The role of communication beliefs in family functioning and marital adjustment

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Abstract

People's beliefs and cognitions affect the way they communicate. As such they can not be overlooked when considering family and marital life. To explore the role of such beliefs in family functioning and marital adjustment, a set of 200 volunteers who had come to a family court house to file for divorce were given a questionnaire on communication beliefs, adjustability, and family functioning. Data analysis yielded the following significant results: family functioning is negatively related to spouse's lack of adjustability and sexual perfectionism among men respondents; spouse's lack of adjustability is related to sexual differences among women respondents; women's adjustability was negatively related to their spouse's lack of adjustability; men's communication beliefs were positively related to their adjustability. Thus, pointing out the necessity of paying attention to the correction of irrational thoughts through educational courses and cognitive-behavioral approaches aimed at improving the family functioning.

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