Predictors of Marital Satisfaction in Arranged Marriages in Saudi Arabia

254 Pages·2014·18.92 MB·English

Predictors of Marital Satisfaction in
Arranged Marriages in Saudi Arabia
Nadia Al Tamimi
PhD
2009
ABSTRACT
The aim of the studies reported in this thesis was to investigate marital satisfaction
in arranged marriages in Saudi Arabia, exploring whether the predictors of marital
satisfaction that were found in the West were also predictors of marital satisfaction in Saudi
Arabia. Additionally, the hypothesis that marital satisfaction and love increase with the
duration of marriage among arranged marriages in Saudi Arabia was tested.
In order to investigate marital satisfaction in this context, the VSA-Model from
Karney and Bradbury (1995) was adopted to organize the variables that affect marital
satisfaction into three groups. The first group, Enduring Vulnerability, included Relationship
Questionnaire (RQ), Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R), Inclusion of
Others in the Self (lOS), Love, Sexual Satisfaction, and the Big Five scales. The second
group, Stressful Events, included Attitude towards Family-in-Law, Stressful Events, and
Arguments scales. The third group of predictors in the VSA Model was Adaptive Processes
and consisted of the Conflict Behaviour Scale (CBS), Power, and Decision Making scales.
The criterion validity was assessed using Relationship Assessment Scale and Satisfaction
with Life Scale.
Three studies were conducted and a total of 549 people (246 husbands, 303 wives)
were recruited. Participants were chosen from private hospitals, shopping malls, banks,
government schools, through friends, and from King Fahad Medical City.
All scales were translated from English to Arabic. After translation, scale
reliability was examined, and principle components analyses were conducted to examine the
factor structure of each translated scale.
Some predictors of marital satisfaction differed across husbands and wives. For
wives, the Stressful Events scale predicted lower marital satisfaction and their ratings of their
partners' PB (measured on a new subscale found through principle components analysis of
scales included in this study) higher marital satisfaction. For husbands, Dismissing
attachment style predicted negative marital satisfaction, and high ratings of Extraversion
predicted positive marital satisfaction.
[ii]
Husbands and wives shared some predictors of marital satisfaction. For both,
secure attachment predicted greater marital satisfaction. The Status scale was a negative
predictor of marital satisfaction for both sexes. When the status of the husband was higher
than that of the wife, marital satisfaction was higher for both husbands and wives, and when
the status of the husband was lower than that of the wife, marital satisfaction was lower for
both husbands and wives. Finally, for both husbands and wives, their own Negative
Behaviour predicted low marital satisfaction.
The relationship between marital satisfaction and marriage duration was not
significant. Both husbands and wives started marriage with an average level of satisfaction.
The husbands maintained an average satisfaction level, but wives' marital satisfaction, while
remaining average, dropped slightly during the marriage.
Results showed that love was positively correlated with marital and life
satisfaction among the Saudi arranged marriages. However, the relationship between love
and marriage duration was negative but not significant. Both husbands and wives started
their marriage with an average level of love, but husbands' levels of reported love, though
still in range of average, decreased slightly in the duration of the marriage. Wives also
maintained an average level of love through the years of marriage. However, the Love scale
was not a significant predictor of marital satisfaction. The results of this study might be a
starting point for further research in marital satisfaction and its predictors among arranged
marriages in Saudi Arabia. The study did have limitations. This study was a cross-sectional
study, with the limitations inherent to such a design. A longitudinal study would allow for
examining and tracking other aspects of marital satisfaction with the duration of marriage.
The sample was biased towards higher education and income, and so it may be worth
replicating this study with a more typical sample to confirm that results generalize.
[iii]
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. .ii
CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................. viii
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... x
LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................................................................................... xi
AKNOWLEDGEMNT .............................................................................................................. 1
DECLARATION ....................................................................................................................... 2
CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................. 3
MARRIAGE TYPES, MARRIAGE IN THE WEST, IN SAUDI ARABIA, AND
RESEARCH QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Marriage Anthropological Types ......................................................................................... 4
1.3 Cohabitation and Western Marriage .................................................................................... 5
1.4 Marriage in Saudi Arabia ..................................................................................................... 7
1.4.1 Misyar Marriage ........................................................................................................ 7
1.4.2 Muttaa Marriage ....................................................................................................... 8
1.5 Research Questions .............................................................................................................. 9
CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................................................................ 11
MARITAL SUCCESS ............................................................................................................. 11
2.1 The Concept of Marital Success ........................................................................................ 11
2.2 Time Course of Marital Success ........................................................................................ 12
2.3 Assessing Marital Success ................................................................................................. 12
2.4 Predictors of Marital Satisfaction ...................................................................................... 15
2.4.1 Enduring Vulnerability ............................................................................................ 19
2.4.1.1 Attachment ........................................................................................................ 19
2.4.1.2 Personality ........................................................................................................ 35
2.4.1.3 Attitudes ............................................................................................................ 40
2.4.1.4 wve and Sexuality ............................................................................................ 41
2.4.2 Stressful Events ........................................................................................................ 44
2.4.2.1 Crisis Theory ..................................................................................................... 44
2.4.2.2 External Stressors ............................................................................................. 45
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2.4.3 Adaptive Processes .................................................................................................. 49
2.4.3.1 Social Exchange Theory .............. :. ................................................................... 49
2.4.3.2 Behavioural Theory .......................................................................................... 50
2.4.3.3 Dyadic Coping .................................................................................................. 52
2.4.3.4 Abuse ................................................................................................................. 59
2.4.3.5 Communication Style ........................................................................................ 60
CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................................................................ 63
MARITAL SUCCESS ACROSS CULTURES ....................................................................... 63
3.1 Cross-Cultural Views on Arranged Versus Choice Marriage ............................................ 63
3.2 Culture, wve, and Marriage .............................................................................................. 68
3.3 Culture and Gender-Divergence in Dismissive Attachment in Romantic Relationships .. 73
3.4 Overview on Saudi Arabia ................................................................................................. 75
3.4.1 Typical Marriage ..................................................................................................... 79
3.4.1.1 Process towards Marriage ................................................................................ 80
3.4.2. Divorce ................................................................................................................... 81
3.4.3 Socio-Economic Changes ........................................................................................ 83
CHAPTER 4 ............................................................................................................................ 87
STUDY 1: DEVELOPMENT OF ATTACHMENT AND MARITAL SATISFACTION
SCALES IN ARABIC ............................................................................................................. 87
4.1 Aim of Study 1 ................................................................................................................... 87
4.2 Method ............................................................................................................................... 88
4.2.1 Participants .......................................................................................................... 88
4.2.2 Scale Translation ................................................................................................. 90
4.2. 3 Measures .............................................................................................................. 90
4.2.4 Procedure ............................................................................................................. 93
4.3 Results ................................................................................................................................ 93
4.3.1 Scale Construction ............................................................................................... 93
4.3.2 Convergent and Discriminant Validity .............................................................. 100
4.3.3 Sex Differences. .................................................................................................. 103
4.3.4 Correlations with the Demographic Variables .................................................. 103
4.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 106
CHAPTER 5 .......................................................................................................................... 110
[v]
STUDY 2: COMPILATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPLETE TEST
BATTERY ............................................................................................................................. 110
5.1 Aim of Study 2 ................................................................................................................. 110
5.1.1 Statistical Analysis ............................................................................................. 112
5.1.2 Convergent and Discriminant Validity .............................................................. 112
5.2 Method ............................................................................................................................. 113
5.2.1 Participants ........................................................................................................ 113
5.2.2 Measures ............................................................................................................ 114
5.2.3 Procedure ........................................................................................................... 118
5.3 Results .............................................................................................................................. 119
5.3.1 Scale Construction ............................................................................................. 119
5.3.2 Convergent and Discriminant Validity .............................................................. 131
5.3.3 Criterion Validity ............................................................................................... 134
5.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 135
CHAPTER 6 .......................................................................................................................... 140
MAIN STUDY: INVESTIGATING PREDICTORS OF MARITAL SATISFACTION ..... 140
6.1 Aim of the Main Study .................................................................................................... 140
6.2 Method ............................................................................................................................. 142
6.2.1 Participants ........................................................................................................ 142
6.2.2 Measures ............................................................................................................ 145
6.2.3 Procedure ........................................................................................................... 147
6.3 Results .............................................................................................................................. 148
6.3.1 Scale Construction ............................................................................................. 148
6.3.2 Correlations with Relationship Assessment Scale and Satisfaction With Life
Scale by Sex ................................................................................................................. 162
6.3.3 Sex Differences across All Variables ................................................................. 167
6.3.4 The Regression Analysis .................................................................................... 169
6.3.4.1 Data Preparation ........................................................................................ 169
6.3.4.2 The Main Regression Analysis .................................................................... 171
6.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 173
6.4.1 Scales Construct. ................................................................................................ 173
6.4.2 Sex Differences ................................................................................................... 174
6.4.3 Marital Satisfaction and Demographic Variables ............................................. 175
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6.4.4 Marital Satisfaction as Represented by Karney and Bradbury's Model (1995)179
6.4.4.1 Enduring Vulnerability ................................................................................ 180
6.4.4.2 The Adaptive Processes ............................................................................... 181
6.4.4.3 Stressful Events ........................................................................................... 183
6.4.5 Husbands' and Wives' Shared and Unshared Predictors of Marital Satisfaction184
CHAPTER 7 .......................................................................................................................... 186
CONCLUSION, LIMITATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................... 186
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 194
APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................... 221
[vii]
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 ..................................................................................................................................... 77
Education Percentages from Age 10 Years and Above in Riyadh ........................................... 77
Table 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 79
Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Labour Percentages, Female and Male, Age 15 Years and Above 79
Table 3 ..................................................................................................................................... 82
Percentage of Marital Status in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia from the Age of 15 Years and
Above ........................................................................................................................................ 82
Table 4 ..................................................................................................................................... 95
Factor Loadingsfor Items in the ECR-R Scale ....................................................................... 95
Table 5 ..................................................................................................................................... 96
Factor Loadings for Items in the RAS Scale ............................................................................ 96
Table 6 ..................................................................................................................................... 98
Factor Loading of Items in the SWLS ...................................................................................... 98
Table 7 ..................................................................................................................................... 99
Factor Loading of Items in the BIDR Scale ............................................................................. 99
Table 8 ................................................................................................................................... 102
Correlations of Attachment Scales, RAS, SWLS, and BIDR .................................................. 102
Table 9 ................................................................................................................................... 103
Mean, Standard Deviation, and T-Scores for Each Scale for Husbands and Wives ............. 103
Table 10 ................................................................................................................................. 105
Correlations of All the Scales with the Demographic Variables ........................................... 105
Table 11 ................................................................................................................................. 122
Factor Loading of Items on the ECR -R Scale ........................................................................ 122
Table 12 ................................................................................................................................. 123
Factor Loading of Items on the RAS ...................................................................................... 123
Table 13 ................................................................................................................................. 124
Factor Loading of Items on the SWLS ................................................................................... 124
Table 14 Factor Loading of Items on the Attitudes towards Arranged Marriages Scale ...... 125
Table 15 ................................................................................................................................. 126
Factor Loading of Items on the Love Scale ........................................................................... 126
Table 16 ................................................................................................................................. 130
Factor Loading of Items on the Own and Partner-CBS ........................................................ 130
Table 17 ................................................................................................................................. 133
Correlations between all Scales ............................................................................................. 133
Table 18 ................................................................................................................................. 134
Correlation with Marital and Life Satisfaction Scales .......................................................... 134
Table 20 ................................................................................................................................. 144
Percentage of Husbands and Wives in Riyadh Who Attained Various Levels of Education. 144
Table 21 ................................................................................................................................. 144
The Sample Reputation Ratings by Percentage ..................................................................... 144
Table 22 ................................................................................................................................. 149
Factor Loadingsfor Items on the ECR-R Scale ..................................................................... 149
Table 23 ................................................................................................................................. 150
Factor Loadings of Positively Worded Items on the ECR-R Scale ........................................ 150
Table 24 ................................................................................................................................. 151
The Correlation between Anxiety ofA bandonment and A voidance of Intimacy ................... 151
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Table 25 ................................................................................................................................. 151
The Correlation between Four Groups of Items from the ECR-R with the Attachment Style
Scoresfrom the RQ ................................................................................................................ 151
Table 26 ................................................................................................................................. 155
Factor Loading for Items on the Own and Partner version of the CBS ................................ 155
Table 27 ................................................................................................................................. 156
Factor Loading of Items on the Power Scale ......................................................................... 156
Table 28 ................................................................................................................................. 157
Factor Loading of Items on the Decision Making Scale ........................................................ 157
Table 29 ................................................................................................................................. 158
Factor Loading of Items on the Equality in Decision Making Scale ..................................... 158
Table 30 ................................................................................................................................. 159
Factor Loading of Items on the Stressful Events Scale .......................................................... 159
Table 31 ................................................................................................................................. 160
Factor Loading of Items on the Arguments Scale .................................................................. 160
Table 32 ................................................................................................................................. 162
Factor Loading of Items on the BFI ...................................................................................... 162
Table 33 ................................................................................................................................. 163
Correlations between the Love and Marriage Duration ....................................................... 163
Table 34 ................................................................................................................................. 166
Correlations of Demographic Variables and other Predictor Variables with RAS and SWLS,
by Sex ..................................................................................................................................... 166
Table 35 ................................................................................................................................. 168
Effect Size and Significance of Sex Differences for All Variables ......................................... 168
Table 36 ................................................................................................................................. 172
Hierarchical Regression Analysis Summary for Predictors to RAS ...................................... 172
[ix]
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Karney and Bradbury's 1995 model. ....................................................................... 16
Figure 2. The four prototype attachment model (Bartholomew, 1990) .................................. 26
Figure 3. Length of current marriage for husbands and wives ................................................ 89
Figure 4. Annual income level for husbands and wives .......................................................... 89
Figure 5. The distribution of Secure, Fearful, Preoccupied, and Dismissing attachment within
the sample ................................................................................................................................ 91
Figure 6. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from peA of the data from the ECR-R .......... 94
Figure 7. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the RAS .............. 96
Figure 8. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the SWLS ........... 97
Figure 10. The correlation of secure attachment styles ......................................................... 107
Figure 11. Length of current marriage for husbands and wives ............................................ 114
Figure 12. The sample distribution of Secure, Fearful, Preoccupied and Dismissing
attachment .............................................................................................................................. 115
Figure 13. Frequency histogram of responses to the Inclusion of Others in the Self scale ... 116
Figure 14. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the ECR-R ...... 120
Figure 15. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the date from the RAS .......... 123
Figure 16. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the SWLS ....... 124
Figure 17. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Attitude
towards Arranged Marriages scale ......................................................................................... 125
Figure 18. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Love scale 126
Figure 19. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Conflict
Behaviour Scales (Own and Partner) ..................................................................................... 127
Figure 20. Length of current marriage for husbands and wives ............................................ 144
Figure 21. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Conflict
Behaviour Scale for the Own and Partner version ................................................................. 153
Figure 22. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Power scale
................................................................................................................................................ 156
Figure 23. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Decision
Making Scale ......................................................................................................................... 157
Figure 24. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Equality in
decision making scale ............................................................................................................ 158
Figure 25. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Events scale
................................................................................................................................................ 159
Figure 26. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Arguments
scale ........................................................................................................................................ 160
Figure 27. Scree plot of eigenvalues generated from PCA of the data from the Big Five
Inventory 161
Figure 28. The correlation between love with the duration of marriage ............................... 163
Figure 29. The correlation between marital satisfaction and duration of marriage ............... 164
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