Comparison of Equity between Satisfied and Conflicting Couples

Document Type : Original

Authors

1 Counseling and Psychological Services Center, Institute of Higher Education Pars, Shhrmhr, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Counseling and Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Hormozgan University, Banner Abbas, Iran

Abstract

Background and aim: The purpose of this study was to survey and compare the principle of equity between satisfied and conflicting couples in Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Materials andMethods: This study is descriptive with a causal-comparative method. The statistical society of the research involved the couples who referred to the counseling clinics and those who attended family workshops held by the Department of Social Welfare in Bandar Abbas.  The sample included 100 couples (50 satisfied and 50 conflicting) who were selected via convenience sampling. The subjects responded to researcher-made marital equity questionnaire and Hudson (1982) Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS).  Validity and reliability of both questionnaires were satisfactory. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the findings.
Results: The main findings of the study showed that concerning equity and itscomponents there were significant differences among the two groups of satisfied couples and conflicting couples. Moreover,concerning equityandall its components,except for equity in paying attention to each other’s demands, were found significant difference among the two groups ofmen and women, whereby women experienced more inequityin their marital relationship.
Conclusion: Despite the egalitarian changes in labor division and power structure in the Iranian family, many of the gender stereotypes and power division still survive, which has led to dissatisfaction among couples, especially women

Keywords


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