Adhesion to the myths of conjugality by men and women: associations with marital quality and conflict

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5433/2236-6407.2019v10n3suplp66

Keywords:

Conjugal myths, Gender, Conjugal quality, Conjugal conflict

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the adhesion of men and women to conjugal myths, comparing the sexes and checking associations with sociodemographic variables, marital quality and style of conflict resolution strategies. Participated 65 heterosexual couples, officially married (45.3%), in a stable union (35.9%) or dating (18.5%). The instruments used were: sociodemographic questionnaire, questionnaire of conjugal myths, Golombok and Rust Inventory of Martital State e Conflict Resolution Style Inventory. The results revealed that there was high or moderate adhesion to the conjugal myths. For men, greater adherence was associated with perceived higher marital quality, greater use of submission strategy and less involvement in conflict. For women, adherence to myths was positively correlated with the strategies of positive resolution of conflicts and submission and negatively with involvement in the conflict. It is discussed the need to consider adherence to the myths of conjugality in interventions with couples.

Author Biographies

Angélica Paula Neumann, Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões - URI - Campus de Erechim

PhD in Psychology from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Professor in the Psychology Course at URI - Campus de Erechim

Denise Falcke, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS)

Master and PhD in Psychology from the  Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul  (PUCRS). Works in the Graduate Program in Psychology at the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos  (UNISINOS).

Clarisse Pereira Mosmann, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS)

PhD in Psychology from the Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Works in the Graduate Program in Psychology at the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos  (UNISINOS).

Adriana Wagner, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

PhD in Psychology from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. He works at the Institute of Psychology at UFRGS and at PPG in Psychology.

References

Andolfi, M. (2018). A terapia familiar multigeracional: Instrumentos e recursos do terapeuta. Belo Horizonte: Artesã.

Andolfi, M., & Angelo, C. (1989). Tempo e mito em terapia familiar. Porto Alegre: Artes Médicas.

Caldwell, B. E., & Woolley, S. R. (2008). Marriage and family therapists' endorsement of myths about marriage. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36(5), 367-387. doi: 10.1080/01926180701804626

Casad, B. J., Salazar, M. M., & Macina, V. (2015). The real versus the ideal: Predicting relationship satisfaction and well-being from endorsement of marriage myths and benevolent sexism. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 39(1), 119-129. doi: 10.1177/0361684314528304

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, Erlbaum, 490p.

Costa, C. B. da, Cenci, C. M. B., & Mosmann, C. P. (2016). Conflito conjugal e estratégias de resolução: Uma revisão sistemática da literatura. Temas em Psicologia, 24(1), 325-338. doi: 10.1590/1982-3703000622016.

Costa, C. B. da, & Mosmann, C. P. (2015). Relacionamentos conjugais na atualidade: percepções de indivíduos em casamentos de longa duração. Revista da SPAGESP, 16(2), 16-31.

Dancey, C. P., & Reidy, J. (2006). Estatística sem matemática para psicologia. 3. Ed. Porto Alegre: Artmed.

Delatorre, M. Z., Scheeren, P., & Wagner, A. (2017). Conflito conjugal: Evidências de validade de uma escala de resolução de conflitos em casais do sul do Brasil. Avances en Psicología Latinoamericana, 35(1), 79-94. doi: 10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/apl/a.3742

Ercegovac, I., & Bubić, A. (2016). Basic psychological needs predict participants' attitudes and expectations towards marriage. Nordic psychology, 68(2), 73-86. doi: 10.1080/19012276.2015.1071200

Falcke, D. (2003). Águas passadas não movem moinhos? As experiências na família de origem como preditoras da qualidade do relacionamento conjugal. Porto Alegre, RS. Tese de Doutorado. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS, 185p.

Falcke, D., & Wagner, A. (2005). A dinâmica familiar e o fenômeno da transgeracionalidade: definição de conceitos. In.: A. Wagner. Como se perpetua a família? A transmissão dos modelos familiares. Porto Alegre: EdiPUCRS.

Fonseca, S. R. A., & Duarte, C. M. N. (2014). Do namoro ao casamento: Significados, expectativas, conflito e amor. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 30(2), 135-143. doi: 10.1590/S0102-37722014000200002.

Fowler, B. J. (2000). Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 243p.

George-Levi, S., Vilchinsky, N., Tolmacz, R., & Liberman, G. (2014). Testing the concept of relational entitlement in the dyadic context: Further validation and associations with relationship satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 28(2), 193-203. doi:10.1037/a0036150

Galloway, l., Engstrom, E. & Emmers-Sommer, T. M. (2015). Does movie viewing cultivate young people's unrealistic expectations about love and marriage? Marriage & Family Review, 51(8), 687-712. doi: 10.1080/01494929.2015.1061629

Honeycutt, J. M. (1991). The endorsement of myths about marriage as a function of gender, age, religious denomination, and educational level. Communication Research Reports, 8(2), 101-111. doi: 10.1080/08824099109359881

Jackl, J. A. (2016). “Love doesn’t just happen…”: Parent-child communication about marriage. Communication Quarterly, 64(2), 193-209. doi: 10.1080/01463373.2015.1103284

Kemer, G., Yıldız, E. Ç., & Bulgan, G. (2016). Emotional dependency and dysfunctional relationship beliefs as predictors of married Turkish individuals’ relationship satisfaction. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 19(e72), 1-8. doi: 10.1017/sjp.2016.78

Kramer, D., & Moore, R. M. (2001). Family myths in romantic fiction. Psychological Reports, 88, 29-41. doi: 10.2466/PR0.88.1.29-41

Kurdek, L. A. (1994). Conflict resolution styles in gay, lesbian, heterosexual nonparent, and heterosexual parent couples. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56(3), 705-722. doi: 10.2307/352880

Lavner, J. A., Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (2013). Newlyweds’ optimistic forecasts of their marriage: For better or for worse? Journal of Family Psychology, 27(4), 531–540. doi:10.1037/a0033423

Lazarus, A. (1992). Mitos conjugais. Campinas: Editorial Psy.
Mosmann, C., & Falcke, D. (2011). Conflitos conjugais: motivos e frequência. Revista da SPAGESP, 12(2), 5-16.

Mosmann, C., Wagner, A., & Féres-Carneiro, T. (2006). Qualidade conjugal: mapeando conceitos. Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto), 16(35), 315-325. doi: 10.1590/S0103-863X2006000300003.

Neff, L. A., & Geers, A. L. (2013). Optimistic expectations in early marriage: A resource or vulnerability for adaptive relationship functioning? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105(1), 38–60. doi:10.1037/a0032600

Neumann, A. P. (2017). “Viver a dois: Compartilhando esse desafio”: Avaliação de um programa psicoeducativo para casais. Tese de Doutorado. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS.

Neumann, A. P., & Wagner, A. (2018). Perspectivas e desafios da coordenação de um programa de educação conjugal. Psico, 49(4), 410-421. doi: 10.15448/1980-8623.2018.4.29350

Rizzon, A. L. C., Mosmann, C. P., & Wagner, A. (2013). A qualidade conjugal e os elementos do amor: Um estudo correlacional. Contextos Clínicos, 6(1), 41-49. doi: 10.4013/ctc.2013.61.05

Rust, J., Bennun, I., Crowe, M., & Golombok, S. (1988). The Golombok Rust Inventory of Marital State. Windsor, NFER-NELSON, 39p.

Scheeren, P., Vieira, R. V. de A., Goulart, V. R., & Wagner, A. (2014). Marital

quality and attachment: The mediator role of conflict resolution styles. Paidéia, 24(58), 177-186. doi: 10.1590/1982-43272458201405

Wagner, A., & Mosmann, C. (2012). Intervenção na conjugalidade: Estratégias de resolução de conflitos conjugais. In M. N. Baptista & M. L. M. Teodoro (Eds.), Psicologia de Família (pp. 240–248). Porto Alegre: Artmed.

Wagner, A., Neumann, A. P., Mosmann, A. P., Levandowski, D. C., Falcke, D., Zordan, E. P., & Scheeren, P. (2015). ‘Viver a dois: Compartilhando esse desafio’: Uma proposta psicoeducativa para casais. Porto Alegre: Sinodal.

Published

2020-01-11

How to Cite

Neumann, A. P., Falcke, D., Mosmann, C. P., & Wagner, A. (2020). Adhesion to the myths of conjugality by men and women: associations with marital quality and conflict. Estudos Interdisciplinares Em Psicologia, 10(3supl), 66–84. https://doi.org/10.5433/2236-6407.2019v10n3suplp66

Issue

Section

Original Articles