The Mediating Effects Of Autonomy Competence And Relatedness During Couple Leisure On The Relationship Between Total Couple Leisure Satisfaction And Marital Satisfaction

Author : Mojtaba Shahvali
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (15 download)

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Download or read book THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN VACATIONS, COUPLE FUNCTIONING, AND SATISFACTION WITH RELATIONSHIP. written by Mojtaba Shahvali and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research shows that healthy and functioning relationships constitute one of the main elements of individuals wellbeing. Such relationships can be nurtured during time away from work and other obligations as well as during family leisure, particularly family vacations. Unfortunately, the majority of tourism research has focused very little on the psychological and social benefits of vacations. Thus, this study endeavored to extend knowledge about specific benefits of family vacations for couples. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to assess the association between couples shared experiences during vacations and their functioning and satisfaction with their relationship, following their vacations. Based on the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (Olson, 1993), a functioning family in this study was defined as a family that meets its need for stability and structure while at the same time meets its need for novelty and flexibility and is able to adapt to change, working together as a unit to develop efficiently.To investigate the relationship of vacations with couples functioning overall as well as its sub-dimensions (i.e., cohesion and flexibility), 112 couples (224 individuals) were recruited using rigorous steps from a pool of participants managed by Turk Prime. Couples had to be: (a) U.S.A. citizens, (b) in a committed relationship and having lived together for a minimum of one year, and (c) living without any children in their home. They also had to have taken a minimum of two vacations lasting three nights or more in the previous year (i.e., since January 2017). Vacations could not include visits to family or friends or vacations that involved others traveling with them. Data were collected January to March 2018 using an on-line English survey designed and distributed by Qualtrics.Respondents were asked a total of 22 questions related to couples satisfaction with their relationship, their functioning, their daily communication levels, number and length of vacations in 2017, satisfaction with their vacations, and demographic characteristics. A standard dyadic reciprocal study design was employed (i.e., each person had one and only one partner and the same variables were measured for each member of the dyad), with indistinguishable dyads (i.e., no meaningful factor such as gender could be used to distinguish and order partners).It was hypothesized that couples that engaged in higher levels of shared experiences during their vacations in the previous year, regardless of their number of vacations, would report higher levels of couple functioning, flexibility, cohesion, enhanced couple communication and, ultimately, higher satisfaction with their relationship following their vacations. Using a partner effect model, we also examined whether one member of a couples vacation satisfaction and his or her characteristics influenced not only his or her own, but also his or her partners satisfaction with their relationship. In order to test the 11 hypotheses, we used random intercept multilevel models (MLM) estimated by a maximum likelihood estimation method.The MLM regression models provided support for 9 of the 11 study hypotheses and confirmed that couples shared experiences during their vacations were significantly related to their post vacation relationship. Specifically, couples shared experiences during their vacations were positively associated with their flexibility, directly and indirectly through an increase in couples communication levels. In a similar manner, couples reporting higher levels of shared experiences during their vacations in the previous year also reported higher cohesion levels at the time of data collection. Additionally, shared experiences during vacations were positively and directly and indirectly associated with total couple functioning, and positively and indirectly associated with couples satisfaction with their relationship. Couples perceived satisfaction with their vacations was also found to be a significant and notable predictor of flexibility, cohesion and satisfaction with their relationship. And, there was a significant partner effect: each member of a couples vacation satisfaction influenced not only his or her own but also his or her partners satisfaction with their relationship.The findings supported the majority of paths in Townsend, Puymbroeck, and Zabriskies (2017) Core and Balance Model of Family Leisure Functioning, and reinforced the argument that couples shared experiences during a single balance leisure activitycouple vacations contribute to couple functioning, including cohesion and flexibility and, ultimately, higher satisfaction with their relationship. Of note, however, was that number and length of vacations, for the most part, were not significant predictors of the relationship outcomes of couple vacations. What mattered most when predicting couple functioning and flexibility was couples perceived satisfaction with their vacationregardless of the number of vacationsand the extent to which partners were engaged in shared experiences during their vacations such as effective communication, showing affection, having fun, and trying new things together. Spending quality time together away from home and having such shared experiences is especially important in an era of intensive work culture and excessive technology use. In the final chapters of this dissertation, finding details, implications, and ideas for furthering the scholarship of benefits of vacations for families are offered.