Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Bell, Jr, David Eugene
URN	etd-07152009-152002
Title	The Relationship Between Distal Religious and Proximal Spiritual Variables and Self-reported Marital Happiness
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Family and Child Sciences, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Robert Lee Committee Chair Ann Mullis Committee Member Kay Pasley Committee Member Gary Peterson Outside Committee Member
Keywords	Marital Happiness Spirituality Religiousness
Date of Defense	2009-04-27
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to examine a married person’s distal religious (private religious practices, organizational religiousness, and religious intensity) and proximal spiritual variable (daily spiritual experiences, positive religious/spiritual coping, and forgiveness) associations to self-reported marital happiness. A secondary purpose was to examine these variable associations by gender. Three hundred forty-five married persons participated in the study. The findings showed that a married person’s race and only organizational religiousness were significantly associated with self-reported marital happiness before considering proximal spiritual variables. After considering the latter, daily spiritual experiences, forgiveness, religious intensity, and race were significantly associated with marital happiness. Socio-cultural, distal and proximal variable associations to marital happiness differed in significance by gender. Symbolic interaction theory offered a conceptual foundation for interpretation. Implications for research and practice were discussed.
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