Conflict, conflict resolution and marital quality

Abstract

Studies on conflict and marital quality are important for clinical practice involving couples. We analyzed the predictive power of motives and conflict resolution styles on marital quality in a sample from Southern Brazil. The following were applied to 750 men and 750 women aged 40 years old on average (SD = 11.07): sociodemographic data sheet, Marital Conflict Scale, Conflict Resolution Style Inventory and The Golombok Rust Inventory of Marital State. Marital quality was associated with how the couples solve their conflicts and the reasons for which they discuss. The use of constructive conflict resolution strategies was a predictor of marital quality, as were the motives related to financial issues, household chores, and time spent together. The results reveal the importance of the professionals paying attention to the nature of the marital conflicts reported by the couples and the strategies employed to solve them as factors involved in the evaluation of marital quality.