Abstract

The correlation between locus of control and marital satisfaction is examined as part of a longitudinal study spanning 44 years and 3 time points. It is predicted that as locus of control has more of an external orientation marital satisfaction will be lower. Participants include high school juniors and seniors in the state of Washington from 1966 with follow-up surveys in 1980 and 2010. Using ordinary least squares regressions, marital satisfaction scores in 1980 or 2010 are predicted by locus of control scores from either 1966 or 1980 with control variables that include gender, income, educational attainment, occupational prestige, and military service. Partial support for the presented hypotheses is found and discussed. Locus of control as measured in middle adulthood predicted marital satisfaction measured contemporaneously. However, in contrast to previous reports, none of the control variables significantly predicted marital satisfaction. A primary limitation that is discussed regards the measurement of locus of control occurring in a manner without any established psychometric data to confirm reliability or validity. Understanding the relationship between locus of control and marital satisfaction may help improve case conceptualization and treatment for couples seeking treatment. Considerations for future research are explored.

Degree

PhD

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2017-06-01

Document Type

Dissertation

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd9296

Keywords

Marital satisfaction, marriage, locus of control, personality, attribution theory, longitudinal

Language

english

Included in

Psychology Commons

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