Modeling Marital Satisfaction Based on Differentiation of Self and Perceived Social Support: The Mediating Role of Psychological Well-Being
Keywords:
Psychological well-being, self-differentiation, perceived social support, marital satisfaction, female teachersAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of psychological well-being in the relationship between differentiation of self and perceived social support with marital satisfaction among married female teachers.
Methods and Materials: The present study employed a descriptive-correlational design using path analysis modeling. The statistical population consisted of married female teachers working in elementary, lower secondary, and upper secondary schools in Shiraz during the 2023–2024 academic year who had at least one child. A total of 378 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Differentiation of Self Inventory, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-26 and AMOS-18 software.
Findings: The findings demonstrated that the proposed structural model had an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.99, GFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.04). Differentiation of self had a positive and significant direct effect on marital satisfaction (β = 0.108, p < 0.05) and also an indirect effect through psychological well-being (β = 0.276, p < 0.05). Perceived social support similarly showed significant direct (β = 0.124, p < 0.05) and indirect effects (β = 0.180, p < 0.05) on marital satisfaction through psychological well-being. Psychological well-being had a strong direct effect on marital satisfaction (β = 0.557, p < 0.05). Furthermore, differentiation of self and perceived social support significantly predicted psychological well-being, with coefficients of 0.496 and 0.323, respectively (p < 0.05). The model explained 45% of the variance in marital satisfaction and 38% of the variance in psychological well-being.
Conclusion: The results indicated that psychological well-being plays an important mediating role in the relationship between differentiation of self, perceived social support, and marital satisfaction.
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