Self-Construal and Conflict Resolution Styles in Relation to Marital Satisfaction and Adjustment: A Structural Equation Model From Türkiye

Abstract

This study investigates how self-construals (autonomy, relatedness, and autonomous-relatedness) and conflict resolution styles predict marital satisfaction and adjustment in a Turkish sample using structural equation modeling (SEM). A total of 1,037 married individuals (68.8% women) participated in the study. Results revealed that self-construals significantly associated with conflict resolution styles, which in turn were associated with marital outcomes. Specifically, autonomous-related self-construal was associated with increased use of constructive conflict strategies and decreased use of destructive or passive strategies (e.g., withdrawal, submission). These patterns were consistent across gender, though effect sizes varied. Notably, passive strategies such as withdrawal (in men) and submission (in women) were significantly negatively associated with marital adjustment and satisfaction. Conversely, constructive conflict resolution styles and autonomous-related self-construal have been found to be positively associated with marital quality. The model accounted for 75.9% of the variance in marital satisfaction for women and 73.2% for men. The findings support the notion that culturally grounded self-construals shape interpersonal behavior in intimate relationships and highlight the adaptive value of autonomous-relatedness in collectivistic-modernizing societies. These results have practical implications for culturally sensitive couple interventions. Future research should explore these dynamics using dyadic and longitudinal data to clarify causal pathways.

Keywords

self-construals autonomous-relatedness conflict resolution styles marital satisfaction marital adjustment gender differences structural equation modeling cultural psychology

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