Keywords
marital satisfaction
marital dissatisfaction
spouses
Childrens
syndrome
How to Cite
Abstract
Couples at the beginning of their marital relationship experience high levels of satisfaction; however, due to the dedication required for raising children and professional occupations, this can take a back seat, leading to a decline in satisfaction over the years. This study aimed to analyze the experiences of marital satisfaction during the empty-nest stage among Colombian couples. Initially, a quantitative methodology was used, followed by a second qualitative phase with a phenomenological tradition, employing dialogic, participatory, and contextualized strategies. A total of 17 participants were involved: 9 women and 8 men. The results describe the discursive orders regarding how some marriages reach this stage with high or low levels of marital satisfaction. Both satisfied and dissatisfied individuals rarely express affection and admiration verbally, generally doing so through actions; dissatisfied men wish their wives would seek their attention, but their wives do not, and they believe their children were the focus of their aspirations, making it seem pointless to continue together. Dissatisfied women see the empty nest as an opportunity to focus on themselves, now that the children are no longer present, and believe that both partners must "win" in an argument. Satisfied men and women have, over the years, learned to calm themselves during conflicts, and in this stage, they are more accepting of their wives' influence. The study concludes that this stage of the life cycle entails several adjustments and learnings in marital relationships. In satisfied couples, there is a predominant sense of valuing and caring for each other more, as they face this new experience alone together. In dissatisfied couples, the sense of being together remains important, though without a clear purpose, and they acknowledge having focused their marital life around their children, finding it challenging to reconnect as a couple during this stage. These findings offer a reflection on the marital experiences of men and women after many years of marriage, with the aim of guiding preventive actions that contribute to relationship stability in the Latin American context.
References
Acevedo, V. E., Restrepo, L., & Tovar, J. R. (2007). Parejas satisfechas de larga duración en la ciudad de Cali. Pensamiento Psicológico, 3, 85-107. Doi: 10.11144/73
Barrera, F. (2002). Una aproximación al estudio de los determinantes de la crianza: perspectiva multivariada. Documento CESO No.24. Universidad de Los Andes. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Departamento de Psicología.
Bastida, R., Valdez, J., Valor, I., González, N., & Rivera, S. (2017). Satisfacción Marital y Estado Civil como Factores Protectores de la Depresión y Ansiedad. Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica, 1(2), 15-16. https://core.ac.uk/reader/154796460.
Beytía, P. (2018). The Efficiency of Subjective Well-being: a Key of Latin American Development, in Masaheli, M, Bula, G. & Harrington S. E. Latin American Perspectives on Global Development. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Bolio, A. (2012). Husserl y la fenomenología trascendental: Perspectivas del sujeto en las ciencias del siglo XX. Reencuentro, (65). Recuperado de http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=34024824004
Bouchard, G. (2018). A dyadic examination of marital quality at the Empty-Nest phase. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 86(1), 34-50. Doi: 10.1177 / 0091415017691285
Brisini, K. S., Haunani, D. & Nussbaum, J. (2018). Transitions in marriage: Types, turbulence, and transition processing activities. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35(6), 831-853. Doi: 10.1177/0265407517699283
Cabrera, L. (2016). Inteligencia Emocional y Satisfacción Marital en Profesionistas del Área de Psicología (Tesis de pregrado). Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México. México.
Cadena. P., Rendón, R., Aguilar, J., Salinas, E., de la Cruz, F., Sangerman, D. M. (2017). Métodos cuantitativos, métodos cualitativos o su combinación en la investigación: un acercamiento en las ciencias sociales. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas, 8(7). https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/2631/263153520009.pdf
Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (2005). Overview: The expanded family life cycle: Individual family and social perspectives. En B. Carter & M. McGoldrick (Eds.), The expanded family life cycle: Individual family and social perspectives (pp. 1-26, 3rd ed.). Boston MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. California: SAGE Publications.
Creswell, J. W. & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches.California: SAGE Publications.
Cuervo, J. (2013). Mecanismos de autorregulación en parejas viables que perduran en el tiempo. Diversitas: Perspectivas Psicológicas, 9(2), 257-270. doi: 10.15332/s1794-9998.2013.0002.02.
De Miguel, M. (2015). Síndrome del nido vacío: ¿Qué pasa cuando los hijos se van? (Tesis de pregrado). Universidad de Aconcagua. Argentina.
Estrella, R. (2011). ¿Que nos mantiene juntos? Explorando el compromiso y las estrategias de mantenimiento en la relación marital. Revista Intercontinental de Psicología y Educación, 13(2). https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/802/80220774010.pdf
Gerson, R. (1995). The family life cycle: Phases, stages, and crises. In R. H. Mikesell, D. D. Lusterman, & S. H. McDaniel (Eds.), Integrating family therapy: Handbook of family psychology and systems theory (pp. 91–111). American Psychological Association. doi: 10.1037/10172-005
Gottman, J. M. & Gottman, J. (2013). Difficulties with clients in Gottman method couple’s therapy. In A. W Wolf, M. R. Goldfried and J.C Murán (Eds.), Transforming Negative Reactions to Clients: From Frustration to Compassion (pp. 91-112). American Psychological Association. Doi: 10.1037/13940-004
Gottman, J. M. & Krokoff. L. J. (2000). Marital interaction and satisfaction: a longitudinal view. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 57(1), 47 - 52. doi: 10.1.1.322.1567b
Gottman, J. M & Schwartz, J. (2008). Gottman Method Couple Teraphy. En A. S Gurman (Ed). Clinical Handbook of Couple Teraphy. (pp. 138-166). The Guilford Press
Gottman. J. M & Silver. N. (2015). The seven principles for making marriage work: A practical guide from the country`s foremost relationship expert. New York: Harmony Books.
Hernández, R., Fernández, C. & Baptista, M. P. (2010). Metodología de la investigación. Mexico: McGraw-Hill.
Johnson, M. D., Somerville, S. D., Galambos, N. L. & Krahn, H. J. (2020). Stuck in the middle with you: Predictors of commitment in midlife. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 44(3), 273-278. Doi: 10.1177/0165025419885025
Karney, B., Bradbury, T., & Johnson, M. (1999). Deconstructing stability. En J. Adams & W. Jones (Eds.), Handbook of Interpersonal Commitment and Relationship Stability (pp. 481-499). Nueva York: Kluwer Academics
Kulik, L. (2016). Spousal role allocation and equity in older couples. En J. Bookwala (Ed.), Couple relationships in the middle and later years: Their nature, complexity, and role in health and illness (pp. 135–155). American Psychological Association. doi: 10.1037/14897-008
Lucarelli, A. y Wittner, V. (2019). Satisfacción conyugal: variables determinantes. Trabajo presentado en el XI Congreso Internacional de Investigación y Práctica Profesional en Psicología. XXVI Jornadas de investigación. XV Encuentro de Investigadores en Psicología del MERCOSUR. I Encuentro de Investigación de Terapia Ocupacional. I Encuentro de Musicoterapia. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires.
Pascual, M. (2015). Mujeres en situación de nido vacío, nido demasiado lleno, madres con hijos menores y no madres: un estudio acerca de las teorías implícitas sobre la maternidad, el bienestar Psicológico, la iniciativa de crecimiento personal y la satisfacción con la vida (Tesis doctoral). Universidad de Valencia. Valencia- España.
Pérez, G. y Estrada, S. (2006). Intimidad y Comunicación en cuatro etapas de la vida de pareja: su relación con la satisfacción marital. Archivos Hispanoamericanos de Sexología, XII(2), 133 -163. http://biblio.upmx.mx/Estudios/Documentos/matrimonio0116.asp
Sánchez, R. (2009). Expectativas, percepción de estabilidad y estrategias de mantenimiento en las relaciones amorosas. Enseñanza e Investigación en Psicología, 14, 229-243.
Sartori, A. y Zilberman, M. (2009). Revisitando o conceito de síndrome do ninho vazio. Archives of Clinical Psychiatry, 36(3), 112-121. doi: 10.1590/S0101-60832009000300005
Silvia, V. B., Guerra, C de S. y Saraiva, A. M. (2020). “Quando os pássaros voam”: a familia momento de “ninho vazio”. Revista de Enfermagem da UFSM, 10(14), 1-20. Doi: 10.5902/2179769236601
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research techniques.
Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro (2022). Los matrimonios y los divorcios en Colombia.
Wang, L., Shentu, Q., Xu, B. & Liang, Y. (2020). The prevalence of anxiety on the empty-nest elders in China. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(2), 152-160. Doi: 10.1177/135910531877672
Zepeda, G. D., & Sánchez, R. (2021). Impacto de la cercanía, toque afectivo y satisfacción con el apoyo de la pareja en los comportamientos saludables. Psicogente, 24(45), 1–22. doi: 10.17081
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2023 Civilizar