The Big Five Personality Traits and Marital Satisfaction Among Couples in Kilungu Deanary in Catholic Diocese of Machakos in Makueni County, Kenya

Dominic Nyamai Munini, Stephen Asatsa and Elijah Macharia
Additional contact information
Dominic Nyamai Munini: Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Stephen Asatsa: Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Elijah Macharia: Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of Eastern Africa

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2024, vol. 8, issue 9, 476-486

Abstract: Marital satisfaction is a key indicator of happiness and stability in marriage, yet modern family life faces significant challenges, including rising divorce rates, declining marriage prevalence, increased cohabitation, and the complexities introduced by same-sex marriage legalization. This study examines the Big Five personality traits and their relationship with marital satisfaction among couples in Kilungu Deanery, Catholic Diocese of Machakos, Makueni County, Kenya. The research objectives included assessing the prevalence of these traits, evaluating marital satisfaction levels, identifying factors affecting satisfaction, and exploring ways to enhance it. Grounded in the Five-Factor model of personality and Bowenian family systems theory, the study utilized a correlational research design with a sample of 178 married individuals (90 males and 88 females) aged 30 to 67, each married for at least five years. Data were collected using the Big Five Inventory and the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, and analyzed with SPSS version 25. Findings revealed that Extraversion correlated positively with the Idealistic Distortion scale but showed no significant correlation with marital satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were positively associated with marital satisfaction and negatively with dissatisfaction. Conversely, Neuroticism was negatively correlated with marital satisfaction and positively with dissatisfaction. Openness correlated positively with marital satisfaction but not significantly with dissatisfaction. The study recommends that government and religious organizations offer family life counseling and premarital education to improve partner compatibility and reduce failed marriages.

Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ ... -issue-9/476-486.pdf (application/pdf)
https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/arti ... akueni-county-kenya/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:9:p:476-486

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science is currently edited by Dr. Nidhi Malhan

More articles in International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science from International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Dr. Pawan Verma ().