Alexithymia and marital quality: The mediating roles of loneliness and intimate communication.

Abstract

This study examined the mediating roles of loneliness and intimate communication in the association between alexithymia and marital quality. Guided by a personality-behavioral approach to loneliness and affection exchange theory (AET), two actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) were examined to test the associations among the variables. Path models (N = 155 couples) indicated that, for both spouses, loneliness and intimate communication fully mediated the association between alexithymia and marital quality. More specifically, higher alexithymia was associated with greater loneliness, which predicted lower intimate communication, which was related to lower marital quality. Multiple specific indirect effects were also significant, suggesting that the association between alexithymia and marital quality may be explained through divergent intrapersonal and interpersonal pathways. Although the magnitude of the intrapersonal associations was similar for both spouses, the results revealed gender differences in spousal interpersonal associations. For husbands, consistent differences were found between intrapersonal and interpersonal associations. Conversely, for wives, no significant differences were found between intrapersonal and interpersonal associations, suggesting that their marital quality was most strongly predicted by their own and their spouse's alexithymia, loneliness, and perceptions of intimate communication. Theoretical implications and future directions for research are also discussed.

Alexithymia and Marital Quality: The Mediating Role of Relationship Maintenance Behaviors

“…Wives' levels of alexithymia were related to two maintenance behaviors of their husbands, but not to husbands' assessment of marital quality. Based on previous research on the importance of emotional communication to relational outcomes (e.g., Frye-Cox & Hesse, 2013), it is noteworthy that few partner effects were found. It is possible that our sample, which scored relatively low in alexithymia, simply did not have enough variance to find significant partner relationships.…”

“…When used in the context of a close relationship, intimate communication potentially helps both the individual and his=her partner in terms of relational health. Frye-Cox and Hesse (2013) found several instances of partner mediation, including the mediating role of wives' intimate communication between husbands' alexithymia and wives' relational outcomes. Relational maintenance behaviors could thus serve the dual role of benefiting both individuals in a marital relationship.…”

“…Previous work has used AET to generate hypotheses about the ability of intimate communication to help overcome the pair bonding deficits of alexithymia (e.g., Frye-Cox & Hesse, 2013). In a series of studies, Floyd (2008, 2011a) found that affectionate experiences partially mediated the relationship between alexithymia and happiness, depression, and anxious=avoidant attachment behaviors, while fully mediating the negative relationships between alexithymia and relational closeness, the need to form relationships, and the individual's number of close relationships.…”

“…Unfortunately, this type of analysis does not take into account the interdependence of dyadic data, resulting in an inability to detect the interconnections between relational partners' alexithymia and relational health. The few studies that have used dyadic methods of analysis (e.g., Eid & Boucher, 2012;Frye-Cox & Hesse, 2013) have found interesting actor and partner effects. These include a partner effect between male alexithymia and partner dyadic adjustment (Eid & Boucher, 2012), along with a partner effect between wives' alexithymia and partner loneliness.…”

Loneliness Corresponds with Politically Conservative Thought

“…Loneliness is likewise related to deficits in mental wellness, such as depression [21] and alexithymia [22]. Lonely adults also report greater dissatisfaction with their personal relationships [23].…”