Predicting Marital Conflicts based on Alexithymia with the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

Abstract

Research has consistently highlighted the association between alexithymia and various challenges in personal and marital life. Consequently, the primary objective of this study was to predict marital conflicts with Alexithymia as the predictor, while considering the mediating role of emotion regulation. This study adopted a descriptive correlational design, employing structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between the variables. The study's statistical population encompassed all couples seeking assistance at counseling centers in Shiraz during the winter of 2021, particularly those grappling with marital conflict issues. The sample size consisted of 394 individuals, selected through cluster random sampling. Data collection involved the utilization of several questionnaires, including the Sanai Marital Conflict Questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Questionnaire and Garnefski Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The results of this investigation demonstrated that the proposed model exhibited a favorable fit with the data, as indicated by various fit indices. Furthermore, both direct and indirect coefficients between alexithymia and marital conflicts were deemed statistically significant (p < 0.05). In essence, this implies that alexithymia can contribute to the escalation of marital conflicts, and emotion regulation plays a mediating role in this relationship. Overall, the findings of this study have valuable implications for family counselors and psychologists, offering insights into the development of effective interventions aimed at mitigating marital conflicts among couples.

Keywords

• marital conflicts
• alexithymia
• emotion regulation
• conflicted couples