Predictive Role of Morningness-Eveningness Personality, Cognitive Flexibility and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Marital Satisfaction in Middle-Aged Women

Objectives Recent evidence suggests the effective role of physiological, cognitive and emotional factors in the quality of couple relationships. The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between morningness-eveningness personality, Cognitive Flexibility (CF) and Cognitive Rmotion Regulation (CER) with marital satisfaction in middle-aged women.
Methods The research method was correlational. Statistical population included all middle-aged married women (40-60 years old) living in Mashhad City, Iran. District 1 was randomly selected as the sample area and 211 women in this district were selected using systematic sampling method. Each participant completed Enrich marital satisfaction scale, cognitive flexibility inventory, morningness-eveningness questionnaire and short form of cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and multivariate regression.
Results Multivariate regression results indicated that alternatives option perception, control perception and total score of cognitive flexibility positively predicts marital satisfaction (P<0.001). Furthermore, the role of a morningness-eveningness personality in predicting marital satisfaction was significant in a way that high scores in morningness matched with high scores in marital satisfaction (P<0.001). The results also indicated that self-blame, rumination, catastrophizing, and blame of others negatively (P<0.001), acceptance and perspective-taking positively predict marital satisfaction (P<0.05).
Conclusion The findings of this study, while expanding the literature of the research, highlight the physiological, cognitive and emotional characteristics of marital satisfaction in enrichment programs and premarital counseling.