Appraisal Support Dynamics for Protestant Clergy and Their Spouses on Marital Satisfaction in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine appraisal support dynamics for protestant clergy and their spouses on marital satisfaction in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi, Kenya.
 Methodology: This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design. The study used a sample size of 273 protestant clergy and their spouses, chosen using a simple random sampling technique for quantitative, and 12 participants who were purposefully selected for qualitative, low and high performance on levels of marital satisfaction. The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMSS) and the Scales of Perceived Social Support were used to collect quantitative data, with the former having a reliability coefficient of 0.834 and the latter of 0.954, respectively. The researcher used both standardized questionnaires and an in-depth interview guide questionnaire to obtain data. Descriptive analysis and thematic analysis were used to examine the data. The data was presented in form of tables. SPSS version 23 for the social sciences was for inferential analysis.
 Findings: The results of this study showed a small but statistically significant negative correlation between appraisal support dynamics and marital happiness. The dynamics of appraisal support had little effect on marital happiness. Couples whose feedback-giving styles are more combative tend to report lower levels of happiness in their marriages. On the other hand, this could mean that accessing appraisal support is difficult for protestant clerics and their spouses because of their positions in society as religious authorities who are expected to showed highest standards of moral values, which could further strain their relationships.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study was anchored on The Family Stress Theory which was propounded by McCubbin & Patterson in 1983. The study recommends that the protestant clergy and their spouses set up peer to peer support groups that will enable them to overload their marital challenges. This study recommends that the counselling psychologists board should develop a clergy centered psychotherapy that elevates appraisal support in areas of marital relationship.