Married Couples' Perceptions Of Touch Behavior And

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Married Couples' Perceptions of Touch Behavior and Marital Satisfaction ABSTRACT This study examined the relationship between marital spouses' perceptions of their tactile communication and their satisfaction with the marriage. Utilizing Similarity Theory and Coorientation Theory, the study predicts three hypotheses: (1) that there would be a positive relationship between the similarity of touching behaviors of married couples and their marital satisfaction; (2) wives will be more satisfied than husbands with their marriage to the degree that the married partners share similar perceptions regarding touching behavior; and (3) congruence on metaperceptions regarding touching behavior will be positively related to marital satisfaction. A total of 80 married couples completed questionnaires assessing own and spouses' touching behavior and the degree of marital satisfaction. Using factor analysis and multiple regression analysis, the results found support for the first and third hypotheses, but no support for the second hypothesis positing gender differences. These results are integrated with extant literature and explored in terms of their implications for marital communication and satisfaction. Married Couples' Perceptions of Touch Behavior and Marital Satisfaction Research focusing on marital satisfaction has a long history, dating back to the late 1930s when Terman, Buttenweiser, Ferguson, Johnson and Wilson (1938) asked: What distinguishes a happy marriage from one that is unhappy? Literature suggests there are many factors that contribute to a happy or satisfying marriage, e.g., effective communication, interaction, gender roles, conflict management, problem solving, and intimate play (Fowers, 1990; Gottman & Krokoff, 1989; Holman & Brock, 1986; Metts & Cupach, 1986). There does not seem to be one magic factor that guarantees marital

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