Impact of Relationship Satisfaction on Marriage Attitudes among Adults

Abstract

This quantitative correlational study investigates the relationship between relationship satisfaction and attitudes towards marriage among adults, aiming to understand how the quality of romantic relationships influences attitudes towards marriage. With shifting societal norms and increasing diversity in relationship dynamics, there is a need to explore whether relationship satisfaction is associated with attitudes towards marriage. To explore this relationship through a correlational research design, a snowball sample of 250 participants aged 18–30+ completed self-report measures, using the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) and Marital Attitudes Scale (MAS) to measure relationship satisfaction and marriage attitudes. The data were analysed statistically using Spearman’s rank-order correlation, Independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA with post hoc comparison. The results of this study show a statistically significant positive correlation between relationship satisfaction and marriage attitudes. The findings also show a statistically significant difference in relationship satisfaction and marriage attitudes based on relationship status, with committed participants reporting higher scores than single participants with past relationship experiences. No statistically significant differences were found across age groups in relation to relationship satisfaction and marriage attitudes. A statistically significant difference is found in relationship satisfaction between males and females, with females reporting higher satisfaction, but no significant gender difference is observed in marriage attitudes. Similarly, the findings reveal a statistically significant difference in relationship satisfaction based on locality, with urban participants reporting higher satisfaction, while no significant difference is found in marriage attitudes based on locality.