Understanding Emotionally Intelligent Spouses: Role of Emotional Intelligence in Marital Adjustment

Abstract

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a widely studied concept given it’s proven effectiveness in helping individuals lean on positive ways to identify and manage their emotions and that of those around them. The factors associated with EI such as emotional self-control, emotional self-awareness or empathy are also crucial requisites for a successful marriage. Hence, the current study aimed to explore EI in the light of understanding how couples adjust in relationships, especially early on, when conflict resolution and effective communication play a vital role in establishing a healthy marriage. Marital adjustment (MA) is a central area of research due to its complex nature and understanding how it is influenced by EI was an area of interest. 80 married individuals (40 males and 40 females) were recruited for the study as participants through a convenient and snowball sampling technique. Data collection was done using two questionnaires: Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scales (R-DAS). Additionally, a set of subjective questions were posed along with demographic questions for the deeper understanding of participants. Analysis of the data resulted in key findings indicating: a weak significance in relationship between EI and MA component ‘consensus’, no significance in relationship between EI with MA components ‘satisfaction’ and ‘cohesion’. While gender differences resulted in women indicating a better relationship between EI and MA as compared to the male participants. Additional findings have been clubbed together in themes, providing a deeper insight into the dynamics of a marital relationship, such as: conflict resolution for marriage or tracing strength in adverse times. This information can serve as a basis for further research or future implications by marriage and relationship experts.