Prediction of marital satisfaction based on empathy، social cognition and communication skills with the mediating role of broader autism phenotype in parents of autistic children

The present study was conducted with the aim of predicting marital satisfaction based on empathy, social cognition and communication skills with the mediating role of broad autism phenotype among parents of children with autism disorder.

The current research was descriptive-correlation and structural equations in terms of its fundamental purpose and in terms of data analysis. The statistical population of the present study included parents of autistic children in Tehran and Qazvin was in 2023, among whom 200 parents (based on the opinions of experts) were selected as the research sample using available sampling method. Data using whith marital satisfaction questionnaire (Hudson, 1992), empathy interest scale (Baron Cohen, 2003), mind reading scale through eyes (Baron Cohen, 2001), communication skills questionnaire (Queen Dam, 2004) and Autism in adults (Baron Cohen, 2001) was compiled. The collected data was analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS software.

The results showed that the fit of the proposed conceptual model was confirmed. Examining the direct paths of the relationship between the investigated variables showed that the variables of empathy, social cognition and communication skills are related to marital satisfaction. The results of investigating the indirect paths showed that the broad phenotype of autism plays a mediating role in the relationship between the variables of empathy, social cognition and interpersonal skills with marital satisfaction in parents of autistic children.

The present study confirmed the proposed model and showed that parents of autistic children experience challenges in their marital relationship due to the problems they have in the field of empathy, social cognition and communication skills and as a result report lower marital satisfaction.