Impacts of Self-Differentiation on Commitment and Marital Satisfaction in Young Adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5020/23590777.rs.v23i2.e12935Keywords:
marital relations, marital satisfaction, young adults, adult developmentAbstract
TThe differentiation of young adults from their family of origin is one of the main tasks of the transition to adulthood. From the life cycle perspective, it is expected that completing this task will facilitate the development process in subsequent phases, such as couple formation. Based on this assumption and Murray Bowen's Family Systems Theory, this study sought to verify whether differentiation of the self predicts commitment and satisfaction with the relationship in married or cohabiting young adults. 342 Brazilians of different sexual orientations participated, most of them with complete or incomplete higher education, aged between 20 and 29 years old, and who lived with their partners. The participants' and their partners' average monthly income was equivalent to six minimum wages (base year 2020). Participants responded to a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Marital Quality Scale, and the Self Differentiation Inventory – R. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the emotional cut and self-position dimensions of self-differentiation were predictors of commitment and marital satisfaction, while emotional reactivity was a predictor only of commitment. These findings corroborate the international literature and reinforce the importance of differentiating the self in young adults, especially considering its repercussions in the subsequent relational trajectory. The results can help professionals who work in both clinical contexts and with health promotion strategies with couples and young adults.
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