بررسی رابطه سپاسگزاری، عذرخواهی و صمیمیت زناشویی با نقش تعدیل گری تکبر در بین زنان

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between gratitude, apology, and marital intimacy by moderating the role of arrogance among women in Tehran province. The research utilized a descriptive correlation design. The statistical population consisted of all women aged 20 to 50 in Tehran province in 2022 that had been living together for at least one year. The sample of 308 women was selected using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected through online questionnaires and measures including a Researcher-Made Apology Questionnaire, Authentic Pride and Hubristic Pride Scale (Tracy and Robbins, 2007), Gratitude Questionnaire developed (McCullough, Emmons & Tsang,2002), and Marital Intimacy Scale developed (Walker and Thompson,1983). SmartPLS-3 software was used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that gratitude had a positive association with marital intimacy, whereas apology and arrogance had a negative association with marital intimacy. Furthermore, arrogance moderated the relationship between gratitude and marital intimacy, but did not moderate the relationship between apology and marital intimacy. Based on these results, mental health experts are recommended to organize educational workshops to increase couples' awareness of the aforementioned factors, which can enhance the level of marital intimacy and improve the general health of women in relationships.
‌




Keywords




Arrogance, Marital Intimacy, Apology, Pride, Gratitude
 
‌Introduction
Couples have emotional needs, and co-existing intimate relationships play a significant role in fulfilling those needs, bringing happiness, meaning, and marital satisfaction. For creating and maintaining a lasting marriage with high quality and continuous performance, consistent intimacy is a crucial requirement. Marital intimacy is a protective and potent factor that promotes psychological health for couples and helps prevent individual and social problems. Studies suggest that couples with higher levels of marital intimacy experience better marital performance (Gurung et al., 2023).
Appreciation is a structure that researchers study to understand positive processes in couples' relationships. Gratitude is of particular interest to researchers as it plays an important role in human social life and marital satisfaction. Research shows that gratitude is crucial in creating positive emotions in intimate relationships, affecting emotions and perceptions of others, making individuals feel secure in the relationship and enabling them to understand and fulfill their needs. Appreciation and gratitude towards one's spouse improve verbal communication between couples and enhance their perception of the relationship (Kazim & Rafique, 2021).
All close relationships, including marriages, encounter problems, and the most severe issues arise when one spouse causes emotional distress to the other by their actions or inaction. In such a scenario, the offending spouse must take measures to improve the relationship (Schoenfeld et al., 2017). Apologizing is one of the most important measures one can take in such situations.
Arrogance is a variable that this study examines concerning the quality of marital intimacy. Arrogance is a personality trait that can lead to many interpersonal problems and affect individual and social functioning, leading people towards competitiveness and misconduct. It undoubtedly has a negative relationship with marital intimacy. Considering the novelty of gratitude, apology, and arrogance structures, further studies on their role in positive communicative outcomes, including marital intimacy, are essential. Particularly in Iran, no studies have explored this issue yet. Therefore, this research aims to answer the question of whether arrogance plays a moderating role in the relationship between gratitude, apology, and marital intimacy among women.
 
Methodology
This study employed a descriptive correlational research method. The statistical population comprised all women aged 20 to 50 residing in Tehran province, and a convenience sample of 308 women was selected in 2022. Data were collected online using several questionnaires: the Researcher-Made Apology Questionnaire, Authentic Pride and Hubristic Pride Scale (Tracy and Robbins, 2007), Gratitude Questionnaire developed by McCullough, Emmons, and Tsang (2002), and the Marital Intimacy Scale developed by Walker and Thompson (1983). The data were analyzed using SmartPLS-3 software.
 
Findings
The results of the structural equation model indicate that expressing gratitude has a significant and positive impact on marital intimacy. It can be stated that as the level of gratitude between couples increases, the level of intimacy between them also strengthens. Conversely, offering apologies has a significant and negative impact on marital intimacy. This coefficient is weak and negative, indicating that as the frequency of apologies in the relationship increases, the level of marital intimacy decreases.
Hubristic pride has a significant and negative effect on the exogenous variable of marital intimacy. This relationship is also weak in terms of intensity, meaning that as the level of hubristic pride increases between couples, the level of marital intimacy decreases.
The results of the moderator variable of hubristic pride in relation to marital intimacy also show that the gratitude variable has a significant moderating effect on marital intimacy along with the role of hubristic pride. The apology variable does not have a significant moderating effect on marital intimacy along with the role of hubristic pride.
 
Result
In an academic research paper, expressing gratitude and appreciation towards the kindness, love, and resources that spouses share with each other can play a significant role in fostering intimacy and closeness. This variable can lead to significant positive changes, particularly in the context of the relationship between spouses. This is because when an individual takes steps towards promoting the well-being, comfort, growth, and perfection of the family, they undoubtedly endure a lot of physical and mental pressure. However, if their efforts and struggles go unnoticed by their spouse and other family members, and they are perceived as a mere duty, the physical and mental pressure can exacerbate (Murray et al., 2011).
Having a mindset of gratitude and appreciation, expressing, and appreciating the kindness and good things others do can ultimately increase marital intimacy. It is essential for individuals to remain humble and modest and avoid considering themselves superior to others while expressing appreciation and admiration. Thus, it seems that the necessary and underlying assumption of appreciation and admiration is not to be arrogant.
Many issues faced by couples stem from the lack of intimacy and communication problems (McNulty et al., 2019). For this reason, therapists can adjust and examine the involved components of this variable to assist in solving these issues. This study's focus is on examining gratitude, apology, and arrogance, as they are essential variables in developing intimacy.
Encouraging couples to appreciate each other's kindness, love, and benefits can lead to increased intimacy, reducing the likelihood of engaging in apologies and arrogance. However, the study has some limitations that need to be considered. For instance, participants in this study were only married women from Tehran province, so caution must be taken in generalizing the findings to other populations. Since research is a sensitive area, it is essential to be cautious about interpreting the findings of studies on diverse populations. Furthermore, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the study, affecting the sampling process and data collection due to the restrictions and precautions imposed in Iran.
 
References
Ababsi Esfanjani, H. (2017). Designing the model for commercialization of university research using structural equation modeling- Partial Least Squares Method (SEM-PLS). Iranian Journal of Trade Studies, 21, 8(2);1-21. (In Persian)
Adler, M. G. & Fagley, N. S. (2005). Appreciation: Individual differences in finding value and meaning as a unique predictor of subjective well‐being. Journal of Personality, 73(1), 79-114.
Ahangarcani, M., Hazavei, F., Kamari, S. & Zarei, R. (2016). Prediction quality of life and the components of spiritual well-being in students based on Islamic component of humility and arrogance. Scientific Journal of Social Psychology, 4(39), 23-39. (In Persian)
Algoe, S. B., Gable, S. L. & Maisel, N. C. (2010). It's the little things: Everyday gratitude as a booster shot for romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 17(2), 217-233.
Alspach, G. (2009). Extending the tradition of giving thanks recognizing the health benefits of gratitude. Critical Care Nurse, 29(6), 12-18.
Asadi, R. & Delavar, A. (2015). Use of partial least square structural equation modeling in explanation of demographic variables effect on spiritual intelligence with the mediating of well-being. Quarterly of Educational Measurement, 6(22), 1-39. (In Persian)
Askari, M., Ghorashi, Z., Chesli, R. R. & Vazirinejad, R. (2021). Sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy in Iranian male pornography users. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 39(39), 1-11.
Barton, A. W., Futris, T. G. & Nielsen, R. B. (2015). Linking financial distress to marital quality: The intermediary roles of demand/withdraw and spousal gratitude expressions. Personal Relationships, 22(3), 536-549
Chelladurai, J. M., Kelley, H. H., Marks, L. D. & Dollahite, D. C. (2022). Humility in family relationships: Exploring how humility influences relationships in religious families. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(2), 201-211.
Cheng, J. T., Tracy, J. L. & Henrich, J. (2010). Pride, personality, and the evolutionary foundations of human social status. Evolution and Human Behavior, 31(5), 334-347.
Cundiff, J. M., Smith, T. W., Butner, J., Critchfield, K. L. & Nealey-Moore, J. (2015). Affiliation and control in marital interaction: Interpersonal complementarity is present but is not associated with affect or relationship quality. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(1), 35-51.
Delavar, A., Ahmadrad, F. & Naderi, Sh. (2019). Testing the causal relationship of marital conflicts based on the components of forgiveness in women applying for divorce. Women and Culture, 12(44), 81-91. (In Persian)
Eamons, B. & Mc Cullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389.
Fatollahzadeh, N., Mirseifi Fard, L. S., Kazemi, M., Saadati, N. & Navabinejad, S. (2018). Effectiveness of marital life enrichment based on Choice Theory on quality of marital relationship and couples' intimacy. Journal of Applied Psychology, 11(4), 353-372. (In Persian)
Fehr, R. & Gelfand, M. J. (2010). When apologies work: How matching apology components to victims’ self-construals facilitates forgiveness. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 113(1), 37-50.
Fornell, C. & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50.
Forster, D. E., Billingsley, J., Burnette, J. L., Lieberman, D., Ohtsubo, Y. & McCullough, M. E. (2021). Experimental evidence that apologies promote forgiveness by communicating relationship value. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 13107.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). The broaden–and–build theory of positive emotions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 359(1449), 1367-1377.
Fuoli, M., van de Weijer, J. & Paradis, C. (2017). Denial outperforms apology in repairing organizational trust despite strong evidence of guilt. Public Relations Review, 43(4), 645-660.
Ghamarani, A., Kajbaf,  M. B., Oreyzi, H. R. & Amiri, S. (2009). The study of validity and reliability of the Gratitude Questionnaire-6 (GQ-6) in high school students. Journal of Research in Psychological Health, 3(1), 77-86. (In Persian)
Gordon, A. M., Impett, E. A., Kogan, A., Oveis, C. & Keltner, D. (2012). To have and to hold: Gratitude promotes relationship maintenance in intimate bonds. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103(2), 257-274.
Gurung, S. K., Chapagain, R. & Sharma, S. (2023). Exploring the lived experiences of marital intimacy among Nepali married couples: A transcendental phenomenological Approach. Asian Journal of Population Sciences, 2, 17-36.
Herrald, M. M. & Tomaka, J. (2002). Patterns of emotion-specific appraisal, coping, and cardiovascular reactivity during an ongoing emotional episode. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(2), 434-450.
Hill, E. W. (2010). Discovering forgiveness through empathy: Implications for couple and family therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 32(2), 169-185.
Howell, A. J., Turowski, J. B. & Buro, K. (2012). Guilt, empathy, and apology. Personality and Individual Differences, 53(7), 917-922.
Imani, S., Baghbani Nader, M., Hosseinzadeh Oskooi, A. & Noroozi Dashtaki, M. (2021). Investigating the mediating role of gratitude in the relationship between religious orientation and marital satisfaction. Rooyesh-e-Ravanshenasi Journal, 10(5), 1-12. (In Persian)
Irani, Z. (2020). Evaluation of the effectiveness of communication skills on increasing intimacy and quality of life of women with marital conflicts referred to psychiatric centers in Tehran. Journal of Psychology New Ideas, 6(10), 1-15. (In Persian)
Kamali, Z., Allahyar, N., Ostovar, S., Alhabshi, S. M. S. B. S. M. & Griffiths, M. D. (2020). Factors that influence marital intimacy: A qualitative analysis of Iranian married couples. Cogent Psychology, 7(1), 1771118.
Kardan-Souraki, M., Hamzehgardeshi, Z., Asadpour, I., Mohammadpour, R. A. & Khani, S. (2016). A review of marital intimacy-enhancing interventions among married individuals. Global Journal of Health Science, 8(8), 74-93.
Kaveh Farsani, Z. (2021). Evaluating the model investigating the relationship between apology and the marital relationships quality: The mediating of marital empathy and emotional forgiveness. Biannual Journal of Applied Counseling, 10(2), 51-72. (In Persian)
Kazim, S. M. & Rafique, R. (2021). Predictors of marital satisfaction in individualistic and collectivist cultures: a mini review. Journal of Research in Psychology, 3(1), 55-67.
Kermani Mamazandi, Z. & Hassanzade, A. (2022). The role of religious orientation, marital intimacy and life satisfaction in predicting the general health of married women. Women's Studies Sociological and Psychological, 20(1), 130-165. (In Persian)
Khabazi, M., Kimiaee, S. A., Kareshki, H. & Mashhadi, A. (2022). The Evaluation of the structural equation model of factors affecting on marital intimacy in newlywed couples. Research in Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, 12(1), 83-102. (In Persian)
Lambert, N. M., Clark, M. S., Durtschi, J., Fincham, F. D. & Graham, S. M. (2010). Benefits of expressing gratitude: Expressing gratitude to a partner changes one’s view of the relationship. Psychological Science, 21(4), 574-580.
Lambert, N. M., Fincham, F. D. & Stillman, T. F. (2012). Gratitude and depressive symptoms: The role of positive reframing and positive emotion. Cognition & Emotion, 26(4), 615-633.
Lambert, N. M., Fincham, F. D., Stillman, T. F. & Dean, L. R. (2009). More gratitude, less materialism: The mediating role of life satisfaction. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(1), 32-42.
Lashani, Z. & Shaeiri, M. R. (2015). A Study of simple and multivariate correlation of gratitude with positive and negative affect, happiness and optimism. Rooyesh, 3(4), 45-60. (In Persian)
Layous, K. & Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). Benefits, mechanisms, and new directions for teaching gratitude to children. School Psychology Review, 43(2), 153-159.
Leong, J. L., Chen, S. X., Fung, H. H., Bond, M. H., Siu, N. Y. & Zhu, J. Y. (2020). Is gratitude always beneficial to interpersonal relationships? The interplay of grateful disposition, grateful mood, and grateful expression among married couples. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(1), 64-78.
Leunissen, J. M., De Cremer, D., Folmer, C. P. R. & Van Dijke, M. (2013). The apology mismatch: Asymmetries between victim's need for apologies and perpetrator's willingness to apologize. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(3), 315-324.
Lewis, J. T., Parra, G. R. & Cohen, R. (2015). Apologies in close relationships: A review of theory and research. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 7(1), 47-61.
Lewis, J. T., Parra, G. R. & Cohen, R. (2015). Apologies in close relationships: A review of theory and research. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 7(1), 47-61.
Lin, R. & Utz, S. (2017). Self-disclosure on SNS: Do disclosure intimacy and narrativity influence interpersonal closeness and social attraction?. Computers in Human Behavior, 70, 426-436.
Mahmoudpour, A., Dehghanpour, S., Yoosefi, N. & Ejade, S. (2020). Predicting women's marital intimacy based on mindfulness, conflict resolution patterns, perceived social support, and social well-being. Social Psychology Research, 10(39), 102-83. (In Persian)
McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A. & Tsang, J. A. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(1), 112-127.
McNulty, J. K. & Dugas, A. (2019). A dyadic perspective on gratitude sheds light on both its benefits and its costs: Evidence that low gratitude acts as a “weak link”. Journal of Family Psychology, 33(7), 876.
Mendes-Teixeira, A. I. & Duarte, C. (2021). Forgiveness and Marital Satisfaction: A Systematic Review. Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão 2021 v. 41 (n.spe 3), e200730, 1-18..
Munro, D., Bore, M. & Powis, D. (2005). Personality factors in professional ethical behaviour: Studies of empathy and narcissism. Australian Journal of Psychology, 57(1), 49-60.
Murray, A. J. & Hazelwood, Z. J. (2011). Being grateful: Does it bring us closer? Gratitude, attachment and intimacy in romantic relationships. Journal of Relationships Research, 2(1), 17-25.
Narzullaevna, G. K. (2022). Psychological analysis of factors that destroy family strength. Web of Scientist: International Scientific Research Journal, 3(6), 1528-1523.
Nho, J. H., Kim, S. R. & Choi, W. K. (2022). Relationships among sexual function, marital intimacy, type D personality and quality of life in patients with ovarian cancer, with spouses. European Journal of Cancer Care, 31(6), e13760.
Nooripour, R., Tamini, B. K., Abbaspour, P. & Alikhani, M. (2016). Investigation of family functioning and parental tensioning in addicts. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 14, 82-85.
Oh, Y. K. & Hwang, S. Y. (2018). Impact of uncertainty on the quality of life of young breast cancer patients: focusing on mediating effect of marital intimacy. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 48(1), 50-58.
Parnell, K. J., Wood, N. D. & Scheel, M. J. (2020). A gratitude exercise for couples. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 19(3), 212-229.
Philpot, C. R. & Hornsey, M. J. (2011). Memory for intergroup apologies and its relationship with forgiveness. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41(1), 96-106.
Pirmardvand Chegini, B. & Karami, M. (2022). Evaluation and comparison of marital relationship quality components in divorced couples and normal couples. Journal of Assessment and Research in Counseling and Psychology, 3(4), 68-79. (In Persian)
Saeidi, S., Mohamadzadeh Ebrahimi, A. & Soleimanian, A. (2020). Structural model of the relationships between gratitude, marital relationship quality and marital satisfaction in teachers of Sabzevar city. Journal of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, 27(3), 414-421. (In Persian)
Satorian, S. (2015). The role of moral traits of arrogance, greed and jealousy in predicting emotional distress. Psychology and Religion, 34(9), 55–72. (In Persian)
Schmitt, M., Gollwitzer, M., Förster, N. & Montada, L. (2004). Effects of objective and subjective account components on forgiving. The Journal of Social Psychology, 144(5), 465-486.
Schoenfeld, E. A., Loving, T. J., Pope, M. T., Huston, T. L. & Štulhofer, A. (2017). Does sex really matter? Examining the connections between spouses’ nonsexual behaviors, sexual frequency, sexual satisfaction, and marital satisfaction. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46, 489-501.
Schumann, K. & Orehek, E. (2019). Avoidant and defensive: Adult attachment and quality of apologies. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(3), 809-833.
Schumann, K. (2012). Does love mean never having to say you’re sorry? Associations between relationship satisfaction, perceived apology sincerity, and forgiveness. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29(7), 997-1010 .
Schumann, K. & Ross, M. (2010). Why women apologize more than men: Gender differences in thresholds for perceiving offensive behavior. Psychological Science, 21(11), 1649-1655.
Sedaghat Nejad, Z. (2015). The relationship between goal orientation and academic dishonesty: the mediating role of self-conscious emotions. Master's Thesis, Department of Educational Psychology, Shiraz University. (In Persian)
Shamsi Nejad, F. S., Monirpoor, N. & Haratian, A. (2017). The relations between early maladaptive schemas and the moral traits of greed and arrogance. Cultural Psychology, 1(2), 73-94. (In Persian)
Souri, G., Goodarzi, K. & Roozbahani, M. (2021). The effectiveness of enriching communication on family function remarried families. Medical Journal of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 64(2), 34-45. (In Persian)
Stoeber, J. & Yang, H. (2010). Perfectionism and emotional reactions to perfect and flawed achievements: Satisfaction and pride only when perfect. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(3), 246-251.
Takyi, B. K. & Addai, I. (2002). Religious affiliation, marital processes and women's educational attainment in a developing society. Sociology of Religion, 63(2), 177-193.
Tracy, J. L. & Robins, R. W. (2007a). Emerging insights into the nature and function of pride. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(3), 147-150.
Tracy, J. L. & Robins, R. W. (2007b). The psychological structure of pride: A tale of two facets. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(3), 506.
Vazeou-Nieuwenhuis, A. & Schumann, K. (2018). Self-compassionate and apologetic? How and why having compassion toward the self relates to a willingness to apologize. Personality and Individual Differences, 124, 71-76.
Wagner, S. A., Mattson, R. E., Davila, J., Johnson, M. D. & Cameron, N. M. (2020). Touch me just enough: The intersection of adult attachment, intimate touch, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 37(6), 1945-1967.
Walker, A. J. & Thompson, L. (1983). Intimacy and intergenerational aid and contact among mothers and daughters. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 841-849.
Webb, J. I. (2020). The function of gratitude in marriage: Building ties that bind. Family Perspectives, 2(1), 1-7.
Witvliet, C. V., Root Luna, L., Worthington Jr, E. L. & Tsang, J. A. (2020). Apology and restitution: The psychophysiology of forgiveness after accountable relational repair responses. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(11), 284.
Wolf, T. & Nusser, L. (2022). Maintaining intimacy during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 36(4), 954-961.
Wood, A. M., Maltby, J., Gillett, R., Linley, P. A. & Joseph, S. (2008). The role of gratitude in the development of social support, stress, and depression: Two longitudinal studies. Journal of Research in Personality, 42(4), 854-871.
Wu, Q., Chi, P., Lin, X., Du, H., Zhou, N., Cao, H. & Liang, Y. (2022). Gratitude and satisfaction in romantic relationships: Roles of decisional forgiveness and emotional forgiveness. Current Psychology, 41(2), 1-9.
Zehtab Najafi, A., Darviza, Z. & Peivastegar, M. (2010). The relationship between forgiveness and marital satisfaction of Kermanshahi couples. Women and Culture, 3(8), 23-33. (In Persian)