The mediating role of relationship motivation in the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction and marital adjustment: A dyadic analysis

Date

2025-3

Author

Seymenler Gülsoy, Seçil

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The aim of the current study is to explore the potential mediating role of relationship motivation in the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and marital adjustment among Turkish married couples. The participants of the study included 205 married couples (N=410) between the ages of 22-67, all married for at least one year. Data were collected using Turkish versions of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale in Relationship Domain, the Couple Motivation Questionnaire, the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and a demographic form. To evaluate the proposed model, Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) was employed. For indirect actor effects, the results of the Path Analysis revealed that the associations between autonomy need satisfaction and marital adjustment were fully mediated through relationship motivation only for husbands, while the associations between competence need satisfaction and marital adjustment were partially mediated through relationship motivation only for wives. Moreover, the associations between relatedness need satisfaction and marital adjustment were mediated through relationship motivation for both genders. Regarding indirect partner effects, relationship motivation fully mediated the partner effect of autonomy need satisfaction on wives’ marital adjustment, and the partner effect of competence need satisfaction on husbands’ marital adjustment. Additionally, relationship motivation was found to contribute to the associations between partners' relatedness need satisfaction and marital adjustment for both wives and husbands. The findings were discussed in light of existing literature, with implications for counseling practices and suggestions for future research.

Subject Keywords

basic psychological need satisfaction, relationship motivation, marital adjustment, actor-partner interdependence model

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/114086

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis