Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the connection between relationship-specific irrational beliefs and relationship satisfaction in individuals in an intimate heterosexual relationship. A convenience sample of 294 Turkish participants (136 married and 158 dating) currently involved in a close romantic relationship completed the Personal Information Form, Relationship Assessment Scale, and Irrational Romantic Relationship Beliefs Inventory using a web-based online survey. Data were analyzed using the Pearson product-moment correlation analysis and standard multiple linear regression analysis. Results of this study indicated that relationship-specific irrational beliefs about different thinking and gender differences were negatively associated with relationship satisfaction in married and dating individuals. Moreover, relationship-specific irrational beliefs about the use of social time were also negatively associated with relationship satisfaction in dating individuals. The study results provide strong support for predictions of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy theory and suggest that some relationship-specific irrational beliefs are associated with relationship satisfaction in married and dating individuals. Results of this study also demonstrate that relationship therapists need to be aware the importance of disputing relationship specific irrational beliefs of clients who have relationship problems for increasing their relationship satisfaction. The study’s findings may help provide a more comprehensive understanding of the role of relationship-specific irrational beliefs in relationship satisfaction in Turkish society.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
Data underlying this article is available from Open Science Framework (osf.io/nyd7q).
References
Addis, J., & Bernard, M. E. (2002). Marital adjustment and irrational beliefs. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 20(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015199803099.
Ayduk, O., & Gyurak, A. (2007). Relationship satisfaction. In W. A. Darity (Ed.), International encyclopedia of the social sciences (Vol. 7, 2nd ed., pp. 151–152). Detroit: Macmillan Library Reference.
Bertoni, A., & Bodenmann, G. (2010). Satisfied and dissatisfied couples: Positive and negative dimensions, conflict styles, and relationships with family of origin. European Psychologist, 15(3), 175–184. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000015.
Bradbury, T. N., & Fincham, F. D. (1993). Assessing dysfunctional cognition in marriage: A reconsideration of the relationship belief inventory. Psychological Assessment, 5(1), 92–101. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.5.1.92.
Bradbury, T. N., Fincham, F. D., & Beach, S. R. H. (2000). Research on the nature and determinants of marital satisfaction: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62(4), 964–980. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00964.x.
Çelik, E. (2014). Adaptation of Relationship Assessment Scale to Turkish culture: Study of validity and reliability. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 1(1), 1–7.
Clark, L. A., & Watson, D. (1995). Constructing validity: Basic issues in objective scale development. Psychological Assessment, 7(3), 309–319. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.7.3.309.
Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155.
Curun, F. (2001). The effects of sexism and sex role orientation on romantic relationship satisfaction (Master Thesis). Middle East Technical University, Ankara.
David, D., & DiGiuseppe, R. (2010). Social and cultural aspects of rational and irrational beliefs: A brief reconceptualization. In D. David, S. J. Lynn, & A. Ellis (Eds.), Rational and irrational beliefs: Research, theory, and clinical practice (pp. 49–61). New York: Oxford University Press.
DeVellis, R. F. (2016). Scale development: Theory and applications (4th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
DiGiuseppe, R. A., Doyle, K. A., Dryden, W., & Backx, W. (2014). A practitioner’s guide to rational emotive behavior therapy (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Dryden, W. (2009). Understanding emotional problems: The REBT perspective. New York: Routledge.
Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (2012). Social role theory. In P. A. M. V. Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of theories of social psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 458–476). London: SAGE.
Eidelson, R. J., & Epstein, N. (1982). Cognition and relationship maladjustment: Development of a measure of dysfunctional relationship beliefs. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50(5), 715–720. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.50.5.715.
Ellis, A., & Dryden, W. (2007). The practice of rational emotive behavior therapy (2nd ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Evans, J. R., & Mathur, A. (2005). The value of online surveys. Internet Research, 15(2), 195–219. https://doi.org/10.1108/10662240510590360.
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146.
Filipović, S., Vukosavljević-Gvozden, T., & Opačić, G. (2016). Irrational beliefs, dysfunctional emotions, and marital adjustment: A structural model. Journal of Family Issues, 37(16), 2333–2350. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X15572384.
Fincham, F. D., Rogge, R., & Beach, S. R. H. (2018). Relationship satisfaction. In A. L. Vangelisti & D. Perlan (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of personal relationships (pp. 422–436). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Graham, J. M., Diebels, K. J., & Barnow, Z. B. (2011). The reliability of relationship satisfaction: A reliability generalization meta-analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 25(1), 39–48. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022441.
Grieger, R., & Alexander, K. A. (2019). REBT with couples. In W. Dryden & M. E. Bernard (Eds.), REBT with diverse client problems and populations (pp. 265–282). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Hamamcı, Z. (2005). Dysfunctional relationship beliefs in marital conflict. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 23(3), 245–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-005-0013-y.
Hendrick, S. S. (1988). A generic measure of relationship satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50(1), 93–98. https://doi.org/10.2307/352430.10.14687/ijhs.v12i1.3068.
Hyde, J. S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60(6), 581–592. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.6.581.
Joel, S., Eastwick, P. W., Allison, C. J., Arriaga, X. B., Baker, Z. G., Bar-Kalifa, E., & Wolf, S. (2020). Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(32), 19061–19071. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1917036117.
Keizer, R. (2014). Relationship satisfaction. In A. C. Michalos (Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (pp. 5437–5443). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Le, B., & Agnew, C. R. (2003). Commitment and its theorized determinants: A meta-analysis of the investment model. Personal Relationships, 10(1), 37–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6811.00035.
Luciano, E. C., & Orth, U. (2017). Transitions in romantic relationships and development of self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 112(2), 307–328. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000109.
Manne, S., & Badr, H. (2008). Intimacy and relationship processes in couples’ psychosocial adaptation to cancer. Cancer, 112(11, Suppl), 2541–2555. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.23450.
Metis, S., & Cupach, W. R. (1990). The influence of relationship beliefs and problem-solving responses on satisfaction in romantic relationships. Human Communication Research, 17(1), 170–185. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1990.tb00230.x.
Möller, A. T., & van der Merwe, J. D. (1997). Irrational beliefs, interpersonal perception and marital adjustment. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 15(4), 269–279. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025089809243.
Möller, A. T., Rabe, H. M., & Nortje, C. (2001). Dysfunctional beliefs and marital conflict in distressed and non-distressed married individuals. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 19(4), 259–270. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012565031864.
Novak, J. R., Sandberg, J. G., & Davis, S. Y. (2017). The role of attachment behaviors in the link between relationship satisfaction and depression in clinical couples: Implications for clinical practice. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(2), 352–363. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12201.
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879.
Proulx, C. M., Helms, H. M., & Buehler, C. (2007). Marital quality and personal well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(3), 576–593. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00393.x.
Raley, R. K., & Sweeney, M. M. (2020). Divorce, repartnering, and stepfamilies: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 81–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12651.
Renshaw, K. D., McKnight, P., Caska, C. M., & Blais, R. K. (2011). The utility of the Relationship Assessment Scale in multiple types of relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 28(4), 435–447. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407510377850.
Robles, T. F., Slatcher, R. B., Trombello, J. M., & McGinn, M. M. (2014). Marital quality and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(1), 140–187. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031859.
Røsand, G.-M. B., Slinning, K., Eberhard-Gran, M., Røysamb, E., & Tambs, K. (2012). The buffering effect of relationship satisfaction on emotional distress in couples. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-66.
Røsand, G.-M. B., Slinning, K., Røysamb, E., & Tambs, K. (2014). Relationship dissatisfaction and other risk factors for future relationship dissolution: A population-based study of 18,523 couples. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 49(1), 109–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0681-3.
Sarı, T., & Korkut Owen, F. (2015). The development of Irrational Romantic Relationship Beliefs Inventory [Romantik İlişkilerde Akılcı Olmayan İnançlar Ölçeği’nin geliştirilmesi]. International Journal of Human Sciences, 12(1), 255–273.
Song, Z., Foo, M.-D., Uy, M. A., & Sun, S. (2011). Unraveling the daily stress crossover between unemployed individuals and their employed spouses. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(1), 151–168. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021035.
Stackert, R. A., & Bursik, K. (2003). Why am I unsatisfied? Adult attachment style, gendered irrational relationship beliefs, and young adult romantic relationship satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 34(8), 1419–1429. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00124-1.
Sullivan, B. F., & Schwebel, A. I. (1995). Relationship beliefs and expectations of satisfaction in marital relationships: Implications for family practitioners. The Family Journal, 3(4), 298–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480795034003.
Szentagotai, A., & Jones, J. (2010). The behavioral consequences of irrational beliefs. In D. David, S. J. Lynn, & A. Ellis (Eds.), Rational and irrational beliefs: Research, theory, and clinical practice (pp. 75–97). New York: Oxford University Press.
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2012). Using multivariate statistics (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Turkish Statistical Institute [TurkStat]. (2017). Family Structure Survey, 2016. http://www.tuik.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=21869. Accessed 26 Dec 2019.
Turkish Statistical Institute [TurkStat]. (2019). Marriage and Divorce Statistics, 2018. http://www.tuik.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=30698. Accessed 26 Dec 2019.
Uğur, E., Kaya, Ç., & Tanhan, A. (2020). Psychological inflexibility mediates the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and psychological vulnerability. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01074-8.
Vaughn, M. J., & Matyastik Baier, M. E. (1999). Reliability and validity of the Relationship Assessment Scale. American Journal of Family Therapy, 27(2), 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/019261899262023.
Vowels, L. M., & Mark, K. P. (2020). Relationship and sexual satisfaction: A longitudinal actor–partner interdependence model approach. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 35(1), 46–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2018.1441991.
Wagner, M. (2020). On increasing divorce risks. In D. Mortelmans (Ed.), Divorce in Europe: New insights in trends, causes and consequences of relation break-ups (pp. 37–61). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25838-2_3.
Whisman, M. A. (2007). Marital distress and DSM-IV psychiatric disorders in a population-based national survey. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116(3), 638–643. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.116.3.638.
Whisman, M. A., Gilmour, A. L., & Salinger, J. M. (2018). Marital satisfaction and mortality in the United States adult population. Health Psychology, 37(11), 1041–1044. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000677.
Woodward, A. J., Carless, S. A., & Findlay, B. M. (2001). A psychometric evaluation of the Irrational Beliefs Inventory in a marital context. Australian Psychologist, 36(3), 255–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050060108259664.
Zell, E., Krizan, Z., & Teeter, S. R. (2015). Evaluating gender similarities and differences using metasynthesis. American Psychologist, 70(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038208.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
Online informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Topkaya, N., Şahin, E. & Mehel, F. Relationship-specific irrational beliefs and relationship satisfaction in intimate relationships. Curr Psychol 42, 1257–1269 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01426-y
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01426-y