Role of Communication, Age and Education in Marital Conflict.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of communication, age and education in marital conflict among couples. Survey, with cross-sectional design was adopted in the study. 200 married couples, 100 male and 100 female, age range of 22-70, mean age of 42 years, participated in the study. The participants were drawn from Nsukka Urban.
Volunteers were sought from among local Government staff, business men and women. The self-report conflict behavior scale (SRCBS) was used to test marital conflict while the personal report of spouse communication apprehension (PRSCA) was used to test communication difficulty of married persons. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for data analysis.
It was found that communication played a significant role in marital conflict F(1, 189 = 41.68, p < .001. There was a significant interaction between communication and education F(1,189) = 4.64, p< .05. Discussion highlighted the role of social skills in engendering harmony in marital relationships. Suggestions were indicated for further research in marital conflict.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication ………………………………………………………..i
Acknowledgment ………………………………………………………..ii
Abstract ………………………………………………………..iii
Table of contents ………………………………………………………..iv
List of tables ………………………………………………………..v
List of figures ………………………………………………………..vi
Chapter One: Introduction ………………………………………………………..1
Statement of problem ………………………………………………………..7
Purpose of the study ………………………………………………………..8
Operational definition of terms ………………………………………………………..8
Chapter Two: Literature Review ………………………………………………………..10
Theoretical review ………………………………………………………..10
Empirical review ………………………………………………………..18
Summary of literature review ………………………………………………………..32
Hypotheses ………………………………………………………..34
Chapter Three: Method ………………………………………………………..35
Participants ………………………………………………………..35
Instruments ………………………………………………………..35
Procedure ………………………………………………………..38
Design/Statistics ………………………………………………………..38
Chapter Four: Results ………………………………………………………..39
Chapter Five: Discussion ………………………………………………………..44
Implications of the study ………………………………………………………..47
Limitations of the study ………………………………………………………..47
Suggestions for further study ………………………………………………………..48
Summary and conclusion ………………………………………………………..50
References ………………………………………………………..51
INTRODUCTION
Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman whereby the couple leave their respective families to establish a new one. Marriage according to George (2000) is the institution uniquely apt in conceiving and rearing children by securing the participation of both parents in ongoing union. Marriage could be justified by its role in protecting caring relationships (Brake, 2012); it also provides caregivers who assist children in their upbringing (Hartley & Watson, 2012).
Conflict is inevitable in every marriage relationship. Because of natural differences which become more and more apparent, conflicts come into the marriage, if the couple does not learn to resolve these conflicts; their love will be replaced with hostility and animosity. Marital relationship consists of a series of actions and motivations. The more active the people, the more potential area of conflict can be expected (Houston & Boeing, 1992; Smith, 1992; Williams and Barefoot, 1998).
Conflict need not to be fatal. In fact, some counselors suggest that conflicts are normal and can provide a creative force in marriage. There are four Types of Marital Conflict (Weber, 2011), thus: Money Conflict: Worries about money or the way it is spent often produce a stress that leads to conflict in a marriage. The pressure of paying bills or meeting other financial obligations creates an anxiety that can amplify disagreements and put additional strain on a relationship.
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StudentsandScholarship Team.