Importance of Marital Characteristics and Marital Satisfaction: A Comparison of Asian Indians in Arranged Marriages and Americans in Marriages of Choice

To date, little research has been published related to cross-cultural differences in such marital factors as love, intimacy, happiness, and satisfaction. The present study compares factors contributing to marital satisfaction and examines correlations between the importance of these factors and the level of satisfaction for three groups: Asian Indians in arranged marriages living in India (n = 229), Asian Indians in arranged marriages living in the United States (n = 185), and Americans in marriages of choice (n = 173). Results indicated significant differences between the three groups on both total importance and total satisfaction mean scores. Implications for multicultural marriage counseling are discussed and recommendations for further cross-cultural research are presented