Marital Self-Expansion: A Mixed Method Study

Abstract

This research aims to analyze marital self-expansion by mixed method. Designed as an exploratory sequential design, the research consists of qualitative and quantitative stages. In the qualitative stage of the research, marital self-expansion was examined with an interpretative phenomenological design. A study group of ten determined people was formed by criterion sampling, one of the purposive sampling methods. As a result of the qualitative analysis, eight main themes related to marital self-expansion were identified; interactional, emotional, physical, nutritional, intellectual, contextual, sensual, and spiritual. In addition, a total of 18 sub-themes and 69 codes related to these main themes were reached. In the quantitative stage, which is the second stage of the research, the 'Marital Self-Expansion Scale (MSES)' was developed based on the findings in the qualitative study. In order to ensure the validity of the scale, content validity, construct validity, and criterion validity were performed. As a result, a valid and reliable MSES with seven sub-dimensions and 36 items for married people was added to the literature. At the end of the study, qualitative and quantitative findings were discussed first separately and then together.

Keywords

• Family
• Marital self-expansion
• Marriage
• • Mixed method
• Self
• Self-expansion

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