Prposing Marital Satisfaction Structural Model Basede on Marital Expectations, Optimism, and Relationship Self-Efficacy in Married Women’s from a Cultural Perspective

Zahedeh Rahmanian ¹ ( Ph.D. in Sports Ppsychology, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Humanities, Farhangian University, Fatemeh Al-Zahra Campus, Tehran, Iran )
Ahmad Reza Syfi Belyani ² ( M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Yasuj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yasuj, Iran )

Submited date : 2025-06-18 Accepted date : 2025-08-22

Keywords: Marital satisfaction, Marital expectations, Optimism, Relationship self-efficacy, Cultural perspective,

Abstract :

The present study aimed to suggest marital satisfaction structural model based on the marital expectations, optimism, and relational self-efficacy among married women from a cultural perspective. The statistical population consisted all the married women aged 20 to 40 years, who had been married for at least one year during March 2024 to August 2024 in Shiraz city. The sample embraced 380 participants whom were selected via convenient sampling procedure. The research method was descriptive-correlational of structural model equations. The data were collected using the Relationship Standards Questionnaire of Vangelisti and Daly (1997), the Life Orientation Test of Scheier and Carver (1994), the Relationship Self-Efficacy Scale of Lopez et al. (2007), and the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale. Data analysis was conducted through structural model equations analysis. Findings revealed a significant positive correlation between marital expectations, optimism, and relational self-efficacy with marital satisfaction (p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis confirmed the significant impact of marital expectations (β = 0.338) and relational self-efficacy (β = 0.129) on marital satisfaction. However, optimism did not exert an effect. Furthermore, the subscales of marital expectations—such as future orientation (β = 0.092) and emotional accessibility (β = 0.091)—showed the greatest contribution to predicting marital satisfaction. The structural model goodness of fit indices supported the adequacy of the final model (GOF = 0.36). In conclusion, realistic marital expectations aligned with the socio-cultural context (particularly in Shiraz), along with relational self-efficacy, played a decisive role in improving marital satisfaction among married women by enhancing communication and conflict-resolution skills.

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