GRATITUDE, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND MARITAL SATISFACTION AMONG WORKING AND NON-WORKING WOMEN

Abstract

Gratitude and social support are factors that have been noted to affect marital satisfaction, particularly when the quality of relationships is taken into account. The direct and indirect effects of gratitude and on marital satisfaction were examined among 200 married women from Punjab, both working and non-working. In this study, some validated instruments like Gratitude Questionnaire-6 (GQ-6), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS) were used. The study reached conclusive findings. The main findings include that woman from socio-culturally deprived sections reported higher levels of gratitude, social support and marital satisfaction. It was observed that, among the study variables, social support acted as a mediating variable between gratitude and marital satisfaction. Furthermore, working women had more gratitude than non-working women, in addition to having greater social support and a satisfied married life. This could be explained by their socio-economic status and availability of support networks. The results demonstrate the importance of improving marital satisfaction by encouraging more people to practice gratitude and having wider social support networks. The study carries implications for marriage counseling, effective social programs in community contexts and policies to improve socially healthy relationships in Punjab where espouses are influenced by economy and culture.