Associations of Perceived Couple-Communication Quality and Internet Use With Marital Satisfaction Among Married Adults

Rasul Rezaei Mollajegh; Fateme  Farahi; Seyedeh Tayebeh  Mousavi; Javad Mohammadi Sahebdivan

Authors

Rasul Rezaei Mollajegh Assistant Professor of Department of Psychology And Counselling, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5546-9314
Fateme Farahi Master's Degree in family Ccounseling, University of Lameigorgani، Gorgan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4708-1137
Seyedeh Tayebeh Mousavi Master’s Graduate in Family Counseling, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9245-5880
Javad Mohammadi Sahebdivan Master’s Student in School Counseling, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4165-6254

Keywords:

marital satisfaction, couples’ communication quality, internet use, social media, couples

Abstract

This cross-sectional predictive-correlational study examined the associations of perceived couple-communication quality and internet use with marital satisfaction among married adults in Ardabil, Iran. The target population comprised all married adults living in Ardabil during the Iranian calendar year 1404 (2025–2026), of whom 235 were recruited through convenience sampling. Participants completed the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Couples’ Communication Quality Questionnaire, and the Internet Use Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and simultaneous multiple regression. Perceived couple-communication quality was positively associated with marital satisfaction, whereas the internet-use score was negatively associated with marital satisfaction. Together, the two predictors explained 45.2% of the variance in marital satisfaction. Communication quality (β = .602) was the strongest positive predictor, while the internet-use score had a smaller significant negative coefficient. These findings suggest that the quality of couple interactions is more consequential for marital satisfaction than the internet-use score. Communication-skills training and deliberate, mutually agreed management of technology during shared couple time may therefore be useful components of counseling and relationship-enrichment programs.

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