Relationship between marital myths and marital expectations among married couples

Pages: 148-150
Prathiksha M., Mouna S., Aashwitha Sai, and Divya Dovina, T. (Department of Psychology, Stella Maris College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu)

Increase in divorce rates due to higher expectations from marriage and beliefs about how enthralling marriage life would be, calls for a need to research on this subject. Marital expectations are beliefs or desires as to how individuals wish their married life and spouse to be. These expectations could coexist with beliefs in myths about marriage, which are misconceptions or assumptions about what the institution of marriage is. Both marital expectations and beliefs in myths about marriage are erroneous beliefs as to how the marriage life would be. These factors could give rise to difficulties in marital adjustments thereby resulting in incompatibility between the couple, further resulting in termination of the marriage. The present study aims at studying the relationship between belief in myths about marriage and marital expectations of the married couples. The study also focuses on whether gender, years of marriage, nature of marriage and number of children have an effect on the variables. Data was collected from 200 samples (couples married for 15 or lesser years), using convenience sampling method. Pearson’s product moment correlation and student t test were used to analyse the data.