Marital satisfaction is the strongest predictor for happiness in many areas of life (Russel & Wells, 1994). A satisfying marriage is associated with better general adjustment and fewer health problems (Bray & Jouriles, 1995). Factors that contribute to marital satisfaction reported by researchers include religion and spirituality (Anthony, 1993; Marks et al., 2008; Shehas, Boch & Lee, 1990), family of origin dynamics (Cohn, Silver, Cowan, Cowan, & Pearson, 1992; Webster, Orbuch, & House, 1995), and quality of family relationships (Timer, Veroff, & Hatchett, 1996). Additionally, satisfying marriages are beneficial to couples and children of these marriages. The purpose of this study of marital satisfaction was to investigate and examine factors that might affect marital satisfaction among Jamaicans and African Americans living in the United States and identify similarities and differences of those factors. No previous study has compared these cultural groups. This study utilized the National Survey of America Life data set. The factors investigated included the effects of age, gender, educational attainment, social support, and religion on the marital satisfaction of these two groups. For the first research question, the dependent variable was marital satisfaction and the independent variable was ethnicity. For the second research question the dependent variable was marital satisfaction and the independent variables were age, gender, and educational attainment. For the third research question, the dependent variable was marital satisfaction and the independent variables were social support and religion. A Pearson Chi-square analysis investigated the first research question's hypothesis that no relationship existed with marital satisfaction and ethnicity. Findings indicated a marginally significant relationship between marital satisfaction and ethnicity. A Multinomial Logistic Regression analysis investigated the second research question and hypothesis that no predictive relationship existed between marital satisfaction and ethnicity with age, gender, and educational attainment. Findings indicated that age, gender, and educational attainment level were significant predictors of marital satisfaction. A Multinomial Logistic Regression analysis investigated the third research question and hypothesis that no predictive relationship existed between marital satisfaction and ethnicity with social support and religion. Findings indicated social support was a significant predictor of marital satisfaction, and religion was not. Overall, these results suggested that ethnicity, age, gender, educational attainment, and social support were significant predictors of marital satisfaction opposed to religion. Investigating these two cultures in relation to marital satisfaction could lead to an enhanced awareness of the similarities and uniqueness of each group. It may also provide insight to service providers. For example, mental health clinicians or, specifically, marriage and family therapists, may gain insight into the similarities and differences of these two groups and therefore tailor their treatment services accordingly. Additionally, these findings might affect intervention approaches for clinicians.

Research has found absence of premarital sexual experience positively correlated with marital adjustment (Davis , 1929; Terman, 1938; Reevy, 1959; Shope and Broderick, 1967). Others raised doubt of this conclusion (Locke, 1951; Burgess and Wallin, 1953; Kinsey et. al, 1953; Ard, 1974).Bell and Balter (1973) found 81% of married women under 26 had premarital intercourse. Since a majority engage in this, it is appropriate to consider premarital intercourse relationship variables to identify marital correlates.In Love, Strong Affection, and Little Affection premarital intercourse relationships were examined. Questions were explored concerning premarital independent variables: number of relationships, length of relationships, number of live-in partners, relationship exclusivity, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and gender. Dependent variables were: relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and fidelity, in marriage.This questionnaire study consisted of the Marital Satisfaction Scale (Roach et. al, 1981) and other original items.Subjects were 286 volunteers from Long Island MacArthur airport, 209 of which reported premarital intercourse relationships and 77 who did not, all under age 41, in first marriages.Pearson correlation and t-test were used. The hypothesis was confirmed for only In Love premarital relationships with marital satisfaction and marital sexual satisfaction being positively related to premarital sexual satisfaction.Groups with and without premarital intercourse were not significantly different on marital satisfaction or marital sexual satisfaction. For subjects having premarital intercourse relationships higher marital satisfaction was related to higher number of live-in partners and higher relationship and sexual satisfaction for In Love type. Also for only this type, higher marital sexual satisfaction was related to higher premarital sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction.Having no or few premarital intercourse partners was associated with higher likelihood of fidelity. Other premarital factors associated with higher fidelity were longer In love relationships and higher number of In Love live-in relationships. Lower relationship satisfaction with premarital Strong Affection type also led to higher fidelity. Women were found to have higher likelihood of fidelity.Summarizing, In Love premarital intercourse relationships seem to relate positively to marriage. More independent variables were related to fidelity than the other dependent variables.

The effects of perceived mental/emotional problems (psychopathology) in the family-of-origin on adult offspring marital satisfaction was tested in a model considering the mediating variables of parental marital satisfaction, mother-child relationship quality, father-child relationship quality, and resolution of issues from the family-of-origin. The nationally representative sample (n = 802) drawn from the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) database included mostly college educated, lower-middle-class individuals in their first marriage. This sample was used to test a structural equation model that results showed fit the data well. Results showed that historical (distal) factors (such as psychopathology in the family-of-origin) explain only a small portion of the variance in adult offspring marital satisfaction and suggest that more contemporary (proximal) factors (such as individual characteristics) have a stronger relationship to adult offspring marital satisfaction. Results showed that 56% of the variance in achieving resolution of issues from the family-of-origin was explained by the other variables in the model with the best predictor being parental marital satisfaction. Direct, indirect, and total effects of each of the independent variables were examined. Results showed no direct effect of perceived mental/emotional problems (psychopathology) in the family-of-origin on adult offspring marital satisfaction. Only the mother-child relationship quality had a direct effect on adult offspring marital satisfaction. Clinical implications for practitioners are discussed. This study helps practitioners know how to help a client find resolution to issues stemming from perceived family-of-origin mental/emotional problems. This study also shows that focusing on current interpersonal processes and skills that may be part of achieving resolution is more likely to help a couple with marital problems than focusing on negative effects from the family-of-origin. Future research should focus on exploring the applicability of this model to different variables such as gender, race, income levels, etc. Future research models should also incorporate both historical and contemporary factors to help determine the direct effects of these variables on adult offspring relationship satisfaction.