Personality Structures Associated with Chronic Marital Conflicts
Keywords:
Marital conflict, Personality structure, Emotion regulation, Maladaptive schemas, Couple therapyAbstract
This study aimed to identify and model the personality structures underlying the development and persistence of chronic marital conflicts. This qualitative review study employed a theoretical content analysis approach based on a systematic review of the literature. Sixteen eligible articles were selected through a structured screening process, and textual data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with NVivo 14 software. Theoretical purposive sampling was applied, and data analysis continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Open, axial, and selective coding procedures were conducted to extract concepts, subcategories, and core themes. The analysis yielded four main themes: emotional–personality vulnerabilities, maladaptive communication styles, maladaptive schemas and dysfunctional beliefs, and controlling and power-oriented personality patterns. These interrelated structures were found to intensify and stabilize chronic conflict cycles in marital relationships by mediating between intrapersonal characteristics and interpersonal dynamics. Chronic marital conflict is a multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be adequately understood or treated without addressing deep personality and emotional structures, underscoring the necessity of integrative and personality-informed couple interventions.
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