Master's Theses

Department

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

A number of researchers have suggested that marital adjustment is related to personality characteristics of spouse (Terman, 1938; Burgess & Wallin, 1953; Eysenck & Wakefield, 1981; Kim, Martin, & Martin, 1989; Cattell & Nesselroade, 1967). A portion of the literature suggests that similarity of spouse personality is related to marital adjustment. The current study used the domain and facet scales of the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) to further examine this concept. Subjects included 105 married couple selected form students at Fort hays State University and volunteers from rural communities in the Midwest. Independent variables in this study were the difference between spouses’ NEO-PI-R scores. The dependent variables were the DAS scores. It was hypothesized in this study that spouse similarity on the Neuroticism, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness domains of the NEO-PI-R is related to marital adjustment. Similarity effects were found between Neuroticism and overall marital adjustment for females and the average of the couple; however, Neuroticism was not found to be related to overall marital adjustment for males. A similarity effect was also found between Agreeableness and overall marital adjustment for males, but not for females or the average of the couple. Similarity of spouses’ Conscientiousness scores was found to be related to overall marital adjustment for males, females and the average of the couple. However, the hypothesis that similarity of spouses Openness scores would be related to overall marital adjustment was not supported for males, females, or the average of the couple. Additionally, a number of significant relationships were found between the NEO-PI-R facets and overall marital adjustment, as well as NEO-PI-R domains and facets and DAS subscales. Explanations for some of these relationships were discussed.

Keywords

Psychology

Advisor

Kenneth Olson

Date of Award

Summer 1994

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Rights

© The Author(s)

Comments

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