Thesis Title: Jealousy, Marital Satisfaction and Mental Health of Women in Polygamous Marriages
Author: Sabila Naseer
Supervisor: Farah Malik
Year: 2017
Degree: MPhil
University: Institute of Applied Psychology, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Corresponding Address: Department of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Email: chairperson@appsy.pu.edu.pk, Phone: 92-42-9231245
Abstract
The present study examined the relationship between jealousy, marital satisfaction and mental health of women in polygamous marriages. It was hypothesized that there would exist a negative relationship between jealousy and mental health, a positive relationship between marital satisfaction and mental health of women in polygamous marriages. It was also assumed that marital satisfaction would mediate between jealousy and mental health of women. In study I, an indigenous measure named as Jealousy Scale for Wives (JSW) was developed comprising of 54 items in 5 subscales. Study II was a correlational research with cross-sectional design. A purposive sample of 192 women in polygamous marriages (First wives = 102, and Second wives = 90) with an age range of first wives 25-60 (M = 40.30, SD = 7.86) and second wives 18-40 (M = 26.60, SD = 7.41) was drawn from 4 cities in Punjab. Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS: Busby, et al., 1995) and Mental Health Inventory (MHI: Veit & Ware, 1983) along with indigenous JSW were used to measure the study variables. Pearson correlation revealed a negative relationship between Jealousy (emotional, insecure, behavioral and possessive) psychological well-being while positive relationship with psychological-distress including anxious jealousy. Marital satisfaction (consensus and satisfaction in relationship) depicted a positive relationship with psychological well-being while negative relationship with psychological-distress both in first and second wives. SEM was carried out with AMOS that depicted marital satisfaction (Consensus, satisfaction in relationship and cohesion) as significant mediator between jealousy (emotional, insecure, possessive) and mental health (Psychological well-being and psychological-distress). First wives expressed higher jealousy and psychological distress and lower consensus, satisfaction in relationship and psychological well-being than the second wives. The Implications of the findings were discussed for family settings, family therapists and law advisors in the Pakistani sociocultural context.
Keywords: Physical punishment, psychological punishment, academic self-efficacy, myths.
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