Formas de comunicação do amor conjugal e qualidade do relacionamento: um estudo correlacional

Abstract

Marital dissatisfaction may be related to the incongruity between the expression (what is said) and the demonstration (what is done) about love. This may lead the couple to complain about the quality of the relationship which sometimes can be reflected in reports such as: “He/she talks but doesn’t do what he/she says.” or “She/he says he/she loves me, but it doesn't seem true to me.”. The current research aimed to correlate the variable "verbal-verbal correspondence" perceived and self-perceived from the forms of expression and demonstration of love and the variable “quality of the marital relationship”. The sample was built by 34 couples and 1 “throuple” (n=71) with members aged 18 or over and living together, regardless marital status and length of relationship. Participants answered individually and online the following questionaries: “Admission Questionnaire”, containing sociodemographic data, “Couple Relationship Elements Assessment Scale” and “Correspondence Assessment Questionnaire between Frequency and Form of Expression and Demonstration of Love”. The results showed the existence of a positive correlation between the correspondence of expression and demonstration of love (marital communication) and the quality of the relationship. This confirms that the better the communication between the couple, the better the quality of the relationship. The findings can support theories and instruments to analyze contemporary love relationships and contribute to clinical practice and studies about marital communication and verbal-verbal correspondence.