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Preschoolers' prosocial behaviours support healthy interpersonal relationships as a component of their social adjustment process. Although several studies have found links between parental marital characteristics and preschoolers' prosocial behaviours, these conclusions were divisive. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to clarify the inconsistencies in the research on these relationships and to examine the moderating effects underlying these discrepancies. A total of 37 effect sizes were extracted from the 31 included articles, with 14,374 sample sizes. The meta-analysis revealed a low positive link between parental positive marital quality and prosocial behaviours of preschool children, as well as a low negative correlation between negative marital quality and such behaviours. Additionally, the study explores the moderating effects of factors such as children's age, gender, cultural background, informant type, study design, and publication year. Finally, the study limitations were discussed, along with the aspirations for theoretical contributions, future research, and implications for parenting practices.

With a sample of 120 Mexican immigrant couples, this study tested an estimated actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) to examine the associations between spouses' perceptions of marital quality (i.e., marital warmth and marital negativity), spousal incongruence in familism values, and spouses' coparenting satisfaction. The model simultaneously explored the moderating effects of spouses' incongruence in familism values to ascertain the extent to which the within-couple match between spouses' cultural values impacted the association between spouses' marital quality and coparenting satisfaction. Significant and positive actor effects from marital warmth to coparenting satisfaction were found. A significant interaction qualified the actor effect for wives. Spouses' incongruence in familism values moderated the association between wives' marital warmth and their coparenting satisfaction in such a way that the link was stronger for couples with low spousal incongruence in familism values (i.e., couples in which spouses were in close agreement on familism values). Marital negativity and incongruence in familism values were not significantly related to spouses' coparenting satisfaction. Findings underscore the link between spouses' marital warmth and their coparenting satisfaction and suggest that effective coparenting is nested within the context of a warm and supportive marital relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to predict the propensity for marital infidelity in relation to the consumption of pornographic material on the Internet, with marital quality serving as a mediator. The statistical population for this descriptive study utilizing path analysis comprised all married individuals residing in Isfahan in 2021. 360 married individuals were selected using an online sampling method and completed questionnaires assessing their propensity for infidelity (TIQ), the quality of their relationships (RDAS), and their exposure to Internet pornography (CPU). The findings indicated that pornography significantly and positively predicted propensity for infidelity, whereas marital quality significantly and negatively predicted the same. The data collected from the questionnaires was analyzed utilizing the path analysis method and the SPSS-26 and Amus-24 software programs. Additionally, path analysis revealed that the quality of marital relations significantly mediates the connection between pornography and marital infidelity. Based on the research findings, it appears that problematic Internet usage, particularly the consumption of explicit sexual content, may incite couples to engage in extramarital affairs. Furthermore, in cases where marital relationships are of poor quality, pornographic viewing appears to exacerbate the propensity for extramarital relationships.

Preschoolers’ prosocial behaviours support healthy interpersonal relationships as a component of their social adjustment process. Although several studies have found links between parental marital characteristics and preschoolers’ prosocial behaviours, these conclusions were divisive. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to clarify the inconsistencies in the research on these relationships and to examine the moderating effects underlying these discrepancies. A total of 37 effect sizes were extracted from the 31 included articles, with 14,374 sample sizes. The meta-analysis revealed a low positive link between parental positive marital quality and prosocial behaviours of preschool children, as well as a low negative correlation between negative marital quality and such behaviours. Additionally, the study explores the moderating effects of factors such as children’s age, gender, cultural background, informant type, study design, and publication year. Finally, the study limitations were discussed, along with the aspirations for theoretical contributions, future research, and implications for parenting practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study intended to explore the role of relationship maintenance behavior on marital quality. Moreover, present study aimed to investigate the moderating role of trust and mediating role of perceived partner responsiveness on the study variables. Through purposive sampling, 592 married individuals both men and women participated in the study. The key instruments utilized in the study were relationship Maintenance Behavior Measure by Stafford and Canary (1991), Trust in Close Relationship Scale (Remple et al., 1985), Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale (PPRS) developed by Reis et al. (2011), Norton's Quality of Marriage Index (QMI; Norton, 1983). Correlation analysis was carried out to measure the relationship among studied variable. Moderation was used to examine the moderating role of trust on the studied variables as well as mediation analysis was performed to examine whether perceived partner responsiveness mediates the relationship of studied variables. Study findings revealed a significant positive correlation between relationship maintenance behaviors and marital quality which suggests that higher levels of relationship maintenance behavior are associated with higher marital quality. Moderation analysis revealed that trust did not moderate the relationship between relationship maintenance behavior and marital quality. Mediation analysis showed indirect effect of relationship maintenance behavior on marital quality through perceived partner responsiveness. Present study highlighted the role of perceived partner responsiveness in dyadic relationships and makes key recommendations for family counselors working with clients in troubled marriages for improving clients' marital quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to previous studies, the health of the family of origin and the spouse's perceived responsiveness are among the relevant and influencing variables on marital quality. The role of the aforementioned variables on the marital quality of couples has been studied, but there is a research gap regarding the mediating role of the spouse's perceived responsiveness in the relationship between the health of the family of origin and marital quality. Aims: The present study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the mediating role of spouse's perceived responsiveness in the relationship between the health of the family of origin and marital quality. Method: The research method was descriptive-correlation and structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all married women who referred to counseling centers in 2022 in Tehran city, and 397 of them were selected by convenience sampling method. To collect data, Family–Of-Origin (Hovestadt et al., 1985), Marital Quality Scale (Busby et al., 1995) and Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scales (Reis et al., 2017) were used. Structural equation modeling and SPSS22 and Amos22 software were used for data analysis. Results: Structural equation modeling showed that the health of the Family of origin has a significant effect on women's marital quality both directly and indirectly (through perceived responsiveness) (p

Abstract Background Researchers have demonstrated that various measurement concepts and dimensions depend on context and timing. Objectives The current study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Javanese couples’ marital quality scale based on validity and reliability Methods In total 840 participants or 420 marital dyad from Java, Indonesia, were involved in this study. The psychometrics properties scale was analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant analysis, and composite reliability. Results The exploratory factor analysis found relationship quality to consist of support, physical proximity, warmth, communication, acceptance and respect, role sharing, and responsibility factors. Well-being quality consists of happiness, harmony, and problem-solving. The fit of the measurement model was obtained using confirmatory factor analysis. The fit model was also found in the husband’s and wife’s groups, with no differences between them. The high correlations between wife-husband factors also proved the validity based on convergent and discriminant evidence. The reliability coefficient was high for each dimension and construct. Discussion This analysis shows that the marital quality scale developed has information on psychometric properties that can be useful for researchers and the practicians using the marital quality instrument of Javanese couples in particular.

Background: Infertility is a stressful situation that can lead to negative emotions such as depression. In particular, women undergoing artificial insemination by donor (AID). The quality of marriage is one of the important influencing factors of infertility treatment. This study aimed to evaluate marital quality and depression among women undergoing AID due to male irreversible azoospermia. Methods: A hospital-based cohort study was conducted at Women’ s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from July 2016 to December 2016, with a total of 128 participants enrolled. The marital quality and mental health were measured with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), respectively. Results: A DAS score of ≤107, indicating poor marriage quality, was found in 40.6% of the women surveyed. These women had lower education levels and higher SDS scores. Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis showed a significant correlation between the DAS score and factors such as the duration of marriage, education level, remarriage, and SDS score. Six years after undergoing AID, the SDS score of women remained steady (26.41 ± 4.27 at the year of AID, and 26.52 ± 6.48 for the 6-year follow-up). DAS was statistically lower at the 6-year follow-up (106.19 ± 20.17) compared to that at the AID year (114.49 ± 17.65). Unexpectedly, pregnancy was not shown to improve marital quality. Conclusions: The study’s findings suggest that women undergoing AID experience poor marital quality and exhibit high levels of depression. After a 6-year follow-up, the marital adjustment for the women worsens following AID treatment. Additionally, this trend does not appear to be influenced by whether the couple bears and raises a child conceived through AID.

The current study aims to examine the factors that facilitate or act as barriers to the marital relationships of parents of children with ASD. In total, 150 parents of children with ASD participated in this study. An online qualitative survey tool was utilized to collect data, which were subsequently subjected to thematic analysis. Through qualitative analysis, three major themes emerged: (1) Psychological and Emotional Experiences, (2) Sense of Partnership, and (3) The Rich get Richer, including sub-themes such as formal support systems, a strong marital relationship prior to ASD diagnosis, and limited family resources. The findings suggest that elements of the marital relationship can serve as valuable resources for parents of children with ASD in coping with the challenges of parenthood. Conversely, the study highlights certain factors that act as barriers to the marital relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deleterious nature of U.S. economic recessions over the last several decades highlight a need to investigate the role of family economic strain on families. The current study explored the impact of family economic strain on marital quality and marital stability through dyadic associations of marital support and work-family conflict of 370 married couples over a 12-year period (1989-2001) through an actor-partner interdependence model, encompassing two major U.S. recessions. Guided by family stress and coping theory, findings are consistent with past research indicating the negative impact of family economic strain on marital quality and marital stability; however, this impact may be mitigated through the mediation of positive perceptions of marital support and work-family conflict. Implications suggest financial counselors should consider the lasting influence of economic strain on families, and how the psychosocial resources of martial support and managing work-family conflict may promote relationship quality and stability.

Abstract Marital quality is an important determinant of well-being and is related to how unions are formed. Both processes of union formation and marital relationships may be influenced by stressful conditions, including insecurity and displacement. We leverage unique representative data on young Syrian refugees in Jordan to learn more about the interplay between displacement, union formation characteristics and marital quality. Through comparisons with youth from the Jordanian host population, we assess the role of key contextual predictors of marital quality, such as consanguinity and young people’s role in choosing their spouse, with a focus on gender differences. We measure marital quality with six separate items capturing aspects of equality, respect and interpersonal communication and a unidimensional scale identified through exploratory factor analysis. Results show that consanguinity, marital duration and number of children are generally unrelated to marital quality in both populations. In contrast, involvement in spouse choice emerges as the strongest predictor, with both Syrians and Jordanians in family-arranged unions experiencing lower-quality marriages. Among Syrians, women suffer more from lower marital quality, especially when arranged unions happen at a young age, and marriages formed after displacement to Jordan appear more fragile. The study is one of the first to explore predictors of marital quality in a non-Western, conflict-affected population. The findings emphasise the importance of the demographic study of family dynamics in situations of insecurity and displacement moving beyond a narrow focus on marriage timing to cover a wider range of marriage outcomes related to family well-being.

Background: Infertility is one of the disturbances that may occur in the lives of couples, leading to experiences of psychological distress and endangering interpersonal relationships and marital quality. This study investigated the efficacy of intensive shortterm dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) in enhancing distress tolerance and marital quality of life among infertile women in Yazd, Iran.Methods: A semi-experimental pretest-posttest follow-up design with an experimental and control group (n=20 per group) was employed. Forty infertile women from the target population in Yazd, Iran (data collected in 2023) were randomly assigned into either the experimental group receiving eight 45-minute ISTDP sessions or the control group receiving no intervention. For data collection, questionnaires on distress tolerance and perceived relationship quality components were used. Data analysis was done by a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS version 27 was used.Results: According to the results, for distress tolerance, the mean score for the ISTDP group at the pretest was 31.55 (±13.14), which increased to 50.10 (±9.31) at posttest and 49.70 (±8.68) in the follow-up. The mean score for the control group at the pretest and posttest were 32.05 (±10.28) and 32.25 (±10.17), respectively. Moreover, for the marital quality of life, the mean score for the ISTDP group at the pretest was 70.40 (±19.47), which increased to 90.70 (±20.59) at the posttest and 91.15 (±20.75) at the follow-up. The mean score for the control group at the pretest and posttest was 66.85 (±21.75) and 65.85 (±20.66), respectively. There was a statistically significant within-group effect in the ISTDP group (P

Military separation is a well‐documented vulnerability point for service members, yet little is known regarding how children fare across this transition. The current study examined 909 military‐connected children from the Millennium Cohort Family Study (Wave 1 Mage = 3.88 years, SD =.095) across a 3‐year period to explore whether separation predicted child externalizing symptoms over and above Wave 1 externalizing levels, by comparing separated versus not separated military families over time. We also explored if non‐military spouse employment, financial stress, marital quality, or parenting alliance moderated the relation of separation with child externalizing. Data were collected via a parent‐reported online questionnaire and administrative military records. Results showed that separation was unrelated to externalizing. However, moderation analyses suggested that for those who separated, non‐military spouses' employment prior to separation was related to less externalizing, whereas the parenting alliance was related to less externalizing only for families who remained in the military. Recommendations include assistance with spouse employment prior to military separation and parenting support throughout military service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored interpersonal sensitivity and peer relationships as mechanisms in the parental marital quality and adolescents' online social addiction. Participants were 914 Chinese middle school students (females = 53.39%; mean age = 13.95, SD = 1.89 years). They completed measures of the Marital Adjustment Test, the Interpersonal Relationship Sensitivity Subscale of SCL-90, the Peer Relationships Scale for Children and Adolescents, and the Online Interpersonal Relationship Addiction Scale. Path analysis results showed that higher parental marital quality was associated with lower adolescents' risk for online social addiction. Interpersonal sensitivity played a partial mediating role in the relationship between adolescents' parental marital quality and online social addiction, to explain only some of the adolescents' online social addiction. Peer relationships had a moderating effect on the relationship between adolescents' parental marital quality and online social addiction so that as peer relationships improved, parental marital quality effects on adolescents' online social addiction declined. These findings are consistent with social compensation theory and contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that shape adolescent Internet addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Compassion is an inherently interpersonal emotion that motivates caretaking behavior. Yet, couples' expressions of compassion have been largely overlooked by researchers. We capitalized on a unique archive of naturalistic recordings to assess the frequency with which married couples (N = 30) verbally expressed compassion to one another in daily life and tested associations with partners' ratings of marital quality, depression, and neuroticism. A keyword search of hundreds of hours of recordings flagged potential expressions; human coders examined the interpersonal context in each instance to identify the cases that were actual expressions of compassion. The data showed that verbal expressions of compassion were common: Couples were observed offering compassion on average twice per hour. Actor–partner interdependence models (APIMs) tested how the rate at which compassion was expressed to a spouse was linked to the partners' reports of marital quality, depression, and neuroticism. There was evidence for a hypothesized partner effect: husbands offered more compassion to wives who reported more depressive symptoms. An unexpected pattern emerged indicating that husbands' personal distress was associated with more frequent compassion expressions. In particular, husbands who perceived their marriages as lower quality and husbands who reported more neuroticism offered more compassion. Our findings highlight the distinction between the internal emotional experience versus verbal expressions of compassion and suggest that some partner compassion behaviors may reflect hypervigilance and compulsive caretaking triggered by distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct, indirect, and partner effects estimated among uplifts, respite care, stress, and marital quality across mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 102) and Down syndrome (n = 111) were examined in this cross-sectional study. Parents of children with ASD who reported more uplifts and less stress individually reported better marital quality; these wives reported better marital quality as their husbands reported more uplifts and less stress. Wives with children with DS who reported more uplifts, individually along with their husbands reported less stress and better marital quality. Respite was directly associated with marital quality for parents of children with ASD and indirectly associated with marital quality for parents of children with DS with reduced individual stress. Implications are discussed.

Previous studies have shown that psychopathy, one of the Dark Triad personality traits, is associated with relationship dissatisfaction. However, the similarity of psychopathy among romantic couples remains uncertain with regard to relationship outcomes. This study examined the effect of the perceptual similarity of psychopathy on marital quality in a sample of 245 heterosexual married couples, using intraclass correlation coefficients as the method for assessing couples' similarity. This study also explored the possible mediating role of couple communication based on the Actor–Partner Interdependence model. The results reveal that husbands' self‐rating and wives' partner‐rating of psychopathy showed negative effects on marital quality, whereas wives' perceptual similarity of psychopathy exerted both actor and partner effects on marital quality via couple communication. The current study enriches the theoretical framework of personality and relationship outcomes and emphasizes the importance of communication in a close relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization has mentioned infertility as a public health problem that can lead to depression, anxiety, social exclusion, and sexual disorders. This biological, psychological, and social crisis creates a defective cycle that weakens fertility and causes dysfunction in sexual performance and satisfaction. But do infertile couples in Tehran also experience such quality experiences in life? Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of infertility experience and the impact of this event on the marital quality of life in couples. Methods: The research method was qualitative and phenomenological. It tried to examine and discover the lived experience of infertile couples by entering the phenomenological world. The population of the present study consisted of all couples with infertility experience who were referred to Royan Research Institute in 1400. The sampling method was purposeful according to most qualitative schemes in order to have phenomenological information, and the researcher based the obtained data on 15 Analyzed the Colaizzi method. The validity of the findings was confirmed by the re-coding method by expert professors. Results: Analyzing and coding the cognitive phenomenon by Colaizzi method, identified 36 sub-categories and according to their similarity and semantic similarity, in 7 main concepts including the couple and social suffering from child-free life, intellectual and emotional issues in the treatment path, suggestion of Divorce or polygamy, lack of empathy and compatibility of those around the couple, isolation and apathy of the couple, increase in anxiety and stress of the couple, decrease in the quality of the marital relationship, decrease in the financial security of the couple are categorized. Conclusion: The results showed that the phenomenon of infertility, in line with previous research, is associated with a noticeable decrease in the marital quality of life in couples in Tehran city and has created important issues, including the possibility of separation and divorce, coldness of relationships, decreased motivation, intellectual, emotional and social challenges, which are necessarily paying attention to the reduction of these cases is felt in order to increase the marital quality of life in these couples.

Plain Englishsummary Marital relationships in China have undergone significant transformations with the rapid industrialization and modernization of the society. The prevalence of divorce in China and worldwide has shown an upward trend in recent years. Divorce and parental marital quality often affect youth health, but its association with youth sexual and reproductive health requires more discussion. This study aimed to investigate the associations between parental marital quality and parental divorce status (marriage or divorce) and a range of youth sexual and reproductive health indicators. Participants included 51,124 students from universities or vocational colleges across all 31 provinces in mainland China. A total of 10.72% of the surveyed students’ parents had divorced. Participants from divorced family rated perceived parental marital quality less than half of the ratings on a 10-point scale of those from intact family (3.22 vs. 7.44). Divorce and lower parental marital quality were separately associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing sexual abuse, high-risk sexual behaviors, and unintended health outcomes among youth. These findings highlight the importance of implementing specific intervention programs to protect children from unharmonious families or divorced families.

Childhood maltreatment influences adult physical health through cascading effects over the life course and it is critical to identify intervening processes. Marital quality has significant implications for adult physical health via cognitive, emotional, and behavioral pathways and may be a viable pathway. Given that cardiometabolic biomarkers are associated with the leading causes of death in the United States, the current study longitudinally investigated marital quality, health locus of control, and eating habits in a serial mediation model linking childhood maltreatment to high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL). Using a sample of 352 adults from the study of Midlife Development in the United States, we used three waves of data to test our hypotheses. Results of structural equation models indicate that although all the hypothesized direct effects were statistically significant, the serial indirect effects were non-significant. Childhood maltreatment was associated with a lower quality marriage, marital quality was associated with higher levels of health locus of control which, in turn, was associated with healthier eating habits. Finally, healthier eating habits were associated with greater HDL, but not lower LDL. Additionally, marital quality exerted a direct effect on LDL and mediated the relationship between maltreatment and LDL, but not HDL. For researchers, marital quality appears to be a mechanism linking childhood maltreatment to cardiometabolic biomarkers, yet health locus of control and eating habits do not appear to have strong effects. For clinicians, strengthening the couple relationship among survivors of maltreatment appears to have health promotive effects over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A burgeoning literature links being married to better cognitive health, but less attention has been paid to how couples view their marital relationships. Couples do not always concur in their assessments, and such discrepancies affect both partners' health. We present a dyadic study on whether and how overall and discrepant views of marital quality predicted (a) dementia onset and (b) changes in older adults' depressive symptoms with spousal dementia. A pooled sample of couples aged 50+ (dyad N = 3,936) from the Health and Retirement Study rated positive and negative marital quality at baseline (2006/2008). Each participant reported whether they had been told of having dementia and their depressive symptoms once every other year (2006/2008-2014/2016). Cox proportional hazards regression revealed that older adults who rated their marriages either more positively or more negatively than their spouses were more likely to develop dementia. We applied multiphase growth curve modeling to older adults whose spouses developed dementia, finding that those in marriages that were more negative overall reported more depressive symptoms but exhibited a smaller increase in these symptoms in response to spousal dementia. This study adds to the literature by showing how discrepant marital assessments shape cognitive aging and offers new insights into identifying older adults with greater dementia risk. Findings also revealed the impact of overall negative marital quality on older adults' psychological adjustment to spousal dementia, which could inform interventions intended to help couples better cope with early-stage dementia from a relational perspective.