Cohesion, Marital

Abstract

Marital cohesion refers to the degree of connectedness, togetherness, and emotional bonding between marital partners. Cohesion in marriages is related to positive relationship qualities, including greater relationship satisfaction and lower hostility between partners. Also, marital cohesion is positively related to individual well‐being, such as higher levels of self‐esteem. Yet, extremely high levels of cohesion may be unhealthy for marriages, reflecting too much dependence between partners. An optimal level of cohesion in marriages is defined by balancing healthy levels of both separateness and togetherness. Marital cohesion is included in research on both the dyadic adjustment process and the circumplex model of marital functioning. Previous research has focused on studying cohesion at the individual level, and future work should seek to model cohesion at the dyadic level (i.e., describing how cohesion functions between relationship partners).

Mindfulness, awareness, partner caring, and romantic relationship quality: Structural equation modeling

“…Dyadic bonding in romantic relationships facilitates physical maintenance and emotional proximity with each intimate partner (Mosko & Pistole, 2010). Doohan et al (2009) found couple bonding to be positively linked with intimate partner consensus, which has been demonstrated as integral to relationship quality (Doane, 2016).…”