Abstract
The following research sought to examine the relationship between an individual’s performance of religious duties and its impact upon his or her level of marital satisfaction and children supervision. Findings in this connection can help strengthen families. Six hundred and sixty heterosexual couples from Tehran were studied using multistage cluster sampling. Information regarding religious duties and marital satisfaction was collected using the researcher’s prepared questionnaire, and ENRICH marital satisfaction scale. The results showed that heterosexual couples who observe religious beliefs and perform religious duties (like participation in religious rituals and ceremonies) have a higher rate of marital satisfaction, and have suitable children supervision. Thus, there is a significant correlation between performing religious duties and marital satisfaction. Considering the relation between performing religious duties and nine subscales of marital satisfaction and children supervision questionnaire, Communication Parenting and Religious Orientation account for the highest rate of performing religious duties, and Sexual Relationship accounts for the lowest rate of performing religious duties. Thus, with the increase in religiosity and performance of religious duties, marital satisfaction rate will increase, and vice versa. However, those who perform religious duties have suitable children supervision, so they have good relationship with their family. It can be concluded that religiosity develops the grounds for marital commitment and child-rearing.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2005). Happiness, health and religiosity: Significant relations. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 9, 85–97.
Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2008). Religiosity, health and well-being among Kuwaiti personnel. J. Psychol. Rep, 102, 181–184.
Bartoli, E., & Gillem, A. R. (2008). Continuing to depolarize the debate on sexual orientation and religion: Identity and the therapeutic process. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(2), 202–209 April.
Bradbury, T. N., Fincham, F. D., & Beach, S. R. H. (2000). Research on the nature and Determinants of marital satisfaction. Journal of Marriage Family, 62, 964–980.
Büssing, A., Ostermann, T., & Matthiessen, P. F. (2005). The role of religion and spirituality in medical patients in Germany. Journal of Religion and Health, 44(3), 321–340 September.
Butler, M. H., Gardner, B. C., & Bird, M. H. (1998). Not just a time-out: Change dynamics of prayer for religious heterosexually heterosexually couples in conflict situations. J. Family Process, 37, 451–478 Winter.
Durant, W. (2001). Heroes of history: A brief history of civilization from ancient times to the dawn of the modern age. New York: Simon and Schuster pub.
Feeney, J. A., Noller, P., & Ward, C. (1997). Marital satisfaction and spousal interaction. In R. J. Sternberg & M. Hojjat (Eds.), Satisfaction in close relationships (pp. 160–189). New York: Guilford.
Fieses, B. H., & Tomcho, T. J. (2001). Finding in religious practices: The relation between religious holiday rituals and marital satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 597–609.
Foweres, B. J., & Olson, D. H. (1989). ENRICH martial inventory. A discriminant validity and cross validation assessment. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 15, 65–79.
Granqvist, P., Ivarsson, T., Broberg, A., & Hagekull, B. (2007). Examining relations among attachment, religiosity, and new age spirituality using the adult. J. Developmental Psychology, 43(3), 590–601 May.
Grom, B. (2000). Religiosity and subjective well-being. J. Psychother. Psychosom. Med. Psychol., 50, 187–192.
Hossain, M. S., & Siddique, M. Z. (2008). Does religiosity help Muslims adjust to death?: A research note. Omega (Westport), 57, 113–119.
Inyang, M. (2008). T10-O-11 The influence of religion on the sexual behavior of female secondary school adolescents in Port Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. J. Sexologies, 17(Supplement 1), S142 April.
Kapinus, C. A., & Pellerin, L. A. (2008). The influence of parents’ religious practices on young adults’ divorce attitudes. Journal of Social Science Research, 37(3), 801–814 September.
Kaslow, F. W. (1998). The handbook of relational diagnosis and dysfunctional family patterns. New York: Wiley.
Lambert, N. M., & Dollahite, D. C. (2006). How religiosity helps heterosexually heterosexually couples prevent, resolve and overcome marital conflict. Journal of Family Relations, 55(4), 439–449.
Mahoney, A., Pargament, K. I., Tarakeshwar, N., & Swank, A. B. (2001). Religion in the home in the 1980’s and 1990s: A meta-analytic review and conceptual analysis of links between religion, marriage and parenting. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 559–596.
Marsh, R., & Dallos, R. (2001). Roman catholic heterosexually couples: Wrath and religion. J. Family Process, 40, 343–360 Fall.
McCarty, C. A., Lau, A. S., & Valeri, S. M. (2004). Parent - child interactions in relation to critical and emotionally over involved expressed emotion: Is EE a proxy for behavior? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32, 83–93.
Mochon, D., Norton, M., & Ariely, D. Getting off the hedonic treadmill, one step at a time: The impact of regular religious practice and exercise on well-being. Journal of Economic Psychology,.joep.2007.10.004.
O’Connor, S., & Vandenberg, B. (2005). Psychosis or faith? Clinicians’ assessment of religious beliefs. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(4), 610–616 August.
Orathinkal, J., & Vansteenwegen, A. (2006). Religiosity and marital satisfaction. J Contemporary Family Ther, 28, 497–504.
Rayya, A., & Motkal, H. (2007). Acculturation, Christian religiosity, and psychological and marital well-being among the European wives of Arabs in Israel. Journal of Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 10(2), 171–190 March.
Ruback, R. B., Pandey, J., & Kohli, N. (2008). Evaluations of a sacred place: Role and religious belief at the Magh Mela. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(2), 174–184 June.
Schaefer, M. T., & Olson, D. H. (1981). Assessing intimacy: The PAIR inventory. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 47–60.
Schumm, W. R., Jeong, G. J., & Silliman, B. (1990). Protestant fundamentalism and marital success revisited. J Psychol. Rep., 66, 905–906.
Sinha, P., & Mukerjec, N. (1990). Marital satisfaction and space orientation. Journal of Social Psychology, 130, 633–639.
Spilka, B., Hood, R. W., & Gorsuch, R. L. (1985). The psychology of religion: An empirical approach. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. ISBN: 0–13–736398–2, Description: Hardcover, xii +388 pages.
Steger, M., & Frazier, P. (2005). Meaning in life: One ink in the chain from religiousness to well-being. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(4), 574–582 October.
Stokes, C. E., & Regnerus, M. D. (2008).When faith divides family: Religious discord and adolescent reports of parent-child relations. Journal of Social Science Research. Available online 3 July 2008.
Sullivan, K. T. (2001). Understanding the relationship between religiosity and marriage: An investigation of the immediate and longitudinal effects of religiosity on newlywed heterosexually couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 610–626.
Thomas, A. L., & Cornwall, M. (1990). Religion and family in the 1980s: Discovery and development. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 52, 983–992.
Waite, L., & Gallagher, M. (2000). The case for marriage: Why married people are happier, healthier and better off financially. New York: Doubleday.
Weaver, A. J., Samford, J. A., Morgan, V. J., Larson, D. B., Koenig, H. G., & Flannelly, K. J. (2002). A systematic review of research on religion in six primary marriage and family journals: 1995–1999. American Journal of Family Therapy, 30, 293–309.
White, L. K., & Booth, A. (1991). Divorce over the life course: The role of marital happiness. Journal of Family, 12, 5–21.
Wilcox, W., Nicholas, B., & Wolfinger, H. (2008). Living and loving “decent”: Religion and relationship quality among urban parents. Social Science Research, 37(3), 828–843 September.
Yusuf Ali’s translation of the meanings of the Holy Qur’an, Index in Arabic by Muhammed Fuad Abdul Baqi. Cairo: Dar Al-Fikr. 1406 (1986). The Arabic Title of the index is: “Al-Mu’ajam Al-Mufahras Li Alfadh Al-Qur’an Al-Kareem.” Chapter 30, verse 21; Chapter 4, verse 20, 59; Chapter 2, verse 23; Chapter 49, verse 49.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ahmadi, K., Hossein-abadi, F.H. Religiosity, Marital Satisfaction and Child Rearing. Pastoral Psychol 57, 211–221 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-008-0176-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-008-0176-4