• 133-01 - Religion and Transformative Processes in Marriage: A Qualitative Study
  Presented by: Michael Goodman, David Dollahite, Loren Marks, Emily Layton
• 133-02 - Relations Among Risk, Religiosity, and Marital Commitment
  Presented by: Jonathan Olson, H. Wallace Goddard, James Marshall
• 133-03 - The Impact of Well-being and Religion on Women’s Relationship Satisfaction
  Presented by: Nichole Huff, Joann Lianekhammy, Martha Perry
• 133-04 - Actions Speak Louder Than Beliefs: Religion, Compassion, and Marriage
  Presented by: Allen Sabey, Amy Rauer

Abstracts

Religion and Transformative Processes in Marriage: A Qualitative Study

Presented by: Michael Goodman, David Dollahite, Loren Marks, Emily Layton

Scholars have recommended switching the focus of marital research from conflict to transformative processes (Fincham and Beach, 2010). This qualitative study examines the connection between religion and the transformative processes of commitment and coping in marriage. The sample includes 368 individuals, making it larger than most in-depth interview based studies. Participants included Christians, Jews, and Muslims, with an over-sampling of minorities living in all eight regions of the United States. Findings highlight several specific religious beliefs and practices which impact the way these couples approach their marriages, especially relating to the two transformative processes of commitment and coping.

Relations Among Risk, Religiosity, and Marital Commitment

Presented by: Jonathan Olson, H. Wallace Goddard, James Marshall

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which religiosity was related to marital commitment among married couples living in a highly religious but divorce prone area of the United States. We assessed if church attendance, faith community support, and general religiosity were related to marital commitment; and if these variables buffered against the negative effects of known risks for marital distress. Results indicated that faith community support and general religiosity were significantly related to increased marital commitment among husbands and wives. Among wives, these variables buffered against the deleterious effects of low income on marital commitment.

The Impact of Well-being and Religion on Women’s Relationship Satisfaction

Presented by: Nichole Huff, Joann Lianekhammy, Martha Perry

This study explores the relationship between religiosity, individual well-being, and relationship satisfaction in women (n=468).  Participants completed self-report questionnaires measuring various aspects of individual and relational health, religiosity, individual well-being, and relationship satisfaction as a part of a healthy marriage initiative within a local community. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine factors influencing a woman's likelihood of being satisfied or dissatisfied in her marriage.  Results suggest that individual indicators, such as well-being and distress, predict relationship satisfaction more than religiosity.  This may have clinical implications in regards to intrapersonal factors affecting women and the interpersonal dynamics of the relationship.

Actions Speak Louder Than Beliefs: Religion, Compassion, and Marriage

Presented by: Allen Sabey, Amy Rauer

To better understand the well-established, positive relationship between religiosity and marital satisfaction, the current study examined both self-reported and observed compassionate love as an underlying mechanism of that relationship in a sample of 35 older adults. Although preliminary results did not find compassion acted as a mediator of this link, they revealed couples’ religiosity was consistently linked with their self-reported acts of compassionate love. Further analyses will determine whether similar patterns exist when observing couples’ compassionate love for each other. This research may allow practitioners to more effectively draw upon couples’ religiosity to strengthen the quality of the couples’ relationship.