Communication between partners during conflict, partner's gender roles and marital satisfaction

Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi povezanost između obrazaca komunikacije prilikom sukoba, karakteristika partnera povezanih s rodnim ulogama (poput instrumentalnosti, ekspresivnosti i stavova prema rodnim ulogama) i zadovoljstva brakom. Rezultati dobiveni na uzorku od 114 (izvan)bračnih parova pokazali su da su muškarci zadovoljniji brakom od žena. Zadovoljniji su oni partneri koji svoje probleme češće rješavaju na konstruktivan način, rjeđe izbjegavaju raspravu te rjeđe koriste obrazac muškog zahtijevanja i ženskog povlačenja. Obrazac ženskog zahtijevanja i muškog povlačenja negativno je povezan sa zadovoljstvom muškaraca, ali nije povezan sa ženskim zadovoljstvom brakom. Uz to, rezultati su pokazali da ekspresivni i egalitarni partneri češće konstruktivno rješavaju probleme. Partneri koji su tradicionalnijih stavova češće izbjegavaju raspravu te se njihovi sukobi češće svode na muško zahtijevanje promjene i žensko povlačenje. Suprotno tome, partneri koji su egalitarnijih stavova češće prilikom sukoba pokazuju obrazac ženskog zahtijevanja i muškog povlačenja. Zaključno, prediktori muškog zadovoljstva brakom su konstruktivna komunikacija (pozitivan prediktor) te egalitarnost i ekspresivnost žene (negativni prediktori), a jedini i pozitivan prediktor ženskog zadovoljstva je konstruktivna komunikacija. Uz to, ona se pokazala i medijatorom povezanosti egalitarnosti muškaraca i zadovoljstva brakom kod oba partnera.The aim of this research was to determine the connection between communication patterns during conflict, partner's gender role related characteristics (like instrumentality, expressivness and attitudes toward gender roles) and marital satisfaction. Results were obtained from a sample of 114 (extra)marital couples and they showed that men are more satisfied with marriage then women. Partners that are more satisfied more often deal with their problems in constructive way, avoid the discussion less and use the pattern of man demanding and woman withdrawing less often. Pattern in which woman demands and man withdraws is negatively correlated with man's satisfaction, but it isn't correlated with woman's marital satisfaction. Also, results showed that expressive and egalitarian partners more often resolve their problems constructively. Partners who hold more traditional attitudes avoid problems more and their conflicts more often take the form of man demanding and woman withdrawing. Opposite of that, partners who hold more egalitarian attitudes show more often the pattern of woman demanding and man withdrawing. Finally, predictors of man's marital satisfaction are constructive communication (positive predictor) and egalitarity and expressivness of women (negative predictors), while the only and positive predictor of woman's satisfaction is constructive communication. As well, constructive communication is the mediator between man's egalitarity and marital satisfaction of both partners