Çocuk Odaklılık ve Evlilik Doyumu Arasındaki İlişkide Deneyimsel Kaçınmanın Aracı Rolü

Year 2023, Volume: 24 Issue: 1, 16 - 28, 27.03.2023

Mustafa Alperen Kurşuncu , Şule Baştemur , Enes Kalkan

https://doi.org/10.12984/egeefd.1161512

Abstract

Eşlerin birbirlerine ve ilişkilerine yönelik tutumları ile eşler arasındaki duygusal iklimin doğası evlilik doyumu için önemlidir. Eşler arasında sağlıklı bir duygusal iklimin sağlanamadığı durumlarda, şiddetli duygusal düzensizlikler veya bazı semptomlar çekirdek ailenin duygusal sistemi içinde ortaya çıkabilir. Çekirdek ailede duygusal süreçler olarak da bilinen bu belirtilerden biri, çocuklarla ilgili konuların sıklıkla çiftler arasında çatışmalara neden olduğu çocuk odaklılıktır. Bununla birlikte, çocuk odaklılık nedeniyle çiftlerin deneyimledikleri çatışmalar, bir baş etme biçimi olarak deneyimsel kaçınma davranışlarının ilişki bağlamında sıklığını da artırabilir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, çocuk odaklılık ile evlilik doyumu arasındaki ilişkide deneyimsel kaçınmanın aracı rolünün incelenmesidir. Çalışmaya 159 evli çift katılmıştır. Katılımcılar Aile Dizimi Görüşme Formuna ait Çocuk Odaklılık Alt Ölçeği, Kabul ve Eylem Anketi-II, İlişki Değerlendirme Ölçeği ve Demografik Bilgi Formu’ndan oluşan anketi yanıtlamışlardır. İkili (Dyadic) Aracılık Modeli’nin bulguları, çocuk odaklılık ile deneyimsel kaçınmanın evlilik doyumundaki varyansın %55'ini açıkladığını göstermiştir. Çocuk odaklılık değişkeni ile evlilik doyumu arasındaki ilişkiye deneyimsel kaçınma tam aracılık etmiştir. Bulgularımız, eşlerin kaçınma davranışlarının, çocuk odaklılık gibi uyumsuz başa çıkma yöntemlerini nasıl etkilediğini göstermektedir. Bulgularımız, çocuk odaklılık gibi uyumsuz başa çıkma yöntemlerinin, eşlerin kaçınma davranışlarını tetikleyerek evlilik doyumlarını olumsuz etkileyebileceğini göstermektedir. Evlilik doyumunu artırmak için eşlerin psikolojik esneklik ve benlik ayrımlaşması (çocuğa daha az odaklanma) düzeylerinin artırılması hedeflenmelidir.

Keywords

Evlilik doyumu, Benlik ayrımlaşması, Çocuk odaklılık, Deneyimsel kaçınma

The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance in the Relationship Between the Focus on Child and Marital Satisfaction

Abstract

Individuals' attitudes towards their spouses and relationship, including the emotional climate of the marriage are essential for a satisfying marriage. In an unhealthy emotional climate, on the other hand, severe symptoms may emerge. One of these symptoms is the focus-on-child, where child-related issues often cause marital conflicts. The marital conflicts due to focus-on-child may also increase experiential avoidance as a coping style in the relationship. The purpose is to examine the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between the focus on child and marital satisfaction. One hundred fifty-nine married dyads participated in the study. They completed the Family Genogram Interview Form which consists of Focus on Child Subscale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Relationship Assessment Scale, and Demographic Information Form. Findings of the Common Fate Mediation Model indicated that focus on child and experiential avoidance explained 55% of the variance in marital satisfaction. Experiential avoidance has fully mediated the relationship between focus on the child and marital satisfaction. Findings indicate maladaptive coping methods (i.e., focus-on-child) may trigger the avoidance behaviors of spouses and negatively affect their marital satisfaction. To improve marital satisfaction, we propose that spouses' psychological flexibility and self-differentiation (less focus on the child) levels should be enhanced.

Keywords

Marital satisfaction, Differentiation of self, Focus on child, Experiential avoidance

References

• Arbuckle, J. L. (2016). IBM SPSS Amos 24 user’s guide. IBM.
• Bloch, L., Haase, C. M., & Levenson, R. W. (2014). Emotion regulation predicts marital satisfaction: More than a wives’ tale. Emotion, 14(1), 130-144. doi: 10.1037/a0034272
• Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., Baer, R. A., Carpenter, K. M., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H. K., … & Zettle, R. D (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II: A revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behavior Therapy, 42(4), 676-688. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007
• Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. New York: Jason Aronson.
• Bradbury, T. N., Fincham, F. D., & Beach, S. R. (2000). Research on the nature and determinants of marital satisfaction: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(4), 964-980. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00964.x
• Byrne, B. M. (2010). Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications and programming. New York: Taylor & Francis.
• Canel, A. N. (2013). The development of the marital satisfaction scale (MSS). Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 13(1), 97-117.
• Claxton, A., & Perry‐Jenkins, M. (2008). No fun anymore: Leisure and marital quality across the transition to parenthood. Journal of Marriage and Family, 70(1), 28-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00459.x
• Cui, M., & Donnellan, M. B. (2009). Trajectories of conflict over raising adolescent children and marital satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71(3), 478-494. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2009.00614.x
• Curun, F. (2001). The effects of sexism and sex role orientation on romantic relationship satisfaction. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.
• Emerson, L. M., Ogielda, C., & Rowse, G. (2019). The role of experiential avoidance and parental control in the association between parent and child anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 262. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00262
• Erdem, G., & Safi, O. A. (2018). The cultural lens approach to Bowen family systems theory: Contributions of family change theory. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(2), 469-483. doi: 10.1111/jftr.12258
• Fincham, F. D., & Beach, S. R. (2010). Marriage in the new millennium: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 630-649. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00722.x
• Gaudiano, B. A. (2011). Evaluating acceptance and commitment therapy: An analysis of a recent critique. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 7(1), 55-67. doi: 10.1037/h0100891.
• Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change. New York: Guilford.
• Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. G., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152-1168. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.64.6.1152
• Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K., Wilson, K. G., Bissett, R. T., Pistorello, J., Toarmino, D., … & McCurry, S. M. (2004). Measuring experiential avoidance: A preliminary test of a working model. The Psychological Record, 54(4), 553–578. doi: 10.1007/BF03395492
• Hendrick, S. S. (1988). A generic measure of relationship satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50(1), 93-98. doi: 10.2307/352430
• Hou, Y., Jiang, F., & Wang, X. (2019). Marital commitment, communication and marital satisfaction: An analysis based on actor–partner interdependence model. International Journal of Psychology, 54(3), 369-376. doi:10.1002/ijop.12473
• Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55. doi: 10.1080/10705519909540118
• IBM Corp. Released. (2013). IBM SPSS statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. IBM Corp.
• Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (2020). Research on marital satisfaction and stability in the 2010s: Challenging conventional wisdom. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 100-116. doi: 10.1111/jomf.12635
• Keizer, R., Dykstra, P. A., & Poortman, A. R. (2010). The transition to parenthood and well-being: The impact of partner status and work hour transitions. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(4), 429. doi: 10.1037/a0020414
• Kenny, D. A., Kaniskan, B., & McCoach, D. B. (2015). The performance of RMSEA in models with small degrees of freedom. Sociological Methods & Research, 44(3), 486-507. doi: 10.1177/0049124114543236
• Kerr, M. E., & Bowen, M. (1988). Family evaluation: An approach based on Bowen theory. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.
• Klever, P. (2001). The nuclear family functioning scale: Initial development and preliminary validity. Families, Systems & Health, 19(4), 397-410. doi: 10.1037/h0089468
• Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.
• Kohler, H. P., Behrman, J. R., & Skytthe, A. (2005). Partner+ children= happiness? The effects of partnerships and fertility on well‐being. Population and Development Review, 31(3), 407-445. doi: 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2005.00078.x
• Kurşuncu, M. A. (2020). Nuclear family emotional processes and marital satisfaction: The mediator roles of interrelational and self-developmental orientations. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.
• Kurşuncu, M. A., & Sümer, Z. H. (2021). Nuclear family emotional functioning and marital satisfaction: The cultural lens of self-construal. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 1-20. doi: 10.1080/01926187.2021.1992804
• Lavner, J. A., Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (2016). Does couples' communication predict marital satisfaction, or does marital satisfaction predict communication? Journal of Marriage and Family, 78(3), 680-694. doi: 10.1111/jomf.12301
• Ledermann, T., & Kenny, D. A. (2012). The common fate model for dyadic data: Variations of a theoretically important but underutilized model. Journal of Family Psychology, 26(1), 140-148. doi: 10.1037/a0026624
• Ledermann, T., & Macho, S. (2009). Mediation in dyadic data at the level of the dyads: A structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(5), 661. doi: 10.1037/a0016197
• MacCallum, R. C., Browne, M. W., & Sugawara, H. M. (1996). Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure modeling. Psychological Methods, 1(2), 130-149. doi: 10.1037/1082-989X.1.2.130
• Mirgain, S. A., & Cordova, J. V. (2007). Emotion skills and marital health: The association between observed and self–reported emotion skills, intimacy, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26(9), 983-1009. doi: 10.1521/jscp.2007.26.9.983
• Papero, D. V. (2014). Assisting the two‐person system: An approach based on the Bowen theory. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 35(4), 386-397. doi: 10.1002/anzf.1079
• Peterson, B. D., Eifert, G. H., Feingold, T., & Davidson, S. (2009). Using acceptance and commitment therapy to treat distressed couples: A case study with two couples. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 16(4), 430-442. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2008.12.009
• Platt, L., & Skowron, E. (2013). The family genogram ınterview: Reliability and validity. The Family Journal, 21(1), 35-45. doi: 10.1177/1066480712456817
• Rodríguez-González, M., Martins, M. V., Bell, C. A., Lafontaine, M. F., & Costa, M. E. (2019). Differentiation of self, psychological distress, and dyadic adjustment: Exploring an integrative model through an actor–partner analysis. Contemporary Family Therapy, 41(3), 293-303. doi: 10.1007/s10591-019-09493-x
• Schumacker, R. E., & Lomax, R. G. (2004). A beginner’s guide to structural equation modeling (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Shea, S. E., & Coyne, L. W. (2011). Maternal dysphoric mood, stress, and parenting practices in mothers of Head Start preschoolers: The role of experiential avoidance. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 33(3), 231-247. doi: 10.1080/07317107.2011.596004
• Sunar, D., & Fişek, G. (2005). Contemporary Turkish families. In U. Gielen & J. Roopnarine (Eds.), Families in global perspective (pp. 169-183). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
• Titelman, P. (2008). The concept of the triangle in Bowen theory: An overview. In P. Titelman (Ed.), Triangles: Bowen Family Systems Theory Perspectives (pp. 3-63). New York: The Haworth Press.
• Tiwari, S., Podell, J. C., Martin, E. D., Mychailyszyn, M. P., Furr, J. M., & Kendall, P. C. (2008). Experiential avoidance in the parenting of anxious youth: Theory, research, and future directions. Cognition and Emotion, 22(3), 480-496. doi: 10.1080/02699930801886599
• Ünal, Ö., & Akgün, S. (2022). Conflict resolution styles as predictors of marital adjustment and marital satisfaction: An actor–partner interdependence model. Journal of Family Studies, 28(3), 898-913. doi: 10.1080/13229400.2020.1766542
• Yavuz, F., Ulusoy, S., Iskin, M., Esen, F. B., Burhan, H. S., Karadere, M. E., & Yavuz, N. (2016). Turkish version of acceptance and action questionnaire-II (AAQ-II): A reliability and validity analysis in clinical and non-clinical samples. Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 26(4), 397-408. doi: 10.5455/bcp.20160223124107
• Yu, Q., Zhang, J., Zhang, L., Zhang, Q., Guo, Y., Jin, S., & Chen, J. (2019). Who gains more? The relationship between parenthood and well-being. Evolutionary Psychology, 17(3), doi: 1474704919860467