Comparison of Tendency to Divorce, Sexual Satisfaction, Marital Disaffection, and Self-Differentiation in Divorce Applicant Couples Based on Demographic Characteristics

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D Student of Clinical Psychology, Faculty Of Education And Psychology, University Of Shiraz, Iran

2 Professor psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz university, Shiraz, Iran

10.48308/apsy.2026.241158.1886

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to examine and explain differences in tendency to divorce, marital disaffection, differentiation of self, and sexual satisfaction based on demographic characteristics (duration of marriage, economic status, education level, and gender) among couples applying for divorce.
Methods: This causal- conducted using purposive sampling. Data were collected during 2021 and 2022 from 426 individuals (213 couples) who visited the Divorce Reduction Office in Shiraz. Standardized questionnaires were used, including the Tendency to Divorce Scale, Sexual Satisfaction Scale, Differentiation of Self Scale, and Marital Disaffection Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 with one-way ANOVA and independent t-tests.
Results: Tendency to divorce (p=0.013) and marital disaffection (p=0.007) were higher among couples with longer marriage duration. Sexual satisfaction was higher in the early years of marriage (p=0.002). Differentiation of self did not differ significantly by duration of marriage (p>0.05). Those with better economic status reported higher sexual satisfaction (p<0.01). Higher education was associated with greater sexual satisfaction (p<0.001) and differentiation of self (p=0.003). Men scored higher in differentiation of self (p=0.01) and sexual satisfaction (p=0.02), while women reported more marital disaffection (p=0.005). There was no significant gender difference in tendency to divorce (p=0.09).
Conclusion: Demographic factors play a significant role in the quality of marital relationships, and gender differences should be considered in counseling interventions. Moreover, future research is needed to explore underlying cultural and psychological variables.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Fakhari, N., Latifian, M., & Etemd, J. (2014). A study of psychometric properties of the Executive Skills Scale for pre-school children (Parent Form). Quarterly of Educational Measurement, 5(15), 35–58. [Link]
Pourakbar, S. (2010). Investigating the role of personality factors on the relation between sexual and marital satisfaction (Master’s thesis, Tarbiat Modares University, Faculty of Humanities). [Link]
Davoodi, Z., Etemadi, O., & Bahrami, F. (2011). Decreasing divorce among divorce-prone couples using an intervention focused on short-term solution. Journal of Social Welfare, 11(43), 121–134. [Link]
Sadati, S. E., Mehrabizadeh Honarmand, M., & Soodani, M. (2015). The causal relationship of differentiation, neuroticism, and forgiveness with marital disaffection through mediation of marital conflict. Family Psychology, 1(2), 55–68. [Link]
Poursardar, F., Sadeghi, M., Goodarzi, C., & Roozbehani, M. (2019). Comparing the efficacy of emotionally focused couple therapy and integrative behavioral couple therapy in improving the symptoms of emotional regulation in couples with marital conflict. Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 29(173), 50–63. [Link]
Alikhani, M., Geravand, S., Rashidi, A. R., Janjani, H., Zakiee, A., & Janjani, P. (2014). The relationship between personality traits (self-differentiation and resilience) and the individual characteristics, family functioning and economic status with mental health among women with diabetes II in Kermanshah. Advances in Environmental Biology, 8(12), 999–1005. [Link]
Alwin, D. F., Kreidl, M., & van den Beld, A. (2018). Divorce, gender, and the dissolution of the strongest social tie. In Social networks and the life course (pp. 251–271). Springer. [Link]
Amato, P. R., & Previti, D. (2003). People's reasons for divorcing: Gender, social class, the life course, and adjustment. Journal of Family Issues, 24(5), 602–626. [Link]
Arshad, S., Naeem, M. Z., Hayat, M. A., Birau, R., Wanke, P. F., Tan, Y., Paliu-Popa, L., & Bărbăcioru, I. C. (2024). Examining divorce risk through gender roles in Pakistan. Women’s Studies International Forum, 103, 102918. [Link]
Bayat, F., Ozgoli, G., Mahmoodi, Z., & Nasiri, M. (2023). Do educated women have more sexual satisfaction? A systematic review study. Crescent Journal of Medical & Biological Sciences. [Link]
Brons, M. D., & Härkönen, J. (2018). Parental education and family dissolution: A cross-national and cohort comparison. Journal of Marriage and Family, 80(2), 426–443. [Link]
Bühler, J. L., Krauss, S., & Orth, U. (2021). Development of relationship satisfaction across the life span: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 147(10), 1012–1053. [Link]
Dobrowolska, M., Groyecka-Bernard, A., Sorokowski, P., Randall, A. K., Hilpert, P., Ahmadi, K., Alghraibeh, A. M., Aryeetey, R., Bertoni, A., Bettache, K., Błażejewska, M., Bodenmann, G., Bortolini, T. S., Bosc, C., Butovskaya, M., Castro, F. N., Cetinkaya, H., Cunha, D., David, D., … Sorokowska, A. (2020). Global perspective on marital satisfaction. Sustainability, 12(21), 8817. [Link]
Drake, J. R. (2011). Differentiation of self inventory-short form: Creation and initial evidence of construct validity (Doctoral dissertation, University of Missouri-Kansas City). ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. [Link]
Drefahl, S., Wallace, M., Mussino, E., Aradhya, S., Kolk, M., Brandén, M., … Andersson, G. (2020). A population-based cohort study of socio-demographic risk factors for COVID-19 deaths in Sweden. Nature Communications, 11(1), 5097. [Link]
Du, W., Luo, M., & Zhou, Z. (2022). A study on the relationship between marital socioeconomic status, marital satisfaction, and depression: Analysis based on Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). Applied Research in Quality of Life, 17(3), 1477–1499. [Link]
Hatemi, P. K., McDermott, R., & Eaves, L. (2015). Genetic and environmental contributions to relationships and divorce attitudes. Personality and Individual Differences, 72, 135–140. [Link]
Hudson, W. W., Harrison, D. F., & Crosscup, P. C. (1981). A short-form scale to measure sexual discord in dyadic relationships. The Journal of Sex Research, 17(2), 157–174. [Link]
Jalovaara, M., & Kulu, H. (2018). Separation risk over union duration: An immediate itch? European Sociological Review, 34(5), 486–500. [Link]
Johnson, M. D., Lavner, J. A., Stanley, S. M., & Rhoades, G. K. (2024). Gender differences—or the lack thereof—in the prediction of relationship dissolution among unmarried mixed-gender couples from the United States. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. [Link]
Kang, H. (2021). Sample size determination and power analysis using the GPower software*. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions, 18, Article 17. [Link]
Karney, B. R. (2021). Socioeconomic status and intimate relationships. Annual Review of Psychology, 72(1), 391–414. [Link]
Kayser, K. (1996). The Marital Disaffection Scale: An inventory for assessing emotional estrangement in marriage. American Journal of Family Therapy, 24(1), 83–88. [Link]
Kim, J. I., Zhu, D., Davila, J., Lee, J., Chubak, B. M., Melamed, M. L., & Abraham, N. (2022). Female sexual dysfunction as measured by low sexual frequency is associated with lower socioeconomic status: An analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007–2016. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 19(1), 90–97. [Link]
Kridahl, L., Ohlsson-Wijk, S., & Duvander, A. Z. (2025). Economic situation and late-life divorce: A “his” and “hers” perspective. Journal of Marriage and Family. Advance online publication. [Link]
Lin, Y. C., & Raghubir, P. (2005). Gender differences in unrealistic optimism about marriage and divorce: Are men more optimistic and women more realistic? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31(2), 198–207. [Link]
Maher, P. J., Igou, E. R., & van Tilburg, W. A. P. (2021). Nostalgia relieves the disillusioned mind. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 92, 104061. [Link]
Machia, L. V., Niehuis, S., & Joel, S. (2023). Breaking‐up is hard to study: A review of two decades of dissolution research. Personal Relationships, 30(1), 113–143. [Link]
Mentser, S., & Sagiv, L. (2025). Cultural and personal values interact to predict divorce. Communications Psychology, 3(1), 12. [Link]
Narayanan, M., & Sriram, S. (2023). An exploration of differentiation of self in Indian youth. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 65(2), 151–159. [Link]
National Center for Family and Marriage Research. (2020). First divorce rate by education, 2019 (FP-20-28). Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family and Marriage Research. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from [Link]
National Center for Family & Marriage Research. (2019). First divorce rate in the U.S.: First marriage (Family Profile No. 10). Bowling Green State University. [Link]
Niehuis, S., Reifman, A., & Lee, K. (2015). Disillusionment in cohabitating and married couples: A national study. Journal of Family Issues, 36(7), 951–973. [Link]
Payne, J. A., Price, C. J., Cox, R. B., & Brosi, M. W. (2024). Reasons couples divorce: Differences by sex, race, and education level. Family Transitions, 65(6), 409–433. [Link]
Peleg, O., & Peleg, M. (2025). Is resilience the bridge connecting social and family factors to mental well-being and life satisfaction? Contemporary Family Therapy, 47(1), 87–101. [Link]
Pirla, S., Navarro‐Martinez, D., Pfattheicher, S., & Quoidbach, J. (2024, September 30). Income and boredom: Evidence from 30 countries. SSRN. [Link]
Stokkebekk, J., Iversen, A. C., Hollekim, R., & Ness, O. (2019). “Keeping balance”,“Keeping distance” and “Keeping on with life”: Child positions in divorced families with prolonged conflicts. Children and Youth Services Review, 102, 108-119. [Link]
Rusbult, C. E., Johnson, D. J., & Morrow, G. D. (1986). Impact of couple patterns of problem solving on distress and nondistress in dating relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(4), 744–753. [Link]
Rubin, J. D., Conley, T. D., Klein, V., Liu, J., Lehane, C. M., & Dammeyer, J. (2019). A cross-national examination of sexual desire: The roles of “gendered cultural scripts” and “sexual pleasure” in predicting heterosexual women's desire for sex. Personality and Individual Differences, 151, 109502. [Link]
Umberson, D., Williams, K., Powers, D. A., Chen, M. D., & Campbell, A. M. (2005). As Good as It Gets? A Life Course Perspective on Marital Quality. Social Forces, 84(1), 493–511. [Link]
Wolfer, C., & Carmichael, C. L. (2025). Personal and perceived partner orgasm pursuit: A daily diary study about the gendered orgasm gap. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 42(6), 1265–1290. [Link]
Zhang, C., & Liang, Y. (2023). The impact of education level on marital satisfaction: Evidence from China. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 7(1), 100487. [Link]
Applied Psychology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 05 April 2026

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics