Relational Satisfaction in Middle-Aged Married Adults in the United States: A Phenomenological Study
Date
11-13-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Laura Beiler
Keywords
relational satisfaction, marriage, couples, mid-life, commitment, companionship, qualitative, phenomenological
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Trouse, Rebecca S., "Relational Satisfaction in Middle-Aged Married Adults in the United States: A Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7584.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7584
Abstract
Relational satisfaction is an essential component of marriage that impacts longevity, stability, and well-being. Currently, there is an alarming surge in divorces among middle-aged and late-aged married adults in the United States, often related to mid-life relational satisfaction. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand relational satisfaction in middle-aged married adults in the United States. The study’s research questions explored how middle-aged married adults in the United States described their lived experiences of relational satisfaction in marriage and how they and their spouses contributed to relational satisfaction in their marriages. Four married couples (i.e., eight adults) participated in this qualitative study. The participants were middle-aged, married for 10 or more years, United States residents, and mentally and physically healthy. A semi-structured interview was conducted using open-ended questions. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcribed data. The study’s results showed that middle-aged married adults in the United States describe their experiences of relational satisfaction in marriage as committed companionship, challenges and changes over time, satisfaction levels- high and low, current thriving in marriage, and individuals’ and spouses’ contributions to increased and decreased relational satisfaction. The implications of this study contribute to research by including an underrepresented population in the literature regarding relational satisfaction in marriage and by advancing both social cognitive theory and positivity resonance theory. The results provide insights for professionals and others who help couples in distress work to improve their relational satisfaction and avoid the deleterious consequences of mid and late-life divorce.
