Issue 1/2 Vol. 37 1995

Dyadic coping and marital satisfaction

BODENMANN, G.

The current article investigates the relationship between dyadic coping and marital satisfaction. Dyadic coping is conceptualized as any form of coping within a couple including both partners at a certain degree. As different forms of dyadic coping we distinguish common dyadic coping (where both partners participate symmetrically in the stress management process), supportive dyadic coping (where one partner supports the other in his/her coping) and assigned or delegated coping (where one partner delegates certain stress domains to his/her partner to cope). Our main hypothesis assumes that dyadic coping is positively correlated with marital satisfaction in the present as well as after one year in our longitudinal study.

Our results support this assumption. They reveal that emotional supportive dyadic coping, common dyadic coping and the delegation of coping are main predictors of marital satisfaction, allowing to account for 30% of the variance of this variable. We also found significant correlations between dyadic coping variables and marital satisfaction after one year. However, self-reported dyadic coping was no essential predictor for marital stability. It seems that dyadic coping is directly related to marital satisfaction but probably indirectly associated with marital stability by guaranteeing a better marital interaction, less health problems etc.

Keywords: stress, coping, dyadic coping, couple, marriage, marital satisfaction

Short Title: Bodenmann, G. (1995) PsyBeit 1-2:72

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