Relationship of Conflict Resolution Styles in Marriage with Marital Adjustment and Satisfaction

Abstract

This review focuses on the relationship between spouses’ conflict resolution styles and marital happiness, firstly the conceptualizations of marital satisfaction and marital adjustment were defined and their differences were discussed. Prior studies show that marital adjustment and satisfaction are two concepts related to marital happiness but need to be separated from each other. Then, the relationships between spouses’ approaches to their marital conflicts and their marital happiness were considered in this review. Conflict is a natural part of all marriages but the couples’ approaches to marital conflicts may lead to constructive or destructive outcomes for their relationships. One of the most important goals of many intervention programs developed for distressed couples is to provide spouses with the ability to resolve their conflicts constructively. Findings showed that constructive conflict resolution (considering conflict as a social problem that could be solved with cooperation, striving to satisfy the needs of both parties, and finding out solutions together) leads to an increase in marital satisfaction and marital adjustment. Destructive behaviors with hostile intentions focused on self-interest (physical and verbal aggression and oppression) seem to be negatively related to marital adjustment and satisfaction. Besides these negative coping behaviors, it will be beneficial for spouses to gain awareness of behaviors such as submission, protective buffering, and underestimating the coping capabilities of the partner with an overprotective attitude, which are not based on hostile intentions in dealing with problems but can have devastating consequences in the long term.

Keywords

• Conflict
• Marital adjustment
• Satisfaction
• Marriage

Evlilikte Çatışma Çözme Stillerinin Evlilik Uyumu ve Doyumu ile İlişkisi

Öz

Eşlerin çatışma çözme stillerinin evlilikte mutlulukla ilişkisinin incelendiği bu derlemede öncelikle evliliği değerlendirmede en sık kullanılan evlilik doyumu ve evlilik uyumu kavramları tanımlanmış ve aralarındaki farklar tartışılmıştır. Alanyazındaki çalışmalar uyum ve doyumun evlilikte mutlulukla ilgili ancak birbirinden ayrıştırılması gereken iki kavram olduğunu göstermektedir. Ardından eşlerin evliliklerinde yaşadıkları çatışmalara yaklaşımlarının ve çatışma çözme stillerinin evlilik uyumu ve evlilik doyumu ile ilişkisi ele alınmıştır. Çatışma tüm evliliklerde yaşanan doğal bir olgudur ancak eşlerin yaşadıkları çatışmalara ilişkin yaklaşımları evlilik ilişkisi için yapıcı ya da yıkıcı sonuçlara yol açabilmektedir. Eşlere çatışmalarını yapıcı bir biçimde çözme becerisi kazandırmak, danışman desteğine ihtiyaç duyan çiftlere yönelik olarak geliştirilen birçok müdahale programının en önemli hedefleri arasındadır. Araştırma bulguları, çatışmayı işbirliği yaparak çözülebilecek bir sorun olarak ele almak, ortak faydaya odaklanmak, birlikte çözüm yolları üretmek gibi aşamaları içeren yapıcı çatışma çözme yaklaşımının evlilik uyumu ve evlilik doyumunu artırdığını göstermektedir. Öte yandan fiziksel ve sözel saldırı ile baskı kurmayı içeren düşmanca niyete dayalı ve bireysel faydaya odaklı olumsuz çatışma çözme davranışlarının evlilik uyumu ve doyumu ile olumsuz yönde ilişkili olduğu görülmektedir. Bu olumsuz baş etme davranışlarına ek olarak, sorunlarla baş etmede düşmanca niyete dayalı olmayan ancak uzun vadede ilişki için yıkıcı sonuçlar doğurabilecek olan boyun eğme, tampon görevi üstlenme, aşırı korumacı bir tutumla eşin baş etme becerilerini hafife alma gibi davranışlar konusunda eşlerin farkındalık kazanmalarının faydalı olacağı düşülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Çatışma
• Çift uyumu
• Doyum
• Evlilik

Kaynakça

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