Beyond Satisfaction: Generativity As a New Outcome of Couple Functioning

Marital relationship is based on affective, relationship maintenance, intergenerational and social dimensions. These dimensions, the “pillars” of couple identity, may be studied in terms of passion, intimacy, commitment, individual representations of couple relationship, quality of relationship with the family of origin and trust. Research on couple functioning generally identifies marital outcomes in terms of relationship satisfaction or stability. In the present work we identified another outcome of couple relationship: couple generativity, which describes the couple ability to take care of its familial and social bonds. In particular we examined whether and how the above dimensions are present in different groups based on age and presence of children, and the association of these dimensions with marital outcomes, not only in terms of marital satisfaction, but also in terms of couple generativity. Data were collected from 1254 individuals (16.2 % males), with or without children, who were in a marital relationship. Results showed that the level of some of these dimensions varied according to the age and presence of children. Moreover, commitment, passion and intimacy were positively linked with both satisfaction and generativity. The conception of one’s couple as a private matter was linked only with satisfaction, while perceiving one’s couple as an intergenerational and social matter was linked more to generativity. The satisfaction with the family of origin was generally linked to both satisfaction and generativity. Trust was correlated with both satisfaction and generativity only in individuals with children.