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South Journal of Educational Psychology and Counseling
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The Relationship between Self Differentiation, Emotional Expression
and Attachment Style with Marital Intimacy in Married Employers
in Fin, Iran
Shaibani F. and Nazeri Maremi, F.
Department of General Psychology, Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran
*Corresponding author Email: [email protected]
To cite this paper: Shaibani F. & Nazeri Maremi, F. (2016). The Relationship between Self Differentiation, Emotional Expression and Attachment Style with Marital Intimacy in Married Employers in Fin, Iran. South journal of Educational Psychology and Counseling, 3, 2, 63-69.
Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to study the relation of self-differentiation, emotional expression and attachment style with marital intimacy of married Employers in Fin, Iran. So, 200 persons have been selected by simple random sampling. It was a descriptive research and correlation method was used. To obtain data, Skoron and Fridman differentiation of the self quesxtionnaire (1998), King and Amons emotion expression scale (1990), Coolinz and Rid attachment style and Tompson and Walker marital intimacy scale (1983) have been used. Also, to analyze data, Pearson correlation test and Uni and Multivariate regression analysis test were used. Findings indicate that marital intimacy is explained in positive direction by positive emotional expression, intimacy expression, differentiation and secure attachment style (P<0.01, P<0.05). Also, the results indicate that marital intimacy is explained in negative direction by negative emotional expression, insecure, and ambivalent attachment styles (P<0.01), (P<0.05). According to the results, regarding the role of variables such as differentiation, emotional expression, and attachment styles of Employers is considered useful. Findings of the research will create new contexts for optimal interventions in order to improve marital intimacy among married employers; also it will provide lessons for employers in educational, training and therapeutic areas.
Introduction
Among the factors that influence mental health, family plays an important role. Many psychological and behavioral abnormalities rooted in family and from other hand many human developments originated in family (Nazari, 2009). In the importance of family, Satyr (1978) pointed out that usually the family delivers healthy people to community and unhealthy family cause many problems at the community. And if
don’t try to improve and progress the family, social problems will increase day by day (Hedayat, 2012).
In the families that couples understand each other, they have life satisfaction and intimacy, better functions and better play its role (Bakhshi, Asadpour and Khodadadizadeh, 2007).
In fact, one of the emotional needs of couples, relationships with marital intimacy is an important source of happiness, a sense of meaning and satisfaction in life that can
be decreased caused by various problems or inappropriate couples’ features.
Bagarozzi recognize intimacy as closeness, romance or emotional similarity and a personal relationship with someone else Which requires knowledge and understanding of the other person to express thoughts and feelings, which is used as a source of similarity and proximity (Brahimi, Sanaee and Nazari, 2011).
Veen (2001; citing of Etemadi, 2008) defines intimacy as a mental relationship that its main consequence is disclosure, the safe answer and empathy.
Veen also points out that an intimate relationship involves understanding and experience emotions. This communication experience depends on mutual understanding and confidence. Self-disclosure is essential for marital intimacy, because involves inherently people in the mutual understanding and empathy
Finally, Mass and Souble (1993, quoted by Holt et al., 2009) argue that intimacy during a romantic relationship is defined by level of commitment and emotional, cognitive and physical closeness that a person expresses with his wife mutually (though not necessarily mutually) .
Most people know marriage as the most intimate relationship that adults experience; The relationship that used as intimacy and affection. Intimacy includes a process in which people try to approach each other and discover their similarities and differences in feelings, thoughts and behaviors (Stehmen, 2004; quoted Naderi et al., 2010). So when people are trying to meet the needs of intimacy within marriage may enter a
continuous flow in which both couple’s needs for intimacy should be discussed.
Inevitably, there are times that personal intimacy need is not met immediately by wife. In such cases he may also shows the internal and external reactions to unmeet intimacy needs
This answer is probably will affect more broadly on whether these needs will be met in succession or not, affect on the function of entire relationship (Nader et al., 2010). The means of self-differentiation is intimacy experience with others and the independence from them at the same time.
In other words, a person is healthy and with high emotional function that has more capability in distinguishing rational and emotional process and can create a balance between emotions and cognition (Skian and Changizi, 2008).
makes more satisfactory engagement cycle and to enhance the secure relationship (Gurman, 2008).
It is also one of the important components in the marital relationship is rooted in primary relationships, is people attachment styles that repeat in the marital relationship (Johnson, 2007). The attachment is an emotional bond between child and caregiver forms by searching out, hang out and desire to be identified with care (Kaplan and Sadock, 2003).
Ghaffari (2010) to evaluate the effectiveness of Bowen Family System therapy on increasing differentiation and improve the functioning of families with addicted children. He came to the conclusion that the addicts and their families have low differentiation which leads to dysfunction of his own family. Hendrick and Hendrick (1991) have also reported when determining the relationship satisfaction, women, rather than men assert close (intimacy) (cited by Fieldman, Goven and Fisher, 1998). Talebi (2012) showed a significant positive relationship between self-differentiate with marital satisfaction, emotional intelligence and marital satisfaction. Also results regression showed that the components of self-differentiation and emotional intelligence explain 70% of the variance of marital satisfaction.
Rajabi, Mousavinejad and Taghipoor (2014) in a research titled as the relationship between attachment styles and emotional intelligence with the marital satisfaction and marital conflicts in teachers came to the conclusion that avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles negatively and emotional intelligence positively predict marital satisfaction very well. Yoosefi and Kazemi (2014) in a study entitled "The role of attachment styles in prediction of psychological well-being and quality of life in adolescents with learning disabilities" found there is a significant relationship between insecure attachment styles (avoidant, ambivalent) and psychological well-being of patients with learning disabilities.
Doostdari Tilenoei (2013), in a study entitled "Relationship between attachment styles with intimacy and marital compatibility in in teachers" came to the conclusion that between secure attachment style and anxious attachment style and marital intimacy and marital adjustment component ( happy couple, couple's relationship, the couple agreed and expressed affection couples is positive and significant and between avoidant attachment style and intimacy in couples there is a significant inverse relationship .
Ariamanesh, Fallahchai and Zarei (2013) in a study as a comparison of self-differentiation between satisfied and unsatisfied couples in Bandar Abbas concluded there is significant difference between two groups.
Motavali et al (2009) in a study entitled marital satisfaction and marital intimacy in employed and unemployed pregnant women in Ardabil concluded there was no significant difference between two groups in marital satisfaction and overall intimacy. Patrick et al (2007) in another study investigates the relationship between intimacy, self- differentiation, personality variables with marital satisfaction. Results showed a positive significant relationship between intimacy and marital satisfaction. Waring (1981) reported that self-disclosure is a determining factor in the level of intimacy between couples.
Material and Methods
The study population consisted of all married employees in 2015 of Finn city government offices. A sample of 200 people selected by purposive sampling method. To collect data, Skowron and Friedlander self-differentiation questionnaire,
Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire (King and Emmons, 1990) , Adult
Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990) and the Walker and Thompson marital intimacy scale were used. Data analysis performed by using the Pearson correlation and univariate and multivariate regression analysis.
Results
In this section, described the demographic and research variables. As Table 1 shows in women sample, average of age is 34.97 (±8.52). It is also in men sample, average of age is 38.80 (±8.90). Total average of age is 36.79 (±8.89). Information about sample education levels layered by gender is presented in Table 2.
Table 1. Distribution of age according to sex
Min.
Table 2.Educational levels distribution according to gender
Gender Statistic Under diploma Diploma Associate Degree Bachelor MA
Female N 33 16 23 25 8
.Table 3. Mean, standard deviation, reliability and check the normality of the variables
Variables Mean SD Reliability Z-KS Sig.
Negative emotion expression 9.78 2.41 0.68 1.21 0.104
Positive emotion expression 22.61 3.97 0.71 1.03 0.23
Intimacy expression 16.53 3.39 0.64 1.11 0.22
Self-differentiation 149.4 16.91 0.79 1.35 0.065
Secure attachment style 31.71 11.15 0.85 0.98 0.29
insecure attachment style 17.59 11.01 0.81 1.10 0.21
Ambivalent attachment style 16.64 11.44 0.77 1.23 0.074
Marital intimacy 88.18 29.02 0.97 1.29 0.07
According to Table 3, the distribution of all the variables in the sample is normal, therefore, to analyze the results of these variables can be used parametric tests. To test the research hypotheses, Pearson correlation and regression analysis were used and the results are presented in tables 4 to 9.
Table 4. Matrix correlation between differentiation and marital intimacy
Variable Differentiation Sig.
Table 5. The regression coefficient related to differentiation
Criterion Variable Predictor Variable B SE Beta T Value Sig.
marital intimacy Constant 15.61 49.04 3.14 0.001
Differentiation 0.104 0.919 0.53 8.84 0.001
Table 6. Matrix correlation between negative and positive emotional expression and intimacy expression with marital intimacy
Variable Positive emotional expression Intimacy Negative emotional expression
marital intimacy R 0.198 0.226 -0.207
Sig. 0.001 0.001 0.001
Table 7. The regression coefficient related to negative and positive emotional expression and intimacy expression
Criterion Variable Predictor Variable B SE Beta T Value Sig.
marital intimacy Constant 12.53 66.32 -- 5.29 0.001
Positive emotional expression 1.31 0.58 0.18 2.24 0.001
intimacy expression 1.73 0.67 0.20 2.55 0.001
Negative emotional expression -3.74 0.83 -0.31 -4.47 0.001
R= 0.382, RS=0.146, ARS= 0.133
Table 8. The correlation matrix between attachment styles and marital intimacy
Variable Secure attachment
Table 9. The regression coefficient related to attachment styles
Criterion Variable Predictor Variable B SE Beta T Value Sig.
The results showed that differentiation could significantly predict marital intimacy. The results obtained are consistent with the results of Ghaffari et al. (2010) and Talebi
(2012) studies.
The results showed a significant positive correlation between the expression of positive emotion and expression of intimacy and marital intimacy and significant negative correlation between the expression of negative emotion and marital intimacy there. These findings are somewhat consistent with the results of Cordova (2007). To explain this research hypothesis should be pointed out that disclosure is a means to increase the marital relationship, and disclosure express their verbal and nonverbal aspects of ourselves that others cannot without our help being aware of them or understand them (Waring, 1981).
style and marital intimacy. There are also significant negative correlation between ambivalent attachment style and marital intimacy there.
Totally, this study aims to "examine the relationship between self-differentiation, emotional expressiveness and attachment style and marital intimacy in the married employees of Fin, Iran. The study showed that people who had their differentiation to experience higher levels of marital intimacy The findings are consistent with theory and research Bowen is the intergenerational family therapy.
Other results of this study is the prediction marital intimacy from emotional expressiveness variable This finding is consistent with Johnson (2000) study. Attachment styles have strong scientific base that is associated with marital intimacy, which in this study, it was repeated and verified.
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