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Qualities of Character That Predict Marital Well‐Being
Author(s) -
Wallace Goddard H.,
Olson Jonathan R.,
Galovan Adam M.,
Schramm David G.,
Marshall James P.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/fare.12195
Subject(s) - kindness , humility , psychology , generosity , social psychology , forgiveness , compassion , character (mathematics) , perception , prosocial behavior , interpersonal relationship , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , philosophy , geometry , theology , mathematics , neuroscience , political science , law
A growing body of literature has examined relations among qualities of character—or marital virtues—and marital outcomes. Results of past research have suggested positive relations between qualities such as generosity, kindness, and forgiveness, and marital well‐being. We expand on previous research by examining relations between three qualities of character and marital satisfaction with 1,513 respondents randomly selected from three states. Specifically, we examined the effects of participants' perceptions of their partners' humility, compassion, and positivity on their own marital satisfaction. Results indicated statistically significant, positive associations between each of these qualities and marital satisfaction, although results vary by gender. Furthermore, a statistically significant interaction effect suggested that spousal humility may be a protective factor against marital stress among women. Implications for practice and program development are discussed.