ABSTRACT
The impact of self-objectification and appearance anxiety on marital satisfaction among married people was investigated in this study. There were 253 participants, 109 males and 144 females, with an average age of 35.6 years, purposively selected from St. Peters Catholic Church, ministry of education, and ministry of health in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State. The study was conducted using a survey design. The objectified body consciousness scale (Melkinley & Hyde, 1996), the social Appearance Anxiety scale (Hart, David, Payo, Fresco, Holle & Henberg (2008), and the couple’s satisfaction measure were utilized in the study (Funk & Rogge, 2007). The data was analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance with unequal sample sizes. The findings revealed that married people with high self-objectification had lower marital satisfaction than married people with low self-objectification (F, CI, 249) =3.979; p0.5), indicating that the hypothesis was confirmed and significant. Married people with high Appearance Anxiety reported lower marital satisfaction than married people with low Appearance Anxiety (LSD5.11; p>.05), according to the findings. As a result, degrees of self-objectification and Appearance Anxiety were found to be predictive of marital satisfaction. There were implications and recommendations for future research.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Satisfaction is the pleasure experienced when one accomplishes or obtains something that they desired or required. It’s the art of being satisfied or being in the condition of being satisfied. A pleasant or positive emotion is satisfaction. It can also refer to a sensation or a mental state. Accomplishment, recognition, inventiveness, and service provide a sense of fulfillment. Dissatisfaction is the polar opposite of satisfaction. When we repeatedly fail at something, we become dissatisfied. Satisfaction is also a behavior motivator.
The term “marital satisfaction” refers to a subjective assessment of one’s relationship as a whole (Narimani, Porzoor, Atadokht & Abbasi, 2015). Being in a happy marriage has been linked to improved physical and mental health, as well as general life satisfaction (Mirfardi, 2004). Marriage, as an institution, plays a critical function in assisting two people in their personal development and enrichment as a result of established family life. Love and marriage, according to Fowers (1995), are the fundamental sources of individual satisfaction and purpose in life. These feelings of contentment, happiness, and positive development will only be achievable if the couple’s connection is stable and satisfying. The desire to achieve marital fulfillment is one of the most significant aims of marriage (Zainah, Nasir, & Ruzy, 2012). Marital contentment is a complicated and multi-dimensional phenomena that has been studied extensively across a wide range of scientific disciplines (Rebello, Silva Junior, & Brito, 2014). Marital satisfaction, according to Schoen et al., is a global assessment of one’s marriage’s state and a reflection of marital happiness. Marital happiness can be understood as a psychological state of regulated processes that assess the benefits and costs of marriage to a specific person from an evolutionary standpoint. Experts believe that marital satisfaction is a subjective assessment of the quality of a relationship (Farahmand & Ahmadnia, 2014). It appears that factors that influence or contribute to marital happiness vary by culture. In Japan, for example, a husband’s income is a more essential factor in marital satisfaction than in the United States. Individuals seek a life full of happiness and contentment after marriage; so, marital success and marital satisfaction are more important than the marriage itself. As a result, a drop in marital satisfaction not only produces an unsuitable atmosphere in a household, but it also has a negative impact on children. As a result, knowing the effective factors in marital pleasure, which is the reinforcing foundation for married life (Stevens, Kiger, & Riley, 2005), is vital due to the importance of the family’s balanced function and keeping it from splitting up (Stevens, Kiger, & Riley, 2005). (2001). Despite the numerous studies on marital pleasure, many academics say that several issues remain unsolved. Furthermore, a pleasant and relaxing marital relationship is not only beneficial to their growth and thriving, but it is also necessary for the development and growth of children. As a result, it might be considered a determinant in accomplishing life’s goals and has a significant impact on mental disorders in the community. Despite the fact that the results of a survey suggest that practically all couples in the United States have a high level of marital happiness, Nonetheless, according to Amato (2007), men and women are equally happy in their marriages. Furthermore, according to the findings of certain studies, sexual activity satisfaction is one of the most important elements impacting marital satisfaction, therefore reduced contentment will occur as sexual activity declines owing to aging, stress, and dissatisfaction. Education, socioeconomic level, love, commitment, marital communication, conflict, gender, length of marriage, the existence of children, sexual relations, and the distribution of labor have all been thought to influence marital pleasure over time (Hendrick & Hendrick, 1992). The presence of children affects marital satisfaction in both positive and negative ways. Furthermore, research have revealed a link between the number of children and their socioeconomic status.
. Sexual relationship and the satisfaction derived from it, as an important aspect of marital life, has a significant relationship with having a warm and sustaining relationship between spouses. The pleasure of husbands and wives with their sexual relationships was found to be significantly connected to overall marital satisfaction (Young & luquis, 1998). Furthermore, a study found that having low levels of education in a big number of persons might lead to lower levels of satisfaction, because higher education levels contribute to better communication and conflict resolution abilities in marriage.
According to the objectification theory (Fredrickson and Roberts, 1997), men and women are frequently seen as objects by society, with a sexual focus on their bodies rather than their talents. The pervasiveness of
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