An examination of the role of attachment styles, cognitive distortions regarding relationships, interpersonal relationship types, and personality traits in the prediction of marital adjustment

Most of the research on marital adjustment is conducted to determine the predictability of marital adjustment. There are many variables that predict an individual's degree of marital adjustment. This research is also an examination of the role of attachment styles, cognitive distortions regarding relationships, interpersonal relationship types, and personality traits in the prediction of marital adjustment. The relationships between marital adjustment and demographic variables such as age, gender, marriage age, age difference with the spouse, duration of marriage, educational status, number of children, occupational status of the woman, and whether the spouses have considered a divorce were also investigated in the study. The study group of the research consisted of 423 (women=220, men=203) individuals, who have been married for at least one year and living with his or her spouse. As the data collection tool of the research, Personal Information Form, Marital Adjustment Scale, Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, Cognitive Distortions Scale on Relationships, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and Interpersonal Style Scale were used. Pearson's and Spearman Correlation Coefficient, Multilinear Regression, independent t-test, Kruskal Wallis H-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and ANOVA techniques were employed in data analyses. The findings indicated that neuroticism, abstention, and consideration of divorce predicted marital adjustment, while extraversion, psychoticism, anxiety, interpersonal relationship styles, and cognitive distortions regarding relationships did not predict marital adjustment. Marital adjustment varies according to the quadripartite model of attachment, as well. Marital adjustment scores of individuals who have confident and obsessive attachment styles are higher than those who have fearful and indifferent attachment styles. Marital adjustment also varied with demographic variables such as age, type of marriage, number of children, educational status, and duration of marriage. It was detected that variables such as gender, age of marriage, the employment condition of woman, and the age difference between spouses did not led to a significant variation. The findings obtained coincide with the results of several researches in the literature. Research findings were discussed in light of the literature.