African American marriages: The impact of levels of acculturation, commitment and religiosity upon marital stability

This cross-sectional study examined the impact of levels of acculturation, commitment, and religiosity on marital stability for married African American individuals. Three hundred surveys were distributed; 133 complete surveys were used for data analysis resulting in a response rate of 44%. The purposive convenience sample of 133 married African Americans was recruited via snowball, networking techniques with the assistance of friends, family, work colleagues; two beauty shop and two barbershop owners; and two African American fraternal organizations. Completed surveys were obtained primarily from participants in Missouri and Illinois; however 37 surveys were received from respondents in eight different states.;Sample respondents ranged in age from 26--80 years old and included individuals in marriages lasting from three months to 58 years, with an overall average of 19 years of marriage. The sample was highly educated, predominantly middle- to upper-income, and included a majority of respondents with white-collar jobs. Respondents completed a 135-item survey that included sociodemographic questions and items from the Marital Instability Index (MII), African American Acculturation Scale-Revised (AAAS-R), Dimensions of Commitment Inventory (DCI), and Religiosity Measures Questionnaire (RMQ) (for self and for their perceptions about their spouses).;Results of correlation and multiple regression analyses indicated that commitment and perceived religiosity of the spouse were predictors of marital stability. Acculturation and personal religiosity were not determined to be significant predictors of marital stability for this sample. Further research on this topic with larger samples and online surveys is recommended.