Habilidades sociais no casamento: avaliação e contribuição para a satisfação conjugal

Abstract

The quality of interpersonal relations has a great influence on many life contexts, including here the marital context, a potential source of pleasure and accomplishment or of frustration and psychological disorders. Researches have shown the importance of specific social skills for the maximization of the marital relation quality as well as upon its stability and duration, suggesting a possible impact also upon the marital satisfaction. Nevertheless, these relations don't have enough supportive empirical studies. This gap is partially related to the lack of instruments to access the social marital skills and to its possible specificity in relation to the spouses' global skills. This study was aimed to verify the relation between the spouses' marital satisfaction and global and marital social skills and simultaneously to improve an instrument to evaluate social skills. 406 participants from both sexes (most couples, with high school educational level, age between 20 and 73 years) completed the Social Skills Inventory (SSI-Del-Prette), the Marital Social Skills Inventory (MSSI) and the Marital Satisfaction Scale (MSS). It was computed individual scores for each instrument, then proceeding to descriptive and statistical analyses, especially comparing husbands and wives and social-demographic variables influence. The results showed a significant correlation between the SSI-Del-Prette, MSSI and MSS scores, suggesting that the more elaborated was the respondent's social skills repertoire (marital and global), greater was his/her marital satisfaction, confirming the initial hypothesis. Correlations between the SSI, MSSI and MSS factorial scores showed which respondents social skills classes was specifically associated to the marital satisfaction. The MSSI presented a good internal consistency (Alpha of Cronbach = 0,81) and a six factors structure that explained 45,407 of the obtained total variance. It has been discussed the instrument applicability to new studies and viii to practical context of psychologist professional work as well as these results' implications to further researches.

Marital Satisfaction: The Role of Social Skills of Husbands and Wives

“…The study by Villa (2005) reports no association between marital satisfaction and socio-demographic variables. These findings are in agreement with the results of other studies (Johnson & O'Leary, 1996;Langis, Sabourin, Lussier, & Mathieu, 1994;Miranda, 1987;Norgren et al, 2004;Sardinha, Falcone, & Ferreira, 2009).…”

“…Companionship, mutual commitment, the constitution of a family with the attributions of fathers and mothers, sexual fulfillment, in addition to other expectations, such as professional achievement and economic independence (Garcia & Tassara, 2003;Perlin & Diniz, 2005;Villa, 2005), are currently valued. Mutual appreciation and cooperation seem to be part of the expectations in a marriage (Araújo, 2005;Menandro et al, 2005;Villa, 2005). Despite a seeming situation of crisis in the institution of marriage, it remains an ideal to be pursued by many single and formerly married people seeking relationships that promote satisfaction and happiness (Mosmann, Wagner, & Féres-Carneiro, 2006).…”

“…The expectations concerning marriage go beyond happiness and satisfaction, involving stability and affective and emotional security, as opposed to uncommitted and temporary relationships. Marriage directly impacts other spheres of the spouses' lives, such as relationships with children and the extended family of both partners, professional performance, spirituality, and physical and emotional health (Bolsoni-Silva & Marturano, 2010;Feldman & Wentzel, 1990;Silliman, Stanley, Coffin, Markman, & Jordan 2002;Villa, 2005;Villa, Del Prette, & Del Prette, 2007).…”

“…Despite a lack of consensus on marital satisfaction and the various forms of conceiving it, this is one of the measures used to appraise the quality of marriage in its different conceptions (Perlin & Diniz, 2005;Villa, 2005). Despite the different conceptions, there are aspects linked to the assessment of the marital relationship that are the objective of this study and refer to marital satisfaction.…”

“…Since the 1970s, this question has been acknowledged as a multidimensional phenomenon (Spanier & Lewis, 1980). Among the various authors seeking to understand the facets of this phenomenon, most have indicated the interpersonal element as essential for a good marital relationship (Bratfisch, 1997;Flora & Segrin, 1999;Gottman & Rushe, 1995;Norgren, Souza, Kaslow, Hammerschmidt, & Sharlin, 2004;Rangé & Dattilio, 1995;Sanders, Halford, & Behrens, 1999;Schaper, 2000;Perlin & Diniz, 2005;Villa, 2005;Villa, Del Prette, & Del Prette, 2007). Flora and Segrin (1999) relate social abilities to marital satisfaction without, however, specifying which classes of abilities would be critical.…”