 16, 315-325. [30] Norgren, M. B. P., Souza, R. M., Kaslow, F., Hammerschmidt, H., & Sharlin, S. A. (2004). Satisfacao conjugal em casamentos de longa duracao: Uma construcao possivel. Estudos de Psicologia (Natal), 9, 575-584. [31] Perlin, G. D. B. (2006). Casamentos contemporaneos: um estudo sobre os impactos da interacao familia-trabalho na satisfacao conjugal. 2006. 284 f (Doctoral Dissertation, Tese (Doutorado em Psicologia)—Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, 2006. Disponivel em http://repositorio. bce.unb.br/handle/10482/9274 [32] Russell, R. J. H., & Wells, P. A. (1991). Personality Similarity and Quality of Marriage. Personality and Individual Differences, 12, 407-412.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(91)90057-I [33] Russell, R. J. H., & Wells, P. A. (1993). Marriage and the Relashionship Questionnaire: MARQ Handbook. Sevenoaks: Hodder and Stoughton. [34] Scharamm, D. G., Marshall, J. P., Harris, V. W., & Lee, R. L. (2011). Religiosity, Homogamy and Marital Ajustment. Journal of Family Issues, 33, 246-268. [35] Schimiti, J. A., & de Melo Sarzedas, L. P. (2008). Relacionamento estavel na visao de casais. Terra e Cultura, 46, 24. [36] Selcuk, E., Zayas, V., & Hazan, C. (2010). Beyond Satisfaction: The Role of Attachment on Marital Functioning. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 2, 258-279.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-2589.2010.00061.x [37] Shackelford, T. K., & Buss, D. M. (2000). Marital Satisfaction and Spousal Cost Infliction. Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 917-928.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00150-6 [38] Shackelford, T. K., Goetz, A. T., & Buss, D. M. (2005). Mate Retention in Marriage: Further Evidence of Reliability of the Mate Retention Inventory. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 415-425.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.01.018 [39] Tennov, D. (1979). Love and Limmerence: The Experience of Being in Love. New York: Stein and Day. [40] Tooby, J., & Cosmides, L. (1992). The Psychological Foundations of Culture. In J. H. Barkow, L. Cosmides, & J. Tooby (Eds.), The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Generation of Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [41] Wendorf, C. A., Lucas, T., Imamoglu, E. O., Weisfeld, C. C., & Weisfeld, G. E. (2011). Sex Differences and Similarities in Married Couples: Patterns across and within Cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42, 340-354. [42] Wilson, G. D., & Cousins, J. M. (2003). Partner Similarity and Relationship Satisfaction: Development of a Compatibility Quotient. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 18, 161-170.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1468199031000099424
[1] Acevedo, B., Aron, A., Fisher, H., & Brown, L. (2012). Neural Correlates of Marital Satisfaction and Well-Being: Reward, Empathy, and Affect. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 9, 20-31. [2] Almeida, T., Rodrigues, K. R. B., & Silva, A. A. (2008). O ciume romantico e os relacionamentos amorosos heterossexuais contemporaneos. Estudos de Psicologia, 13, 83-90. [3] Bartels, A., & Zecki, S. (2000). The Neural Basis of Romantic Love. Neuroreport, 11, 1-6.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00001756-200011270-00046 [4] Berger, P., & Kellner, H. (1970). Marriage and the Construction of Reality. In H. P. Dreitzel (Ed.), Patterns of Communicative Behaviour Recent Sociology, no 2. [5] Buss, D. M. (2000). A paixao perigosa: por que o ciume e tao necessario quanto o amor e o sexo, traducao Myriam Campelo, Objetiva (3rd ed). Traducao de The Dangerous Passion. [6] Buss, D. M. (2007). The Evolution of Human Mating. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 39, 502-512. [7] Buss, D. M., & Shackelford, T. K. (1997). From Vigilance to Violence: Mate Retention Tactics in Married Couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 346-361.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.2.346 [8] Carter, C. S (1998). Neuroendocrine Perspectives on Social Attachment and Love. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 23, 779-818.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4530(98)00055-9 [9] Daly, M., & Wilson, M. (1996). Evolutionary Psychology and Marital Conflict: The Relevance of Stepchildren. In D. M. Buss, & N. Malamuth (Eds.), Sex, Power, Conflict: Feminist and Evolutionary Perspectives (pp. 9-28). New York: Oxford University Press. [10] Diamond, L. M. (2003). What Does Sexual Orientation Orient? A biobehavioral Model Distinguishing Romantic Love and Sexual Desire. Psychological Review, 110, 173-192.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.110.1.173 [11] Epstein, E., & Guttman, R. (1985). Mate Selection in Man: Evidence, Theory and Outcome. Social Biology, 31, 351-361. [12] Feeney, J. A. (1999). Adult Attachment, Emotional Control and Marital Satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 6, 169-185.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1999.tb00185.x [13] Feeney, J. A., & Noller, P. (1990). Attachment Style as Predictor of Adult Romantic Relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 281-291.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.2.281 [14] Feeney, J. A., & Noller, P. (1992). Attachment Style and Romantic Love: Relationship Dissolution. Australian Journal of Psychology, 44, 69-74.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00049539208260145 [15] Feres-Carneiro, T., & Feres-Carneiro, T. (1999). Conjugalidade: um estudo sobre as diferentes dimensoes da relacao amorosa heterossexual e homossexual. Casal e familia: Entre a tradicao e a transformacao (pp. 96-117). [16] Fisher, H. (1998). Lust, Attraction and Attachment in Mammalian Reproduction. Human Nature, 9, 23-52.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12110-998-1010-5 [17] Fisher, H. (2000). Lust, Attraction, Attachment: Biology and Evolution of the Three Primary Emotions Systems for Mating, Reproduction and Parenting. Journal of Sexual Education and Therapy, 25, 96. [18] Fisher, H. (2004). Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love. New York: Henry Holt and Company. [19] Fisher, H., Aron, A., Mashek, D., Li, H., Strong, G., & Brown, L. (2002). Defining the Brain Systems of Lust, Romantic Attraction and Attachment. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31, 5 413-419.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1019888024255 [20] Gottman, J. M. (1993). The Roles of Conflict Engagement, Escalation, and Avoidance in Marital Interaction: A Longitudinal View of Five Types of Couples. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 6-15.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.61.1.6 [21] Hazan, C., & Zeifman, D. (1999). Pair-Bonds as Attachments: Evaluating the Evidence. In J. Cassidy, & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of Attachment Theory and Research (pp. 336-354). New York: Guilford. [22] Hollingshead, A. B. (1975). Department of Sociology. Unpublished Working Paper, New Havens, CT: Yale University. [23] Jablonski, B. (2010). A divisao de tarefas domesticas entre homens e mulheres no cotidiano do casamento. Psicologia: Ciencia e Profissao, 30, 262-275.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1414-98932010000200004 [24] Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (1995). The Longitudinal Course of Marital Quality and Stability: A Review of Theory, Methods, and Research. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 3-34.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.118.1.3 [25] Lalonde, R. N., Hynie, M., Pannu, M., & Tatla, S. (2004). The Role of Culture in Interpersonal Relationships: Do Second Generation South Asian Canadians Want a Traditional Partner? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 503-524.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022022104268386 [26] Lucas, T., Parkhill, M. R., Wendorf, C. A., Imamoglu, E. O., Weisfeld, C. C., Weisfeld, G. E., & Shen, J. C. (2008). Cultural and Evolutionary Components of Marital Satisfaction: A Multidimensional Assessment of Measurement Invariance. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 39, 109-123.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022022107311969 [27] Marazziti, D., Akiskal, H. S., Rossi, A., & Cassano, G. B. (1999). Alteration of the Platelet Serotonin Transporter in Romantic Love. Psychological Medicine, 29, 741-745. [28] Mosmann, C., & Falcke, D. (2011). Conflitos conjugais: motivos e frequencia. motivos e frequencia. Revista da SPAGESP, 12, 5-16. [29] Mosmann, C., Wagner, A., & Feres-Carneiro, T. (2007). Qualidade Conjugal: Mapeando Conceitos. Paideia, 16, 315-325. [30] Norgren, M. B. P., Souza, R. M., Kaslow, F., Hammerschmidt, H., & Sharlin, S. A. (2004). Satisfacao conjugal em casamentos de longa duracao: Uma construcao possivel. Estudos de Psicologia (Natal), 9, 575-584. [31] Perlin, G. D. B. (2006). Casamentos contemporaneos: um estudo sobre os impactos da interacao familia-trabalho na satisfacao conjugal. 2006. 284 f (Doctoral Dissertation, Tese (Doutorado em Psicologia)—Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, 2006. Disponivel em http://repositorio. bce.unb.br/handle/10482/9274 [32] Russell, R. J. H., & Wells, P. A. (1991). Personality Similarity and Quality of Marriage. Personality and Individual Differences, 12, 407-412.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(91)90057-I [33] Russell, R. J. H., & Wells, P. A. (1993). Marriage and the Relashionship Questionnaire: MARQ Handbook. Sevenoaks: Hodder and Stoughton. [34] Scharamm, D. G., Marshall, J. P., Harris, V. W., & Lee, R. L. (2011). Religiosity, Homogamy and Marital Ajustment. Journal of Family Issues, 33, 246-268. [35] Schimiti, J. A., & de Melo Sarzedas, L. P. (2008). Relacionamento estavel na visao de casais. Terra e Cultura, 46, 24. [36] Selcuk, E., Zayas, V., & Hazan, C. (2010). Beyond Satisfaction: The Role of Attachment on Marital Functioning. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 2, 258-279.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-2589.2010.00061.x [37] Shackelford, T. K., & Buss, D. M. (2000). Marital Satisfaction and Spousal Cost Infliction. Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 917-928.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00150-6 [38] Shackelford, T. K., Goetz, A. T., & Buss, D. M. (2005). Mate Retention in Marriage: Further Evidence of Reliability of the Mate Retention Inventory. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 415-425.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.01.018 [39] Tennov, D. (1979). Love and Limmerence: The Experience of Being in Love. New York: Stein and Day. [40] Tooby, J., & Cosmides, L. (1992). The Psychological Foundations of Culture. In J. H. Barkow, L. Cosmides, & J. Tooby (Eds.), The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Generation of Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [41] Wendorf, C. A., Lucas, T., Imamoglu, E. O., Weisfeld, C. C., & Weisfeld, G. E. (2011). Sex Differences and Similarities in Married Couples: Patterns across and within Cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42, 340-354. [42] Wilson, G. D., & Cousins, J. M. (2003). Partner Similarity and Relationship Satisfaction: Development of a Compatibility Quotient. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 18, 161-170.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1468199031000099424