In line with the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation (VSA) model of marriage, this study
examined the role of neuroticism, stressful life events, mutual problem solving and negative
relationship attributions on marital quality and adjustment among a sample of newlywed couples
in Addis Ababa. A quantitative cross-sectional study design involving a sample of 192 newlywed
couples was employed. Data were analysed using correlation and multiple regression analysis
methods. The PROCESS module in SPSS and Structural Equation Modeling was also used to test
indirect effects and actor and partner effects, respectively. The results showed that for both wives’
and husbands’, neuroticism significantly predicted their own marital satisfaction but only
husbands’ neuroticism significantly predicted their partners’ marital satisfaction. Stressful life
events did not have a significant actor and partner effect for both wives’ and husbands’. Negative
relationship attribution was found to be a significant predictor of actors as well as partners' marital
satisfaction for both wives’ and husbands’ while only husbands’ mutual problem solving, not that
of wives’, had a significant effect on their own marital satisfaction. Tests of indirect effects also
showed that, for both wives’ and husbands’, neuroticism had a significant negative intrapersonal
and interpersonal indirect effect on marital satisfaction through the mediation of both mutual
problem solving and negative relationship attribution. Wives’ and husbands’ stressful life events
had a significant negative intrapersonal and interpersonal indirect effect on marital satisfaction
through the mediation of negative relationship attribution. Mutual problem solving only mediated
a significant indirect effect of husbands’ stress on marital satisfaction at the intrapersonal level and
wives’ stress on marital satisfaction at the interpersonal level. This research contributed to
enhancing scientific knowledge that guides the design and implementation of policies, programs,
and services to promote newlyweds’ marital quality and adjustment in the Ethiopian context. The
research also made a theoretical contribution to the VSA model by indicating that adaptive
processes play a varying mediational role for wives’ and husbands’ in the indirect effect of stress on marital satisfaction and by confirming that adaptive processes such as mutual problem solving
and negative relationship attribution play a more prominent role in affecting marital quality and
satisfaction than the other two components of the model, that is neuroticism and stressful life
events. / Psychology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/26199 |
| Date | 09 1900 |
| Creators | Godana, Andenet Hailie |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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