The Relationship between Gratitude, Apology and Marital Intimacy by Moderating Role of Arrogance among Women

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between gratitude, apology, and marital intimacy by moderating the role of arrogance among women in Tehran province. The research utilized a descriptive correlation design. The statistical population consisted of all women aged 20 to 50 in Tehran province in 2022 that had been living together for at least one year. The sample of 308 women was selected using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected through online questionnaires and measures including a Researcher-Made Apology Questionnaire, Authentic Pride and Hubristic Pride Scale (Tracy and Robbins, 2007), Gratitude Questionnaire developed (McCullough, Emmons & Tsang,2002), and Marital Intimacy Scale developed (Walker and Thompson,1983). SmartPLS-3 software was used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that gratitude had a positive association with marital intimacy, whereas apology and arrogance had a negative association with marital intimacy. Furthermore, arrogance moderated the relationship between gratitude and marital intimacy, but did not moderate the relationship between apology and marital intimacy. Based on these results, mental health experts are recommended to organize educational workshops to increase couples' awareness of the aforementioned factors, which can enhance the level of marital intimacy and improve the general health of women in relationships. ‌ Keywords Arrogance, Marital Intimacy, Apology, Pride, Gratitude ‌Introduction Couples have emotional needs, and co-existing intimate relationships play a significant role in fulfilling those needs, bringing happiness, meaning, and marital satisfaction. For creating and maintaining a lasting marriage with high quality and continuous performance, consistent intimacy is a crucial requirement. Marital intimacy is a protective and potent factor that promotes psychological health for couples and helps prevent individual and social problems. Studies suggest that couples with higher levels of marital intimacy experience better marital performance (Gurung et al., 2023). Appreciation is a structure that researchers study to understand positive processes in couples' relationships. Gratitude is of particular interest to researchers as it plays an important role in human social life and marital satisfaction. Research shows that gratitude is crucial in creating positive emotions in intimate relationships, affecting emotions and perceptions of others, making individuals feel secure in the relationship and enabling them to understand and fulfill their needs. Appreciation and gratitude towards one's spouse improve verbal communication between couples and enhance their perception of the relationship (Kazim & Rafique, 2021). All close relationships, including marriages, encounter problems, and the most severe issues arise when one spouse causes emotional distress to the other by their actions or inaction. In such a scenario, the offending spouse must take measures to improve the relationship (Schoenfeld et al., 2017). Apologizing is one of the most important measures one can take in such situations. Arrogance is a variable that this study examines concerning the quality of marital intimacy. Arrogance is a personality trait that can lead to many interpersonal problems and affect individual and social functioning, leading people towards competitiveness and misconduct. It undoubtedly has a negative relationship with marital intimacy. Considering the novelty of gratitude, apology, and arrogance structures, further studies on their role in positive communicative outcomes, including marital intimacy, are essential. Particularly in Iran, no studies have explored this issue yet. Therefore, this research aims to answer the question of whether arrogance plays a moderating role in the relationship between gratitude, apology, and marital intimacy among women. MethodologyThis study employed a descriptive correlational research method. The statistical population comprised all women aged 20 to 50 residing in Tehran province, and a convenience sample of 308 women was selected in 2022. Data were collected online using several questionnaires: the Researcher-Made Apology Questionnaire, Authentic Pride and Hubristic Pride Scale (Tracy and Robbins, 2007), Gratitude Questionnaire developed by McCullough, Emmons, and Tsang (2002), and the Marital Intimacy Scale developed by Walker and Thompson (1983). The data were analyzed using SmartPLS-3 software. Findings The results of the structural equation model indicate that expressing gratitude has a significant and positive impact on marital intimacy. It can be stated that as the level of gratitude between couples increases, the level of intimacy between them also strengthens. Conversely, offering apologies has a significant and negative impact on marital intimacy. This coefficient is weak and negative, indicating that as the frequency of apologies in the relationship increases, the level of marital intimacy decreases. Hubristic pride has a significant and negative effect on the exogenous variable of marital intimacy. This relationship is also weak in terms of intensity, meaning that as the level of hubristic pride increases between couples, the level of marital intimacy decreases. The results of the moderator variable of hubristic pride in relation to marital intimacy also show that the gratitude variable has a significant moderating effect on marital intimacy along with the role of hubristic pride. The apology variable does not have a significant moderating effect on marital intimacy along with the role of hubristic pride. Result In an academic research paper, expressing gratitude and appreciation towards the kindness, love, and resources that spouses share with each other can play a significant role in fostering intimacy and closeness. This variable can lead to significant positive changes, particularly in the context of the relationship between spouses. This is because when an individual takes steps towards promoting the well-being, comfort, growth, and perfection of the family, they undoubtedly endure a lot of physical and mental pressure. However, if their efforts and struggles go unnoticed by their spouse and other family members, and they are perceived as a mere duty, the physical and mental pressure can exacerbate (Murray et al., 2011). Having a mindset of gratitude and appreciation, expressing, and appreciating the kindness and good things others do can ultimately increase marital intimacy. It is essential for individuals to remain humble and modest and avoid considering themselves superior to others while expressing appreciation and admiration. Thus, it seems that the necessary and underlying assumption of appreciation and admiration is not to be arrogant. Many issues faced by couples stem from the lack of intimacy and communication problems (McNulty et al., 2019). For this reason, therapists can adjust and examine the involved components of this variable to assist in solving these issues. This study's focus is on examining gratitude, apology, and arrogance, as they are essential variables in developing intimacy. Encouraging couples to appreciate each other's kindness, love, and benefits can lead to increased intimacy, reducing the likelihood of engaging in apologies and arrogance. However, the study has some limitations that need to be considered. For instance, participants in this study were only married women from Tehran province, so caution must be taken in generalizing the findings to other populations. Since research is a sensitive area, it is essential to be cautious about interpreting the findings of studies on diverse populations. 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Keywords

• arrogance
• marital intimacy
• apology
• pride
• gratitude