Model of Structural Equations of Marital Adjustment Based on Self- Differentiation and Cognitive Flexibility Mediated by Coping Strategies

The family, as an important institution and provider of individual and social health, can always be threatened by various factors. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to marital adjustment as an effective factor in maintaining the marital relationship. The aim of this study was to provide a model of marital adjustment based on self-differentiation and cognitive flexibility mediated by coping strategies.

The present study is descriptive-correlational. The statistical population included married employees of the General Department of Education of Qom province and the education departments of District 1,2,3,4 of Qom city (about 600 people) in 2020, of which 270 people were selected by available sampling method, of which the data of 256 people were analyzed. Research instruments included the demographic questionnaire, the “Dyadic Adjustment Scale”, the “Differentiation of Self Inventory” (Revised), the “Cognitive Flexibility Inventory”, and the “Coping Strategies Questionnaire”. Face validity index and reliability were evaluated by internal consistency method by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS .22 and Amos 16.

Both models presented in this study had a good fit. Both variables of self- differentiation and cognitive flexibility have a direct and significant correlation with marital adjustment (P<0.05) which was more than indirect correlation. Among coping strategies, the scape-avoidance component was able to play a mediating role in the relationship between both variables of self-differentiation and cognitive flexibility with marital adjustment and the seeking social support component played a mediating role in the relationship between cognitive flexibility and marital adjustment.

Self-differentiation and cognitive flexibility had a positive and significant direct correlation with paired adaptation, which was stronger than indirect correlation. The two components of social support seeking and escape-avoidance also played a mediating role. It is suggested that couples and family counselors and therapists pay special attention to training in the proper use of coping strategies, as well as helping to develop cognitive flexibility and client self-differentiation.