Explaining the Model of Marital Adjustment Based on Moral Integrity and Spirituality with the Mediation of Cognitive Flexibility and the Moderating Role of Marital Duration

Objective: The objective of the present study was to explain a model of marital adjustment based on moral integrity and spirituality, mediated by cognitive flexibility and moderated by marital duration. Methodology: This applied, descriptive-correlational study was conducted on a population comprising all married couples residing in Tehran in 2024. Using cluster random sampling, 453 men and 453 women were selected. Data collection tools included the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1986), the Moral Commitment Scale (Jafari Roshan, 2016), the Spirituality Questionnaire (Sharifi et al., 2013), and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010). Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling via SPSS version 21 and AMOS version 7. Findings: The findings indicated that the conceptual model had an acceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.074; GFI = 0.952). There was a significant positive relationship between moral integrity and marital adjustment, as well as between spirituality and marital adjustment. Moreover, both moral integrity and spirituality had significant indirect effects on marital adjustment through cognitive flexibility. Marital duration was confirmed as a significant moderating variable in these relationships. Conclusion: Moral integrity and spirituality can enhance marital adjustment through improved cognitive flexibility, and these effects vary depending on marital duration. Strengthening these components in counseling programs may contribute to greater marital satisfaction and relational well-being.