Effects of Holding Opposite Political Opinion on the Quality of Marital Relationship and Satisfaction

This study focuses on the impact of the individuals’ political beliefs on their marital relationships and satisfaction when the two are of opposite opinions. The study used an exploratory sequential research design where two phases were used: A qualitative phase with semi structured interviews from eight married persons (four males and four females) and a quantitative phase that involved a survey of 150 married persons (75 males and 75 females with varying political opinions with regards to their partners). In interviews, key themes were derived through thematic analysis, which consisted of intense political allegiance, political polarization, communication challenge and its effect on marital quality. To quantify the relationships, Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS-32) and the Enrich Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMSS) were used to measure relationship satisfaction. Further, Statistical analyses such as t-tests and ANOVA, revealed that those with opposite political opinion from one’s spouse had lower marital satisfaction and quality, but marital satisfaction remains similar among men and women. But women viewed their marriages as lower in quality compared to men. The more political affiliations were tied to strength, the more associated it was with marital distress. According to the researchers, political differences have the potential to cause a significant amount of conflict and decrease intimacy within relationships, and thus require better relationships strategies when relationships are politically polarized partners.