| The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between marital quality and interspousal self-concept congruency. This study also sought to investigate the influence of changing sex-role attitudes on marriage. The consensus among researchers appears to be that sex-role attitudes are changing, and that this is having significant impact on marriages. This study sought to look at the relationship between a couple's sex-role attitudes toward the marriage and the amount of interspousal self-concept congruence that existed.;Testable hypotheses were developed within the framework of symbolic interaction theory. Within this perspective the processes of self-conception and self-evaluation are key elements in shaping the relationship between individual behavior and one's social environment. This framework suggests that individuals act by using symbols as well as by physical stimuli that are learned through reflective interaction with significant others. Thus, couples who are aware of the symbols (both verbal and nonverbal) that are exchanged, will be more aware of each other, and therefore, more able to accurately perceive each other's needs. This, in turn, should have a positve impact on the self-concept that each partner develops as well as the resulting quality of that marriage.;The data were collected from a stratified nonprobability sample of 151 couples in North Carolina. The sample was divided into one group of 101 couples who were not in marriage counseling (high marital quality group) and one group of 50 couples who were in marriage counseling (low marital quality group). Of the high marital quality group, 79 percent of those contacted agree to participate, while 42 percent of those in the low marital quality group agreed to participate. Couples were mailed or handed questionnaires. They were asked to fill these out independently and to return them by mail.;The results of the study demonstrated that there is a strong positive correlation between marital quality and interspousal self-concept congruence. This was true on all four of the subscales (satisfaction, consensus, affectional expression, and cohesion), as well as the total scale used to demonstrate marital quality.;The study also demonstrated that there is no direct relationship between sex-role attitudes and the quality of a marriage. Significant differences were found to exist between both high and low quality egalitarian and traditional relationships. Apparently, because a couple is egalitarian or traditional does not mean they have a high quality marriage. It was noted that significant differences existed between husbands and wives in the low quality group regarding their sex-role attitudes. Wives tended to be more egalitarian with husbands more traditional in this group.;The results of the study were discussed and implications for further research, as well as marital therapy, were suggested. Methodological considerations were also discussed. |
