MEDIATING ROLE OF INTRAMARITAL PROBLEMS IN RELATION TO COMMUNICATION PATTERNS AND MARITAL SATISFACTION DURING TRANSITION TO PARENTHOOD: A PAKISTANI PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The study investigated the mediating role of Intramarital Problems between Affectionate Communication and Marital Satisfaction among married couples during transition to parenthood, having parents with their first child aged between 3 months to one year. Correlational research design was used with a sample of 110 participants (with an equal proportion of 55 husbands and 55 wives) was approached from various family clinics. Data were collected using measures: Communication Pattern Scale (CPS; Subhan & Shafi, 2020), Intramarital Problems Scale (IPS; Shoaib & Khan, 2023) and Marital Satisfaction Scale (MSS; Ali et al., 2022). Pearson Product Moment Correlation and using Hayes’ PROCESS macro-Mediation analyses was carried to determine the relationship among study variables and to evaluate the mediating role of Intramarital Problems between Affectionate Communication and Marital Satisfaction in married couples during transition to parenthood, respectively. Findings revealed that Affectionate Communication had significant negative relationship with Intramarital Problems and highly significant positive relationship with Marital Satisfaction. Moreover, Intramarital Problems had highly significant negative relationship with Marital Satisfaction. In addition, Intramarital Problems partially mediates the relationship between Affectionate Communication and Marital Satisfaction during the transition to parenthood.