When it Comes to Happiness: the Relationship of Emotional Self-efficacy and Coping With Marital Satisfaction

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effects of emotional self-perceptions and stress coping strategies on marital satisfaction. We tested whether married couples who were high on emotional intelligence had different coping strategies and high marital satisfaction than those with low emotional intelligence. Eighty heterosexual couples (N=160, Mean of age=39.87, SD=12.61) were administered with the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) (Petrides, K. 2009); the short demographic questionnaire and the COPE Inventory (Carver, C., Scheier, M., & Weintraub, J. 1989) along with ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (Fowers, B. & Olson, D. 1993). The results indicate that trait Emotional Intelligence strongly correlates with and therefore has high predictive value for individual’s marital satisfaction. Couples emotional self-efficacy is highly related to their reports of marital satisfaction as well as to their coping strategies. Stress coping strategies are related to marital satisfaction. The results have implications for health psychology as high marital satisfaction may contribute to individuals’ physical or psychological health and well-being and protect them from certain diseases.