A Grounded Theory Study of Relationship Maintenance Mechanisms among Couples with Severe Marital Conflict
Keywords:
grounded theory, marital conflict, relationship maintenance, highly conflicted couples, marital commitment, relational repairAbstract
This study aimed to develop a grounded theory model of relationship maintenance mechanisms among couples experiencing severe marital conflict. This qualitative study was conducted using a grounded theory methodology. The participants were 24 individuals, consisting of 12 highly conflicted married couples living in Tehran, selected through purposive and theoretical sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Inclusion criteria were persistent and severe marital conflict, continued cohabitation despite conflict, willingness to share lived experiences, and at least three years of marriage. Data were collected exclusively through semi-structured interviews. Each interview lasted between 50 and 85 minutes, was audio-recorded with consent, and was transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding with the assistance of NVivo software. Trustworthiness was enhanced through member checking, peer debriefing, analytic memo writing, constant comparative analysis, and maintaining an audit trail. Data analysis led to the emergence of one core category, “suspending relational breakdown through marital bond re-regulation,” and five main categories: “interrupting the cycle of destruction,” “reconstructing minimal emotional safety,” “negotiating boundaries and conflict rules,” “activating commitment-based and family resources,” and “reconstructing a shared future meaning.” The findings indicated that highly conflicted couples do not necessarily experience a satisfying relationship; rather, they maintain the relationship through conscious and semi-conscious strategies that delay relational collapse, reduce destructive escalation, and preserve the possibility of gradual repair. Relationship maintenance among couples with severe conflict is not merely the result of love, satisfaction, or the absence of disagreement. It is a multilayered process involving damage control, emotional repair, commitment redefinition, boundary management, and shared meaning-making. The proposed model may inform couple therapy interventions for highly distressed couples, particularly before separation or divorce decisions are finalized.
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