SEXUAL AND MARITAL COMMUNICATION AND PERCEIVED MARITAL ADJUSTMENT by ...

101 Pages·2009·3.88 MB·English

SEXUAL AND MARITAL COMMUNICATION
AND
PERCEIVED MARITAL ADJUSTMENT
by
NOELLE ANNE VOGEL
B.A., University of British Columbia, 1980
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARTS
in
THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
(Department of Counselling Psychology)
We accept this thesis as conforming
to the required standard
THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
August 1983
(c) Noelle Anne Vogel, 1983
In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for an advanced degree at the University of
British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it
freely available for reference and study. I further
agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis
for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my
Department or by his representatives. It is understood
that copying or publication of this thesis for financial
gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.
Department of Counselling Psychology
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C.
August, 1983
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ABSTRACT
This study sought to examine the relationship between
marital quality and interspousal sexual communication. The
study also sought to examine the relationships between sexual
communication and marital communication and perceived quality
of relationships.
A purposive sample of forty four couples was drawn
from throughout the lower mainland of British Columbia,
Canada. Twenty two couples who were receiving marital counsel
ling f or distressed relationships were drawn and constituted
Group One. Twenty two couples who were not seeking therapy
and who judged their marriages to be satisfactory were drawn
and constituted Group Two. Both husbands and wives within
each sample were mailed the following questionnaires: The
Dyadic Adjustment Scale, The Marital Communication Inventory
and The Sexual Communication Inventory.
Four hypotheses were tested. Hypotheses One, Two and
Three were tested using independent groups t-test f or the
difference between means to determine if there was a statis
t i c a l ly significant difference between the means of the two
groups on different variables of marital adjustment.
Hypothesis Four was tested using the Pearson Product Moment
correlation coefficient to establish the relationships
between variables. The null hypothesis was rejected in each
case.
The results of the study reconfirm that there is a
strong positive correlation between marital adjustment and
interspousal communication. The study further demonstrates
a strong correlation between open sexual communication and
marital adjustment and between inhibited sexual communica
tion and marital distress. The results of Hypothesis Four
demonstrate that the correlations between sexual communication
and marital adjustment and between sexual communication and
marital communication are group specific and statistically
significant between groups.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT . . . . ..
TABLE OF CONTENTS . . ..
LIST OF TABLES . . . .
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . ..
CHAPTER I:
INTRODUCTION . . . ..
Statement of the Problem
Objectives of the Study
Significance of the Study
Definition of Key Terms
Limitations . . . ..
Overview of the Study
CHAPTER TWO:
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Introduction . .
Issues in the Operational Definition
of Marital Adjustment . .
Marital Communication as a Variable
of Marital Adjustment . . .
Sexual Communication as a Variable
of Sexual Adjustment
Summary . . . . . .
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Page
CHAPTER I I I:
METHODOLOGY . . . . . . .. 26
Research Design and Sampling Methods . . . 26
Instrumentation . . . . . .. 28
Data Collection . . . . . .. 33
Statistical Hypotheses . . . . .. 34
Summary . . . . . . . . . 36
CHAPTER IV:
RESULTS . . . . . . . .. 37
Statistical Analyses of the Hypotheses . . 37
Supplementary Analyses . . . . . . 50
Summary of Results . . . . .. 53
CHAPTER V:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION . .. 55
Summary . . . . . . . . . 55
Conclusions and Discussion . . . .. 57
Limitations of the Investigation . . .. 62
Implications and Suggestions f or
Further Research . . . . . . . 6 3
Conclusion . . . . . . .. 65
REFERENCES:. . . . . . . . . 68
APPENDIX A: LETTER OF CONTACT . . . .. 73
APPENDIX B: LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL . . .. 75
APPENDIX C: DYADIC ADJUSTMENT SCALE . . .. 77
APPENDIX D: MARITAL COMMUNICATION INVENTORY . . 81
APPENDIX E: SEXUAL COMMUNICATION INVENTORY . . 86
APPENDIX F: FAMILY BACKGROUND SHEET AND SUMMARY . 9 0
APPENDIX G: FOLLOW-UP LETTER . . . . . 94
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Subjects in Therapy (Group 1)
and Subjects Not in Therapy (Group 2)
on Scores of Marital Adjustment Using a
t-Test f or Independent Samples . .. 37
2 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Males and Females in Therapy
(Group 1) on Scores of Marital Adjust
ment Using a t-Test f or Dependent Samples . 39
3 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Males and Females Not in Therapy
(Group 2) on Scores of Marital Adjustment
Using a t-Test f or Dependent Samples . . 39
4 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Subjects in Therapy (Group 1)
and Subjects Not in Therapy (Group 2) on
Scores of Marital Communication Using a t-
Test f or Independent Samples . . . . 4 0
5 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Males and Females in Therapy
(Group 1) on Scores of Marital Communi
cation Using a t-Test f or Dependent Samples . 41
6 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Males and Females Not in Therapy
(Group 2) on Scores of Marital Communica
tion Using a t-Test f or Dependent Samples . 4 2
7 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Subjects in Therapy (Group 1) and
Subjects Not in Therapy (Group 2) on Scores
of Sexual Communication Using t-Test f or
Independent Samples . . . . . . 43
8 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Males and Females in Therapy
(Group 1) on Scores of Sexual Communica
tion Using a t-Test f or Dependent Samples . 44
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Table Page
9 Significance of the Difference Between
Means f or Males and Females Not in
Therapy (Group 2) on Scores of Sexual
Communication Using a t-Test for
Dependent Samples . . . . . . 45
10 Group One (in Therapy) Pearson Product-
Moment Correlation Coefficients Between
Dyadic Adjustment, Marital Communication
and Sexual Communication (N = 44) . . . . 46
11 Group Two (Not in Therapy) Pearson
Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients
Between Dyadic Adjustment, Marital
Communication and Sexual Communication
(N = 44) 46
12 Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Co
efficients Between Dyadic Adjustment
Marital Communication and Sexual Commu
nication f or Total Sample (N = 88) . . 47
13 Significance of the Difference Between
Pearson r Correlation Coefficients for
Subjects in Therapy (Group 1) and
Subjects Not in Therapy (Group 2) Using
Fisher's Z-Transformation . . .. 49
14 Group One: Pearson r Correlation Coeffi
cients for Total DAS Scale and Subscales
and MCI and SCI Scores (n = 44) . . . 50
15 Group Two: Pearson r Correlation Coeffi
cients for Total DAS Scale and Subscales
and MCI and SCI Scores (n =• 44) . .. 52
- v i ii -
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to extend my thanks to my thesis
committee, and especially to my chairperson, Dr. John Banmen,
who has acted as both my research and c l i n i c al advisor.
Dr. Banmen has offered me sincere support and encouragement
in my professional development as a clinician and researcher.
Appreciation is also due to the many couples who
shared of their time and energy in completing and returning
the questionnaires. For this I am sincerely grateful.
To Wink, my partner in l i f e, and to our children
Randy, Tracy and Tim,I am especially thankful f or their on
going support and assistance throughout the process of my
completing a graduate degree. To a l l, I express my thanks.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The richest most meaningful relationships in l i fe
are made possible through marriage. Communication is seen
by most authorities in family research to be the l i fe blood
of this relationship in that a mutually satisfying level of
communication is considered to be a v i t al aspect of a
healthy marriage.
Statement of the Problem
Many studies have shown that good communication is
significant to perceived marital adjustment and satisfaction
for both husbands and wives (Bienvenu, 1970; Miller, Corrales
& Wackman, 1975; v/Navran, 1967; Udry, 1966; Wampler, 1982).
Although communication is regarded as one of the central
processes in every relationship, many individuals marry
without the advantage of having acquired good communication
s k i l ls and as a result they are poorly prepared f or the
problem solving and adjustments required in a relationship
(Jacobson & Martin, 1976) .
Couples who seek marital therapy bring to the
therapist a variety of marital complaints. Research and
c l i n i c al data have shown, however, that couples who express
dissatisfaction with their relationships most consistently
implicate lack of communication and d i f f i c u l t i es with sexual