Review article

Marital Quality: Definition, Causes and Consequences

Josip OBRADOVIĆ
Mira ČUDINA-OBRADOVIĆ

Abstract

Different approaches to defining marital quality
(marital quality as satisfaction, as marital adjustment
and as the partner’s assessment of marital relations) are
examined. Those theories of marital quality which have
raised the greatest attention in scientific literature are
describe and analysed (the theory of social exchange,
behaviourist theory, theory of affective attachment,
theory of marital and family crisis). Special attention is
focused on the problem of measuring marital quality,
resulting in the presentation of all the advantages and
disadvantages of different measuring methods.
Subsequently, marital quality is observed as a dependent
variable, and the determinants of marital quality
in marriage and out of it are analysed (especially the
influence of marital periods, the birth of a child,
and length of marriage). Marital quality as an
independent variable is observed from the aspect
of its influence on partners and marital and family
processes, satisfaction with life and marital partners’ health, the stability of marriage and the emotional
development of children.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

20463

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/20463

Publication date:

31.10.1998.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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