Qualities of Character That Predict Marital Well‐Being

Abstract

A growing body of literature has examined relations among qualities of character—or marital virtues—and marital outcomes. Results of past research have suggested positive relations between qualities such as generosity, kindness, and forgiveness, and marital well‐being. We expand on previous research by examining relations between three qualities of character and marital satisfaction with 1,513 respondents randomly selected from three states. Specifically, we examined the effects of participants' perceptions of their partners' humility, compassion, and positivity on their own marital satisfaction. Results indicated statistically significant, positive associations between each of these qualities and marital satisfaction, although results vary by gender. Furthermore, a statistically significant interaction effect suggested that spousal humility may be a protective factor against marital stress among women. Implications for practice and program development are discussed.

Emotional Intelligence and Marital Quality: Dyadic Data on Croatian Sample

“…The decrease could be explained by conflicts over the allocations of marital obligations between partners, adjustment to conflicts in long-term relationships, changes in partners' personality traits and changes in perception of equality in marriage and habit. In our sample, marital quality assessments showed to be independent of age/duration of marriage, as some other research showed (Goddard et al, 2016;Smith, Heaven, & Ciarrochi, 2008). One possible explanation of such results could be that changes in marital quality are more connected to some other processes or specific events in life of the partners (like birth of a child, career development, illness in a family, etc.)…”

“…So we can say that cohabitation does not contribute to marital quality in this research. Other research found negative correlation between cohabitation and marital quality (Goddard et al, 2016).…”

Impact of Self‐Transcendent and Self‐Enhancement Values on Compassion, Humility, and Positivity in Marital Relationships

“…Such qualities, which have also been referred to as marital virtues, help marital partners resist or transcend biases, take their partner's perspectives, and become generally other-focused in their interactions (Bono & McCoullough, 2006;Dew & Wilcox, 2013;Fredrickson, 2009). Compassion, humility, and positivity represent three such qualities that have been shown to promote intimacy; inspire feelings of warmth, openness, and the desire to engage in reciprocal virtuous action; and promote forgiveness, satisfaction, and commitment between partners (Farrell et al, 2015;Goddard, Olson, Galovan, Schramm, & Marshall, 2016;Mirgain & Cordova, 2007;Reis & Gable, 2003). Such qualities of character are similar to personal values, although researchers have argued that they are more akin to personal traits that are preexisting and slower to change, whereas values involve a larger degree of personal choice (Harris, 2009;Peterson, Ruch, Beermann, Park, & Seligman, 2007).…”

“…Compassion has been described as a sensitivity to another's experienced emotional pain and a desire for the person's welfare (Halifax, 2012). This is especially important in the context of intimate relationships, in which compassion facilitates closeness and buffers against the negative effects resulting from a short-term loss of interest, trust, and love from a partner (Goddard et al, 2016;Meneses & Greenberg, 2011;Stosny, 2004). Indeed, research indicates a dearth of compassion may be one of the most common reasons couples seek counseling (Stosny, 2004).…”

“…In fact, Davis et al (2013) viewed humility as a fundamentally relational construct, emphasizing that humility is best measured and understood within the context of a relationship. Among couples, humility is associated with greater satisfaction and commitment, predicts forgiveness, and functions as a means of repairing social bonds (Davis et al, 2013;Farrell et al, 2015;Goddard et al, 2016). Despite the promising evidence from research on humility, a stable definition in the literature has been elusive.…”